It's not just upmarket fashion designers who are launching sister labels. Kath Purkis, operator of luxury online shopping destination Le Black Book, talks about her latest venture Noir Shop.
Before I launched Le Black Book in April 2008, I was working for Australian designer Akira Isogawa. During my time at his studio, Akira introduced Akira Red Label, a diffusion offering that was stocked in David Jones and many leading boutiques across the globe.
The Akira Red label was priced in the middle market bracket and many buyers would pick it up alongside Akira Black label. They'd get excited about the prospect of offering their customers the Akira name for under $300. This trend has really taken off. Now a lot of Australian designers are offering diffusion lines with leading department stores and lifestyle brands.
When developing and running Le Black Book, I sampled a house collection range and most styles sold out within hours. I saw a big demand for fast fashion online and saw a gap in the market that I could fill. So last month, I launched a younger sister to Le Black Book called Noir Shop. Both are different and I am looking forward to being able to develop them both in their alternate directions.
Noir Shop is updated each month with 10 new trend-driven styles under one private label. Everything at the store is always under $100, making it appealing to consumers that have tightened their budgets. There is also a big trend at the moment of mixing chain store and vintage garments with high-end designer pieces. This trend has made looking fashionable more appealing to girls that can't afford designer dresses just yet or who are looking to supplement their look with statement items that don't break the budget.
The website is designed so that it is extremely easy to navigate which means every generation can shop without hassle. Our models are sized between 6 and size 12 and there is no airbrushing on any photos.
No matter which side of the fence you sit on, there are more and more options and choices out there. I am excited to be pioneering this new fashion territory myself with Noir shop, which I envision becoming Australia's online answer to the likes of UK favourite Topshop.
What are your thoughts on diffusion ventures?