Cue Clothing Co. has shown its family-owned colours as it battles the fallout from COVID-19.
The company - which owns Cue, Veronika Maine and Dion Lee - is among retailers consolidating costs amid the global pandemic.
However, the family-owned company has attempted to support its network of local manufacturers and staff during lockdowns in Australia and New Zealand.
Cue’s onshore network allows it to produce new styles in as little as three to five weeks.
Director Justin Levis said while volumes of local orders have been reduced, it is mindful of supporting production partners.
"One of the advantages of local production is flexibility and agility to support smaller runs," he told Ragtrader.com.au.
"With the pandemic, we were able to shrink orders immediately and save lighter fabrics to be recut in spring/summer, for example.
"We know this affects our entire supply chain and we need to support factories with cashflow so they can survive this; where makers used to make 10,000 garments a month, we might reduce that number to 3,000 to keep everyone producing.
"We have triple the product right now but the way forward is to support our partners with cashflow."
Cue Clothing Co. is also supporting efforts to connect hospitals and manufacturers to produce PPE at cost price.
The retailer was among the first to produce medical gowns and masks for St. Vincent's Hospital.
"A local supply chain can produce scrubs more quickly when it's made onshore," Levis said.
Despite retailers enduring revenue falls - particularly in New Zealand during lockdowns of eCommerce and bricks-and-mortar operations - it has attempted to mitigate costs with government programs such as Job Keeper.
This is as Australian and New Zealand fashion retailers battle iron-clad lease clauses with some landlords, forcing full rental payments.
Levis cited examples of managers connecting with loyal customers via Skype and phone calls, offering existing customers new season styles via private appointments.
"I've been so inspired by our staff through all of this.
"We had an amazing day in our Canberra store recently; the manager has such a good connection with her customers and was able to keep them updated with offers on new season styles.
"We're starting to trial store openings with limited hours and seeing how our customers react."
Cue Clothing Co. is one of the most iconic fashion retailers in Australia, with founder Rod Levis recently awarded a Member of The Order of Australia.