August
425 stores in 54 countries: How this Aussie brand rapidly expanded
The first time Lesleigh Jermanus went to Australian Fashion Week, she was an intern. The second time, her label Alemais was the opening show.
- Lauren Sams
July
- Exclusive
- Retail
Bassike third local fashion business to lose a co-founder this year
Bassike co-founder Mary Lou Ryan is leaving the business she helped create.
- Lauren Sams
Not an outlet store: how fashion brands are making discounting cool
With the opening of a new “luxury discount” precinct in Sydney, local retailers are trying to make sales fashionable.
- Lauren Sams
June
Christopher Esber first Australian to win French fashion accolade
The Sydney designer has won the prestigious ANDAM Grand Prize, taking home more than $400,000 in prize money.
- Lauren Sams
- Exclusive
- Retail
Country Road owner probes claim suppliers pressured into ‘rebates’
Woolworths Holdings has engaged a law firm to investigate whether managers improperly pushed for price cuts, threatening to buy less, to meet earnings targets.
- Carrie LaFrenz and Jonathan Shapiro
May
‘No guarantee that a sale is a sale’: Why fashion is harder than ever
Growing costs, post-pandemic pain, excess spending and the bugbear of online returns are at the heart of a fashion industry on the brink.
- Lauren Sams
Why Fashion Week is still important
Its star power dimmed, the week that used to be about celebrating Australian fashion is now a carefully calibrated exercise about return on investment.
- Lauren Sams
‘New York polish, Ballarat work ethic’: the designer creating an empire
Other Australian brands are struggling. So what’s Rebecca Vallance doing right?
- Lauren Sams
The 20-year-old brand making its fashion week debut
The woman behind Melbourne born-and-bred cool girl label Viktoria & Woods says it’s finally time to reach a wider audience.
- Lauren Sams
March
How Blundstone quietly conquered Britain
A decade ago only Aussies in London wore Blunnies. Now they’re ubiquitous, and are a lifestyle choice as much as a work boot. Appealing to women was key to success.
- Hans van Leeuwen
Cult label Aje cuts 20 staff after massive stock clearance
The fashion label has let a number of senior staff go, but its co-founder says the move is simply a restructure and that the business is trading as usual.
- Lauren Sams and Sarah Thompson
- Updated
- Fashion retail
Private equity-backed swimwear group Tigerlily collapses
For the second time in four years, the company founded by Jodhi Meares has gone under. Its owner, Crescent Capital, tried to sell the retailer last year.
- Updated
- Carrie LaFrenz
January
What R.M. Williams plans to do next
NATO boss Jens Stoltenberg wears them, British Security Minister Tom Tugendhat is a fan, and so is House of Lords member Mark Sedwill. It’s no surprise the next stop for the Andrew Forrest-owned bootmaker is Europe.
- Updated
- Hans van Leeuwen
How to wear it – the total wardrobe edit
Your one-stop personal shopper is here in the form of our top-rating fashion advice columns of the past year.
- Lauren Sams and Lucy Dean
December 2023
Why fashionable wait-staff help restaurants win customers
Once an afterthought, uniforms are now a unique selling point for hospitality businesses – so much so that customers are walking out the door with them.
- Lauren Sams
The Australian womenswear brand that’s making waves everywhere
Founded by sisters and based in Noosa, where its “secret store” is used as a testing ground, Matteau is the ultimate quiet achiever.
- Lauren Sams
November 2023
How ‘less is more’ became a winning strategy for this Byron Bay label
St. Agni’s version of pared-back perfection is garnering fans on a global scale.
- Eugenie Kelly
- Exclusive
- Fashion retail
Andrew and Nicola Forrest buy Akubra
The Forrests have taken on the Australian hat brand, their third fashion deal in four years, saying they’ll make it “more fashion-forward”.
- Lauren Sams
What Australia’s most fashionable will be wearing this summer
The ’90s are back, and so are strapless dresses, sheer fabrics and oversize shirts (for men).
- Lauren Sams
October 2023
Double denim in style as Outland buys ailing Nobody Denim
The Gold Coast-based social enterprise has announced its acquisition of Melbourne veteran Nobody Denim.
- Lauren Sams