Duskii founder Patreece Botheras talks Josh McDonnell through the challenges and opportunities of the brand's recently launched resort collection.
Why did you decided to launch a resort collection?
This was our second year introducing the resort collection, which is I guess is due to fashion week, as it is such an amazing platform for us to show globally and locally as well, there is a lot of great local buyers who come to fashion week.
Iit was part opportunity and part being swimwear.
A lot of our northern hemisphere buyers in the US and UK, they almost want a head start to buy the collections that we've got.
It's just worked out really well for us. As far as comparing, I would say probably on spring summer and resort, it's probably about 50/50 sales wise.
We will get a better idea after this year because it was our first year of doing it.
We will definitely be able to compare and say last year was 50/50 and this year was 60/40 or very much the same potentially again.
Did you find it to be a successful launch?
It was fantastic because again there was the opportunity where a lot of international buyers that we wouldn't ordinarily get the opportunity to meet were all in one area.
We got to Net-A-Porter who are already an existing stockist but they got to place their next season buy with us pretty much on the spot.
Then there was a meeting with Harvey Nichols and Fast Fetch and they are new stockists for us, from showing resort last season which is fantastic.
Was there consumer influence behind the collection?
It's more not so much about the actual design, it's about the timing of when the pieces are delivering. Because obviously when it is summer here it's winter in the Northern Hemisphere, so it's about getting the collection dropping in the right places at the right time.
What are the times and places that you see the most success?
Well with swim everybody is just so different.
Free People who are one of our large accounts, as well in the US, they’ve just taken a reorder of a current delivery we have now because it is warming up in the US of course.
It's just giving buyers another option with our delivery dates. That is why having that resort collection is important, we have buyers ask, when are you delivering? Are you doing resort and spring/summer? And now yes, we very much are because as we grow as a brand, we need to cater to the rest of the world.
How many pieces were in the first collection and how many in the second?
We are doing around the same, so roughly 20-25.
What were the peak times the collection sold?
I would say November/December was definitely a strong sales month, strong peak time. Then early in the year as well.
So it has continued up until around now (March/April)?
Exactly. Our Australian sales, especially online, have definitely dropped as we are getting cooler but then on the flip-side our Northern Hemisphere sales are really strong at the moment.
What is the split between Australia and the Northern Hemisphere?
I'd say a 60/40 split to resort. 60 for the North and 40 in Australia.
Is there a key market?
I think definitely keeping our current Australia buyers happy but also just being more flexible internationally, so trying to broaden out stockist globally.
Catering to a much wider market as we evolve.
What are some of the challenges that come with these collections?
With swimwear it really is synonymous with the resort collection so it is always a success.
I guess if I had to pick one challenge it would be just ensuring that we know what are our strongest pieces are and ensuring that we reorder so we can keep the stock flowing when we need to.
It is just stock management because it is always nice somewhere, someone’s always going on holiday.