David Jones signs up with new global designer brands

These new brands will join David Jones' extensive and growing international designer offering on an Australian department store exclusive basis.

David Jones CEO & Managing Director Paul Zahra said, "Our international women’s designer business has grown on by 55.6% over the three year period from FY11 to FY13 and we see real opportunity for this growth to continue.

"We attribute this growth in part to the fact that the web has given people instantaneous online access to the international fashion shows. This creates demand for brands locally before the brands even enter our business.

“As retailers, we need to adapt and tailor our offer to ensure we cater to this new generation of customer who is well informed about fashion, international designers and upcoming trends and has access to a plethora of information about fashion.

"Our vision as a Company is to be the first destination for style which means that as a business we need to ensure we participate in the international fashion shows and that we sign up international designers that will resonate with Australian customers and the Australian lifestyle.

“It is also important that we continue our proud tradition of championing Australian designers and supporting their growth and enabling them to achieve international recognition. It was pleasing to see that the only two Australian designers, in the past 20 years, invited to participate in the official Paris Fashion Week schedule are Collette Dinnigan and Martin Grant both Australian department store exclusive to David Jones," Mr Zahra said.

The new international brands announced will be available in the David Jones stores listed below as from February 2014 on a cost price harmonised basis:

- Valentino – Elizabeth Street Sydney & Bourke Street Melbourne
- 3.1 Phillip Lim – Bourke Street Melbourne
- Vince – Elizabeth Street Sydney & Bourke Street Melbourne
- IRO – Elizabeth Street Sydney & Bourke Street Melbourne
- Richard Nicolls - Elizabeth Street Sydney

Mr Zahra said, "We will be stocking the Northern Hemisphere Spring Summer 2014 Collections next February and what will differentiate our offer from that of our international peers is our understanding of the Australian customer and our ability to edit or curate each collection to reflect our customers’ aesthetic and lifestyle as well as the Australian climate.”

David Jones