Following up on blog post interview last week with Nicole Herrick from Kids Style Hub. We have also asked her a couple of questions about her latest project AADR which is a new program to help designers and retailers connect.
1. Where did the idea for The Australian Alliance of Designers and Retailers come from?
Well I own Kids Style Hub, a retail platform for emerging designers and we all network and chat online in a private forum. Through the forum, our designers were chatting one day about wholesale agencies and how to wholesale without an agency. I was shocked that some agencies charge $2k to join and then take a further percentage upon sales. Most of them also had extra fees if you wanted to be part of expos and advertising as well. So I thought, why not just create an online platform where all Australian designer can showcase their products to retailers for wholesale purposes. When I asked our designers what they thought, even those that already had agents said they would be extremely keen to sign up. So I made it happen.
2. What sort of designer does AADR attract?
Any Australian designer. Our categories currently include womenswear, menswear, accessories, skincare, baby/kids and homewares. We will also expand that if we need to include others like office products for example.
3. What is the Marketing plan you have on offer for designers?
AADR creates a wholesale look book for each designer which is then showcased in the online directory. Retailers both here and overseas can browse the directory for free but must contact the designer directly to gain a wholesale price list. A monthly email system will allow retailers to see the latest products and remind them to browse the directory. AADR also plans to market the platform via expos and industry events once we have enough funding to do so. AADR also offers graphic design and product photography services that are specifically designed for emerging businesses and offer a variety of cost options, so that no matter what the budget, it is accessible to everyone.
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