A little over a year ago, I wrote a Blog about a new brand of jeans I’d discovered – titled Cool jeans for REAL WOMEN – how New London Jeans found a gap in the market http://wp.me/p29YsS-110
Brighton Lifestyle, 15C Church Street, Brighton
Now, given I’d already shared my enthusiasm for the brand with you, I really didn’t expect to visit the topic again. That is, until I popped down to Brighton Lifestyle in Church Street, Brighton, a few days ago and saw the latest range for winter from New London.
Yep, they’ve done it again. Well, I thought, I can justify ONE new pair, can’t I? Except then I started ‘trying on’ and found three I absolutely loved. Which led to a phone call to my lovely friend Rochelle who agreed to model for me so we could show you what’s available. I also had a chat with Claire Alexander (Sales and Design Director, Chris Alexander Agency) about her inspiration for this season.
But first, here are some highlights from the New London range modelled by Rochelle. The jeans are topped with pieces chosen from the range at the Brighton Lifestyle store. Details below…
Brown ‘Hyde’ velvet jeansNew London Brown ‘Hyde’ velvet jeans – $149.90
Orange camisole by Cream – $149
Pretty in Pink cream sheepskin jacket – $169.00
New London black ‘Hoffman’ style jeans – $149.90
David Barry puffer vest – $145
Lime green Ping Pong top – $95
New London denim studded ‘Notting Blue’ style – $149.90
Shirt by Cindy G – $169.90
Beads by Cindy G – $45
Brown New London ‘Ramsey’ casual cargo jeans – $149.90
Grey cord New London jeansGrey cord New London jeans – $149.90
Ping Pong polka long cardigan – $129.00
Cream camisole in khaki – $55.00
The most popular denim in the new London range – the ‘Stoke’ style
The most popular denim in the New London range -‘Stoke’ style – $149.90
Black faux leather sheepskin jacket by Pretty In Pink – $169.00
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Speaking with the woman behind many of these wonderful styles, Sales and Design Director for the Chris Alexander Agency, Claire Alexander, she told me how keeping the range as a ’boutique’ brand gives them a point of difference in the market.
Sales and Design Director, Chris Alexander Agency – Claire AlexanderNew London jeans aren’t sold at major department stores or online. But they’re jumping off the shelves at niche boutiques, being snapped up by women who want jeans that are funky and fit well – without feeling like they’re wearing their daughter’s jeans that are cut WAAaaayy too low…
This season’s range of styles is her favourite.
Jen: So tell us about the new winter range. How does it differ to last year’s?
Claire: This winter range is more comprehensive. There’s more to it than last winter. There’s more fabrication…
Jen: What does THAT mean?
Claire: Well rather than being purely a denim brand, we’ve evolved to use a range of fabrics. So due to customer demand, our tag line is ‘We fit you and your life.’ So rather than just denim for casual wear, we’ve also got moleskin brush cotton fabrics, the velvet, printed velvet, pleather with stretch, so slightly dressier styles as well.
(Brighton Lifestyle didn’t have this style, so we’re using a shot from the brochure to show you the ‘Pleather’ style.)
Pleather pantsJen: Why use ‘pleather’ (man-made leather) rather than the real deal?
Claire: It’s machine washable which makes them very popular! I’ve tested my own many times – they’re great!
Jen: And the price point has stayed the same as last year?
Claire: We’ve tried to own that type of price-point for our customer, so it’s within their expectations. This means a lot of our customers might also then buy two pairs, or try on belts and tops which we have just started producing as well. We don’t break the bank.
Jen: What’s your favourite style for this season?
Claire: I have two that I absolutely live in all the time The Bowen style is great. We call it a 3-D style because it has an insert panel in the leg making it really comfortable. It’s also in a two-way stretch denim which is a nice mid-weight and the vivid blue is really popular. The other is the Lambeth I’m wearing today. (see Claire’s picture above) It also has an elastic waist so it’s really comfy!
So there you go. A fantastic new range of jeans for this winter. Check out the New London website at: http://www.newlondon.com.au/about/
…to find the nearest stockist near you, or visit the Brighton Lifestyle store at 15C Church Street, Brighton.
New London brochure – Winter 2014With so many women working from home these days, stylish casual clothes are becoming more and more popular. I mean, who wants to work from home in a business suit?
De Nimes at 877 Burke Road, CamberwellA great find for the best collection of ‘stylish casual’ in Melbourne is De Nimes boutique in fashionable Burke Road, Camberwell. Owned by Julie Gaudion and Rebecca Smith, the duo have developed a store that stocks an eclectic mix of both high-end and modestly priced ranges to suit all budgets.
Julie Gaudion and Rebecca Smith of De Nimes
Julie, who also works as a model, jumped at the chance to go into business with Bec. ‘The opportunity came up about a year and a half ago, so I said “yes” straight away. It’s going really well. We’ve got the stock right now. We used to be more expensive but now have a lot more stock that is more affordable.’
Their target market is women aged between 30 and 50 – a lot of young mums and women working from home. ‘They like a more casual wardrobe with jeans, boots, tops, scarves and jackets. Things they can wear from school drop-off to work.’
De Nimes interior
The boutique’s interior is modern and minimalist, with a few retro touches that I fell in love with – including the giant Farrah Fawcett poster on the walls of the dressing room…
Farrah Fawcett poster
Luckily my beautiful Blogging model and buddy Rochelle was free to come along when I visited so she road tested a sample of their wares. Here’s some of what De Nimes has in store for the coming season:
Viktoria and Woods Infinity jacket $399, Viktoria and Woods sleeveless black top $199, Angie Mac necklace $49 Sundry heart top $119
Ilse Jacobsen white shirt $129 and Tiger Tree scarf, $49 Sophie Moran long sleeve top $179
Ilse Jacobsen royal blue top $99 with Sadie basic tank $19 Fate Popsicle knit $89 with Fate Khaki pants $99 Viktoria and Woods white Caspian shirt $259, Fate black/white pants $99.95 and Angie Mac necklace $49
Denim is a big part of De Nimes offering and it’s a testament to their dedication that Julie and Rebecca have even used the French definition of the store name as part of the boutique’s decor.
The meaning behind the name of the store… De Nimes specialises in a wide range of denimSo what are the most popular denim labels with customers? ‘Hudson jeans and Mavi are really big sellers and people also love LTB which has a bit of detailing that customers want. Out most popular high-end fashion brand though would definitely be Viktoria and Woods,’ said Julie.
The brands stocked by De Nimes
Here’s a look at all the brands stocked in De Nimes – an easy way for passers-by to see how many labels one boutique has the capacity to stock.
Perhaps that’s one reason De Nimes isn’t feeling the bite from Internet shopping. Rebecca thinks it’s also because of the personal service they offer. ‘We still have a very loyal customer who loves to come in for the experience. It’s a very relaxed atmosphere and we can help with styling. We like to help coordinate with other pieces in the store.’
Yep, that’s one thing the Internet can’t compete with – good old-fashioned hands-on service from REAL PEOPLE with a sense of style.
If you’d like to visit De Nimes, head to 877 Burke Road Camberwell. For enquiries, phone (03) 9882 9335.
