Men's shirting brand thinks pink

SYDNEY: Leisurewear label Leon Henry is set to venture into new territory. The Sydney-headquartered brand will release a womenswear line for the spring/summer 2008 season, less than 12 months after it first launched its menswear collection into the wholesale market.

Leon Henry designer Dana Mawlai said the womenswear component, which would specialise in classic wardrobe staples for professional women, was targeted at the 25 - 40-year-old demographic. She said it aimed to offer consumers tailored pieces that could be worn several different ways.

"Whilst the womenswear market is oversupplied, it is saturated with similar product that serves a singular purpose - clothes for the office, clothes for going out," Mawlai said. "With limited resources, it can be difficult to have two separate wardrobes to service our needs. Leon Henry Woman is about blurring this line and offering a wardrobe that serves both purposes." 

She said special garments such as the day dresses could be worn frontwards and backwards. Silk and silk/cotton blend blouses could also be worn as dresses. "It revolves around everything you can wear with jeans for a more casual look but can also be quite dressy for the after five look. Clothes that you can wear to the office and for dinner and drinks afterwards."

The spring/summer 2008/09 collection, to be offered in sizes eight to 14, is manufactured in China and priced from $159 to $309. It is understood the company sources its fabrications from the same European mills that supply luxury European houses such as Gucci, Dolce and Gabanna and Marc Jacobs.

"This collection comprises mostly of silks and silk/cotton blends of exceptional quality," Mawlai said. "Variation between garments is achieved through difference in texture - I believe texture to be equally important in colour." Boutique retailers Tuchuzy (Sydney), Museum (Sydney), Tienda (Melbourne) and Toy (Queensland) would be among the first to carry the debut womenswear collection.

Leon Henry was first launched by luxury denim distributor International Fashion Group in September 2007. The collection, comprised of fitted shirts for men, launched through Glue stores nationwide and through independent retailers Tuchuzy, Adrenalin (Gold Coast), Hybrid (Sydney), Stiller & Father (Western Australia) and Myer Melbourne's 'Denim Bar'.

By Assia Benmedjdoub