For Forever New, turning 20 is less about celebrating two decades of occasion dressing than deciding what comes after it. Since opening its first Melbourne store in 2006, the women’s fashion business has expanded internationally with stores in North America, Asia, South Africa and the Middle East, while reconsidering the role it plays in customers’ wardrobes. Managing director Carolyn Mackenzie identified three decisions behind that evolution: establishing a distinctive identity, recognising the opportunity beyond Australia and broadening its proposition beyond dresses for special events.

Mackenzie told Inside Retail that the business grew from $269 million in annual revenue in 2019 to around $400 million today. But reaching its next milestone will require more than adding locations. The ambition is to become relevant across more of customers’ lives, while preserving the feminine aesthetic that established recognition and loyalty in Australia and helped the brand find an audience overseas.

Forever New’s strength in occasionwear created both global recognition and a commercial constraint. As Mackenzie explained, special events do not necessarily generate frequent shopping visits. The brand’s expansion into workwear, knitwear, separates and versatile essentials offered a way to engage customers between occasions. The task was not to abandon dresses, but to build collections that worked together and gave women reasons to consider the brand for work, weekends and everyday dressing.

The pandemic accelerated that reassessment. With events cancelled and customers staying home, Forever New explored leisurewear and responded to the demand for comfort. The disruption highlighted the risks of depending on particular categories or occasions.

Source link