Swanndri New Zealand opens its first ever concept store in central Wellington and marks a milestone in the evolution of the brand and product which has become a true kiwi legend.
The company's chief executive Julian Bowden says the day is a significant one in the history of the brand founded 93 years ago in Taranaki.“The concept store will show the public how much the Swanndri brand has grown since the design of the original '103' bush shirt .We are preparing to take the brand into a new era without losing sight of our roots and heritage,”he says.
Julian Bowden and Gerard Kilpatrick led a management buyout with fellow investors Nigel Shatford, Bryan Pearson and George Cowper when they bought Swanndri from Alliance Textiles in July 2004. Since then they have undertaken a number of initiatives to strengthen the brand and prepare it for growth in New Zealand and a push into offshore markets.
Swanndri by Karen Walker is the collection from Swanndri's design partnership with internationally-renowned fashion designer Karen Walker. The range is to be unveiled at the opening of the new concept store today. “New Zealanders have always loved the Swanndri brand and the emotions it conjures up. Swanndri by Karen Walker will make the brand's values more relevant to a new group of New Zealanders and ultimately, appeal to an international audience's hunger for authenticity,” says Bowden.
Swanndri has set up a subsidiary in the UK where Bowden expects thebrand will perform well. “The English have a strong affinity with heritage brands and wool products. Given that the original Swanndri founder, William Broome, was English, ourmove to the UK is almost like taking the brand back to its second home,” says Bowden.
-Ltd..jpg?tr=w-120,h-60,c-at_max,cm-pad_resize,bg-ffffff "Thermore (Far East) Ltd.")
.jpg?tr=w-120,h-60,c-at_max,cm-pad_resize,bg-ffffff "Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation Limited (TSllC Ltd)")
.jpg?tr=w-120,h-60,c-at_max,cm-pad_resize,bg-ffffff "Taiwan Textile Federation (TTF)")
