CANADA’S PREMIERE RETAILERS FIND THEIR ‘PLACE’ IN ADELAIDE'S RUNDLE MALL

Three of Canada’s leading retailers will enter the Australian market in 2013 with each debuting their stores in Adelaide’s premier CBD shopping centre, Rundle Place which is set to open in March.

Rundle  Place is a $385 million redevelopment of  the old Harris Scarfe site currently under construction.  It is located in Adelaide’s iconic retail precinct, Rundle Mall and extending the depth of the city block through to the retail/office based Grenfell Street.   Upon completion it will offer tenants and visitors alike, a premium shopping experience with bright spaces and open light voids.

Photo from sensational-adelaide.com

“We are thrilled to have three of Canada’s leading retailers making their Australian debut in Rundle Place” said Stephen Hyde, Pacific Group Leasing Executive.  "The confidence shown by these three who we’ve bought into Australia via their master licensor Retail Expansion Pty Ltd, in addition to others who are entering the Adelaide market for the first time and in some instances doing so ahead of opening outlets along the eastern seaboard is particularly pleasing and highlights the premium offering of Rundle Place”.  

The three Canadian retailers leading the charge to Rundle Place are:

Point Zero - the number one leading Canadian brand name and the largest manufacturer of chic and fashion-forward ready-to-wear apparel for men, women and children.   Point Zero currently operates more than 35 flagship boutiques across Canada, 920Shop-in-shops in department stores as Dillard’s, Macy’s, BAY, Sears and has successfully opened franchises in Central and South America and the Middle East. Point Zero aims to open 100 retail stores in the next 3 years.

Joshua Perets - a retail store dedicated primarily to the teen and tween market includes everything from undergarments to hoodies, jeans to accessories and perfume was created in 2001 by the founder of the same name. As of April 2012 there were 35 stores operating across Canada. 

La Vie en Rose – Canada’s leading specialty lingerie retailer targeting women 25-54 with over 165 boutiques across Canada.  Since 2004 the brand has expanded into the Middle Eastern, European and Asian markets with a total of 50 international outlets.

Rundle Place will include a four storey retail centre, anchored by Coles and a food court on the lower level; Harris Scarfe department store on part of Level 1 and all of Level 2 and approximately 70 specialty retail tenancies, with the fashion offering to be provided on ground level.

The development also includes an eleven storey commercial tower (set to open October 2013) which is preleased to the Adelaide/Bendigo Bank.    The purchase of the adjoining car park by the developers provides 500 casual car parking spaces and 100 pre-leased car spaces that will directly link to each level of the retail centre.

Lachy Lang Winner of Coveted 2012 SA Emerging Designer Award!


The Adelaide Fashion Festival has delivered a new prodigy, with Lachlan Lang announced as the winner of the 2012 SA Emerging Designer Award.

The announcement was made at the Advantage SA Young SA Designers Showcase event, which marked the finale of the outstanding 2012 Adelaide Fashion Festival.

Lang, creator of his own, self-titled label established just last year, was selected as the winner of the coveted award from a group of eight talented finalists. The judging panel comprised industry experts, including renowned designer Arthur Galan; News Limited Adelaide’s Fashion Editor, Anna Vlach; Director of Glam Adelaide, Kelly Noble; Fashion Stylist of Attitude Magazine, Charlotte Chambers and Editor of South Australian Style Magazine, Jodie Nash.

Lang’s winning spring summer 2012/13 collection was entitled ‘Shirt Tales’ and, as the name suggests, was a range of shirt-based pieces for men and women, with crisp tailoring blending seamlessly with detailed and edgy graphics, showcasing the designer’s keen eye for detail.

Lang said the collection “reflects silhouettes with a twist.”

Lang’s womenswear exhibited influences of menswear archetypes that were manipulated in different contexts to create fresh, exciting pieces “with a sense of humour,” he explained. The menswear collection delivered shirting with a difference, utilising punctuation in the form of button stands and new collar designs, offering the boys a chance to incorporate some fun into their wardrobe!

Having secured the major achievement of becoming SA’s best emerging designer, Lang is well on his way to realising his ultimate dream: to one day have his label stocked in department stores and seeing his designs “in stand-alone, Lachy Lang boutiques!”

The Adelaide Fashion Festival, hosted by the City of Norwood, Payneham and St Peters and The Parade, Norwood, has consistently shone a spotlight on Adelaide and its dynamic and innovative fashion industry. The Festival’s premier event is the Advantage SA Young Designers Showcase and provides young designers the opportunity to have designs launched onto the national stage. This year, South Australia’s leading couture and emerging labels such as Paolo Sebastian, Jaimie Sortino and couture+love+madness leant their support by showcasing their collections at this event.

Photography: Simon Cecere