It’s hard out there for Australian retailers right now. The latest casualty of the post-GFC fashion industry cluster fuck is designer Kirrily Johnston, whose eponymous label has gone into voluntary administration after more than a decade in the business. Ms Johnston cites high rental prices and the cost of local manufacturing as the major financial challenges for continuing her business.
She told Inside Retail: “I know everyone will be asking how could this happen when I seemed to be doing so well. Unfortunately for me it was a culmination of GFC issues and manufacturing bad luck which tipped the business over the edge.”
It was less than a week ago that another stalwart of Australian womenswear was claimed by that fickle bitch that is the fashion retail sector with Lisa Ho folding after a 30 year tenure in the biz.
While several industry luminaries have been falling by the wayside, things are looking more positive for the new generation of Australian brands. Jac+ Jack founders Jacqueline Hunt and Lisa Dempsey opened a new Sydney flagship store in February, and Vanishing Elephant is set to launch its second bricks and mortar space in Sydney in the near future. Out with the old…
