Times are tough in Australian fashion. People are spending less and more labels are closing their doors or being placed under financial administration , but a look at the number of sheer blouses and knitted briefs on the runway proves that this is an industry filled with risk-takers. Through the sea of red sale signs in shop windows, a smattering of grand and not-so-grand openings give hope, as Australian designers risk it all to go big or go out of business.
Nadia Bartel: Store number two Nadia Bartel, co-founder of Henne and the brand’s second store in Paddington, Sydney. Credit: Wolter Peeters, Supplied “This is definitely a labour of love,” says Nadia Bartel, co-founder of the womenswear label Henne, where the offering ranges from family-friendly knitwear to social media friendly bodysuits. “People are doing it tough out there.
“I’ve had moments where I have stopped and thought ‘what am I doing?’ but this is what the business is about. Times are definitely tough but when the opportunity for a second store in another city came up, we had to jump on it – fast.” Bartel capitalised on her success as a fashion influencer and with her multi-brand e-boutique The Connection to launch Henne five years ago.
In 2022, the first Henne store opened in Melbourne on Greville Street in Prahran. This month the opening of a Paddington store, wedged between Camilla & Marc and Ganni, became the first step towards national expansion. “Sydney is our second-biggest market a.
