Australian Market Underpins Impressive Mild Red Growth
Effective penetration of the Australian market has increased sales of Dunedin based label Mild Red by over 100% for
Winter 2003. The number of Australian stockists has grown from 7 in 2001 to 15 in 2002 and 32 for the coming winter
2003. Founder and designer Donna Tulloch attributes much of this growth to successful showings at the previous two New
Zealand Fashion Weeks.
Mild Red was part of a Dunedin Fashion Group show at the inaugural New Zealand Fashion Week in 2002, and an increase in
sales of 60% for the year following that show prompted the decision to stage an individual show at NZFW last October,
with the subsequent growth for Winter 2003.
Fashion commentator and UK Sunday Times journalist Colin McDowell found Mild Red's 'Poetic Corrugations' collection to
be one of the highlights of his visit to New Zealand Fashion Week. McDowell described the collection as "Sophisticated,
elegant, mature, beautiful and subtle".
MORE Launched in 1995 as a knitwear collection, Mild Red is designed to fill a gap in the market for garments that have
a unique sculptured design edge. That design edge comes from the creative talent of Donna Tulloch - "My designs reflect
a 3 dimensional attitude to shape and form, trademarked by an asymmetric or sculptured appearance". Donna's strength in
knitwear underpins the Mild Red winter 2003 collection. The knitwear pieces will be complemented by woven garments that
have the same intellectual design style that has become a trademark of the label.
The latest W03 collection will be one of highlights of the ID-Dunedin Fashion show to be held in the restored gothic
Dunedin Railway Station on Thursday 27th February.
Mild Red would like to acknowledge the support of the Dunedin City Council's Economic Development Unit in attending New
Zealand Fashion Week in 2002.