For someone who claims that she has always been fascinated by fashion, it’s no surprise to see why Australian designer Katie Perry has succeeded in launching her own label. She has accumulated a range of experience prior to starting her own business and has worked as a stylist, manager and buyer for such stores as Molton Brown, Oroton and David Jones. Katie understood the importance of gaining real industry experience before working on her own designs. “If you want your own label, you need a good grasp of the industry,” she said.
After spending years working for other people Katie decided that it was time to start something of her own. It wasn’t until she decided to cut back on her hours at work and devote the time to setting up her own label that Katie realised her dream was achievable. It was in February 2007 that saw the official launch of the Katie Perry brand.
Her collections are about mixing style with comfort and according to Katie, this is of utmost importance to her label. “It’s important to make people feel better about themselves,” she said. When we live in a fast-paced lifestyle with limited time resources, Katie says it is crucial to make low-maintenance pieces that are easy to wear. She believes in creating garments that are flattering, practical and comfortable. Her designs incorporate luxurious fabrics like satin trimming and soft jersey that fits well but doesn’t cling to the body. “I want to be known for my use of jersey that is all sourced and made here in Australia,” she said.
This is the stand out quality for the Katie Perry brand and the key factor that sets her apart from competing designers. Not only does she make use of jersey in her designs but her fabric selection comes directly from the Australian market. Even the jersey that she sources is knitted and dyed locally. This was a conscious decision for Katie when starting the brand and she has kept a strong local focus with her label from the very beginning. “It’s important we keep the talent here and keep the industry going,” she said. Another factor for making and producing her label in Australia is to ensure the highest quality possible. Sourcing fabrics locally and having more quality control, if and when anything goes wrong, are important factors in how this designer likes to run her label. Katie claims that “it’s not about the dollars”. Of course it would be cheaper for her to outsource the production overseas but her decision to keep it all local derives from a personal choice; both for her moral beliefs and the direction of the brand.
But it hasn’t all been working with luxurious fabrics and smooth sailing for Katie Perry. Around June last year, the Sydney designer was confronted with a serious legal battle over the use of her name for the brand. US singer Katy Perry claimed to sue her even though she had trademarked her name locally.
“They told me I needed to withdraw my trademark and label name,” she explained.
Katie admits that this incident was by far the most stressful and challenging time in her fashion career. “I was afraid that my dream was going to be killed,” she said.
Just prior to the major case being heard in the Australian Federal Court in Canberra, US lawyers told Katie they had no further opposition and the case didn’t proceed. Following a long legal battle and undying public support, the outcome meant that Katie was able to keep her label name and proceed with business. “On a positive, it really promoted the brand. People know the difference now,” she said.
Katie claims that the stress and demands of the experience didn’t harm her label but it did pull her away from the brand for a significant amount of time while attending court cases, liaising with lawyers and forking out nearly $12,000 in legal fees.
Some may argue that the damages are huge but on the recovering side of the case, Katie remains optimistic and is glad to be focusing on the future of her label. She has lots of exciting projects in the works, is currently designing the winter collection for next year and is working on getting more retailers on board. “We’ve got the exposure, now it’s more about the distribution,” she said. Now that people know about the brand, Katie’s focus is on getting the label out there and making it accessible to customers. “Katie Perry is about a lifestyle; it’s for the people,” she said.
To learn more about Katie Perry, visit: www.katieperry.com.au.
Current stockists:
SA
Mushroom Boutique
2 Elizabeth St, Croydon
VIC
Born Screaming
91 Murphy St, Wangaratta Vic, Australia
NSW
KP Design Studio
2/87 Avenue Rd, Mosman
Paddington Markets (every Saturday)
395 Oxford St, Paddington
