Skating the globe Bont style

Jill Pullen spoke to designer Rebecca Bont about the company's rapid rise in the sportswear market.
Unbeknownst to many, apparel and footwear manufacturer Bont International is actually one of the world's largest producers of hand-made speed skates.
Founded in Sydney in 1975 by husband and wife team Inze and Sara Bont, the company set a benchmark for future skating boot design worldwide, turning what was once regarded as a hobby into a multi-million dollar empire.
With a mission to reinvigorate the global speed skate market, the design duo's first commercial collection consisted of a small but comprehensive range of inline ice speed skates, which were made in the couple's home. Given the fact that Australia only maintained a small skating market, the collection was predominantly sold in the US, Canada and South America, all of which boasted and continue to maintain a strong speed skating industry.
Strong demand for the boots saw the couple expand their collection in the seasons that followed to include several new skate models.
To date the company has released more than 50 skate models across the sports of inline, quad roller skating, short track and long track ice speed skating and sell into approximately 57 countries around the world.
All boots to this day continue to be hand-made in Sydney, with wheels sourced from the US, frames from Holland and bearings from Switzerland.
More than 60,000 pairs of custom designed boots have also been produced by the company to date, which is capable of turning around boot orders in just 28 days of receiving payment, specifications and the moulds, custom boots start from $US599 ($A806).
In 1975, the company began to dabble in apparel, designing a select range of skinsuits for professional speed skaters, which proved immensly popular.
Whilst always keen to expand their apparel offering, it wasn't until 2003 that the company fully immersed intself into this part of the market, launching a large range of tracksuits, t-shirts, pants, bandana's, leg and arm warmers, as well as accessories, for active minded men and women aged 14 to 25 in Australia and overseas.
Bont International currently maintains more than 300 wholesale accounts in Australia, however Bont says the business generated from these accounts is much less when compared to its business operations overseas.
"Approximately 95 per cent of our business is generated overseas, so I guess we are more of an export company," says designer Rebecca Bont.
"Orders received from overseas customers are much bigger than what we receive in Australia. For example, orders from a major customer in Finland are 10 times bigger than orders received here. More specifically, Australian orders of our heat mouldable shoes normally range from requests for 60 to 100 pairs of shoes, whereas in Iran, for example, we receive orders for more than 200 pairs, so its a big difference."
Recently secured accounts in Australia include Rebel Sport, who approached the company after learning of the strong consumer demand for the sportswear label.
Originally ordering just the men's collection, strong sell-through encouraged the retailer to also stock women's apparel and footwear. The collections rolled-out into Rebel stores nationally earlier this month.
Bont's strongest selling collections in Australia currently include its men's and women's denimwear and its hugely innovative heat mouldable shoes.
Launched last month, the company's denim range, which comprises of a small range of women's skirts and men's shorts, has already sold out, with the footwear not too far behind.
"Our entire range of footwear is selling very strongly, but it is our collection of heat moulable shoes that is proving most popular," says Bont.
"I think the reason they are selling so strongly is because there has been nothing new come out on the footwear market in a number of years. Retailers and consumers want new and innovative products, so when these were released they instantly sold very well."
To help ensure the successful sell-through from season to season, Bont invests heavily in marketing and promotion of the label. Most recently the company invested in an extensive cinema ad campaign which ran across the country in approximately 53 cinemas. Targeting Australian youth, the ads screened prior to a number of popular films including Deuce Bigalow European Gigolo and Doom.
On the international scene Bont recently secured new accounts in China and Taiwan.
"We have sold our footwear to them [China and Taiwan] for a long time, but now are distributors are wanting our apparel and accessories collections," says Bont.
Addititional accounts have also been Future plans forsee the company expanding its range to include a spate of new, undisclosed products and is looking to expand their operations into Spain over the coming years.