What tariffs? The Australian fashion brand taking on the US
New York is the city where dreams are made, according to the Jay-Z and Alicia Keys standard, Empire State of Mind. Australian fashion label Leo Lin is dreaming bigger than most, launching a pop-up store and taking over the windows at the New York flagship of department store Bloomingdale's this week.
While other brands experience sleepless nights, with the introduction of import tariffs by President Donald Trump of 10 per cent on Australian goods, and up to 145 per cent on items produced in China, Leo Lin's plans for growth continue one floral print dress at a time.
'Tariffs are an obvious challenge,' says Laura Good, head of brand at Leo Lin. 'The speed at which the tariffs were introduced has only solidified our position that this is our top priority as a business.'
Bloomingdale's, which also stocks Australian labels Alemais, Camilla and L'Idee, successfully tested Leo Lin's popularity at its Miami location in October, a month before the US election. Tariffs were not going to pour cold water on the partnership and the brand's move into the New York store, with the US comprising 38 per cent of its wholesale business.
'Our US growth has been on an upward trajectory for over 12 months,' Good says. 'When the tariffs were announced, we were already 80 per cent of the way through a major US expansion project.'
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'The business has been focused on the US as a major growth market since we commenced international wholesale almost three years ago.'
Leo Lin launched originally as Leo + Lin, in Melbourne in 2017. Its founder, Leo Lin, had moved to Melbourne from China for his education when he was aged 16, staying on to explore fashion design and assemble his studio.
Early obvious influences such as Dior and John Galliano have disappeared, along with the plus sign, with the Leo Lin business moving to Sydney and finding its niche with bright, ultra-feminine dresses for special occasions.
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