Friday, June 12, 2009

Doing A Gucci

Definition: Turning around the ailing fortunes of a fashion label; making a fashion label covetable once more. Synonym: Tom Ford for Gucci; Sophie Holt for Country Road.


Sophie Holt was appointed head designer of Country Road in 2003, and delivered her first collection in 2004 to considerable buzz. Having reinvented Witchery in the years prior, and given Country Roads shitty sales the decade before, it was pretty much a given Country Road would either sink or swim - with a new swimsuit of course. Since her first collection in 2004, Country Road has certainly come leaps and bounds in terms of desirability, fit (just remember to go down a size) and being on-trend.

Building on this success, Holt is now responsible for the delivery of CR's latest offering: a range for the older lady or gentleman - Trenery. Apparently "Trenery" was the name of the street the first Country Road store or head office was on or something. I don't like the name, it's like there's a letter missing. The concept, however - double thumbs up. Given our ageing population, and the fact there is still such a limited offering of clothes for the older woman who isn't ready for grandma-ish lavender twin-sets, there is undoubtedly a gap in the market. Having pottered around CR with my own mother several times, I know the current offering is not quite right for older women who still like looking good - too many sleeveless numbers (tuckshop lady arms affect older women whether they go to Body Balance or not); too short (you take that back!); or the material is too clingy in all the wrong places (she blames me for that - childbirth. I told her she was a wanton hussy for getting knocked up - ton of bricks response).


I'm looking forward to the new range, primarily because hopefully it means more shopping can be done in one store, rather than having to cover the entire city with considerable angst looking for something suitable to wear. I love you mum.

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