Cheeky brand is all talk

A group of ex-marketers have played to their strengths by spotting a seemingly unspottable gap in the market; for talking clothes.

Joanna Stepp, Betty Rodrigues, Andy Fillip and Fabian Gautier describe their recently launched itbyit brand of tees and underwear - which feature tee graphics that lead down to a hidden message on the underwear - as "pure fun".

The brand, which targets the 18 to 35-year-old male and female market -- was designed to get people talking about or spicing up their relationships through their clothes, said itbyit marketing director Joanna Stepp.
"It's all about looking at someone, looking at the tee shirt they're wearing and wondering what they're wearing down below. It's a bit cheeky really," she said.

"The woman who wears the tee with a "wish" design on it may look tame and innocent on the surface, but underneath she really is the outrageous type saying 'blow it' on the matching underwear. The man who wears the tee with a 'crane' design on it will appear as the guy who takes his work seriously, but underneath it's all play with the matching underwear saying 'load it'."

Retailing through the brand's online store, women's tops are priced at $50 with bottoms at $20, while men's tops are priced at $50 with bottoms at $25. Tees and underwear can be bought on their own or as a matching set while the tees are designed to be worn as streetwear, sleepwear or sportswear.

Having driven strong sales with a pre-Christmas launch, the brand planned to launch a further campaign for Valentine's day, Stepp confirmed, adding future itbyit ranges were expected to comprise windcheaters, sleepwear and bed linen.

By Belinda Smart