Brisbane fashion house Orientique is marking its 50th anniversary, having built a network of more than 600 independent boutique stockists in Australia without opening its own stores or selling direct to consumers.
Founded in Brisbane in 1976, the womenswear label operates exclusively as a wholesaler. It reported that its collections are now carried by more than 3,000 boutiques worldwide. Today, the brand is owned and run by Tom Tindall, who is also the brand's managing director. He has been with the business since 2006.
Orientique noted that it has chosen not to compete with its stockists through company-owned retail or online sales. Many of those stockists are women-run family businesses in regional towns and suburban shopping villages.
Orientique’s ranges centre on exclusive prints developed with artists and designers, and on natural fibres including organic cotton, linen and sustainably sourced rayon. The brand positions itself as a slow fashion label.
It has also introduced a Digital Product Passport, which gives customers access to information about their garments and how they were made.
To mark the milestone, Orientique is flying customers and boutique partners from around the country to its Brisbane head office for a celebration on October 30. Television personality and brand ambassador Denise Drysdale will attend.
The anniversary comes as a number of established Australian fashion labels have exited the market amid pressure from international fast fashion chains, online retailers and shifting consumer habits.