A sweet proposition
Gill Milligan has conquered Korea and has more than a few fans in Indonesia, Singapore and the US too. But how does the womenswear designer retain brand integrity when she's catering to such diverse audiences? Tracey Porter finds out.
Gill Milligan is one of those rare breeds who believes fashion found her rather than the other way around. Having developed a keen interest in craft and sewing as a youngster, the 31-year-old Sydneysider spent her formative years with her head in science books in the hope it would one day propel her into medical school.
But a chance opportunity to model in her late teens - together with some part-time work as a sales assistant at women's retail chain Katies - soon turned her head.
"I was lucky enough to meet some people through a photo shoot that helped me get a job on a teenage girls magazine, where one of my jobs was to coordinate the fashion pages. All of a sudden I found myself surrounded by clothing and it wasn't long before I realised I wanted to start my own business," she says.
Milligan founded her first label, Mermaid Sister, in 1999 and after what she describes as "four years of steep learning curves", she came up with the concept for a new label.
Still without any kind of design qualification but possessed with extraordinary determination, instinct drove her to the next step. "It was 2003 and there was a change happening in street fashion. We were packing up our cargo pants and putting on dresses. It was really the perfect time to start the label as it was all about feminine clothing that had an artistic edge."
Utilising her skills as an artist to drive home her point of difference, Milligan began selling small ranges continuing to surprise loyal customers with her intricate use of textured fabrication, offset curve cut or other unexpected detail.
It is a handwriting that remains her signature today.
An initial appearance in the new generation show at Australian Fashion Week in 2005 and subsequent sales trips around the country have helped drive her domestic stockist base to the point where Milk and Honey now boasts more than 30 stockists domestically - including department store David Jones.
A subsequent denim label, Sweet Cheeks, was born late last year and it too has hit the mark attracting extensive media coverage for its "like a bra for your bum" promotion and occupying coveted shelf space in national chains such as General Pants.
Having a manufacturing base spread across India, China, Indonesia and Mauritius has ensured Milligan has kept production costs low allowing her to begin taking her label to the world early last year.
"Our first major foray into exporting was about 12 months ago with the release of the Milk and Honey collection to the UK. Prior to that we'd had great interest from all over the world including Singapore, Indonesia, Canada, the US, NZ and Korea," she says.
While reluctant to comment on the financial implications of her decision, Milligan says export currently accounts for around 12 per cent of the labels' turnover.
With prices deliberately kept on the modest side - $65 to $320 - Milligan says Milk and Honey in particular has gone through enormous evolution since the first garment was sold to an overseas customer.
"The key change has been in the product and as a result the way the brand was marketed. The collections went from being relatively casual, simple and 'street' inspired with a strong print/art appeal, to the focus now shifting to designer fabrications, styling and finished garment detail such as intricate embroideries and intarsia knits."
Milligan says most of her garments are now made with organic mercerised cottons, silks and silk blends with natural fibres giving her collections a "touch, draping and feel appeal" that cannot be offered by synthetic alternatives.
While admitting taking some time initially to adjust to the different buying seasons when selling in the Northern
Hemisphere, Milligan says through the assistance of her business manager Sue O'Hara she now intends extending her international market presence to include China, Japan and South Africa. A decision, she argues, driven by her early success.
"We have always led the brand in the direction we wanted it to go, and not allowed market forces to dictate its future. The end result has been a brand that has a strong identity while remaining unique."
By Tracey Porter