Designers’ Geelong fashion statement
RISING fashion label Ena Pelly is set to open its first retail space and showroom after moving its business base to central Geelong.
Founded by fashion designer Dani Pelly and husband Tim Wilkins five years ago, the Torquay-born label known for its premium leather and faux fur pieces will open a store in Moorabool St in February.
The new two-storey base combines an office, showroom and retail outlet, with the business aiming to grow its small sales and product development team.
Stocked in about 90 outlets around Australia and set to grow in New Zealand, Ena Pelly has a flourishing online presence that includes being available through leading online fashion portal The Iconic.
The new showroom will give the business a dedicated space to showcase products to the industry, create marketing content and give customers a shopping experience befitting a premium brand.
Ms Pelly said about half the business, which over the past two years averaged 50 per cent year-on-year growth, was online.
“But you can’t feel things, touch things, have the experience and meet the sales people online,” Ms Pelly said.
“Faux fur is so soft and beautiful, people want to feel it, and they want to touch the leather.”
The move creates an opportunity for the business owners to put a toe in the water of running a bricks-andmortar retail outlet without being overly reliant on its performance.
Mr Wilkins said the longterm ambition was for Ena Pelly to have stores in Melbourne and Sydney.
“Having this space and being able to trial it and see how we manage a bricks-andmortar space will give a good idea of how viable it is,” Mr Wilkins said.
The showroom will allow products to be shown how the designer would like them to be shown, whether in person or though marketing collateral.
Ms Pelly said it was important to show what an outfit looked like, how it could be styled and what it could be paired with.
This year Ena Pelly expanded its product line into knitwear, T-shirts and sweaters with the recently released ‘Python’ print tees and sweaters selling out within hours.
Available in New Zealand through David Jones, Ena Pelly is expected to be stocked in a further five outlets in that country early next year.