AFC | Covid-19 Industry Profile Series

We’re catching up with a handful of members from across our industry community to see how they’re navigating these unprecedented times. Meet Showroom X co-founders; Richard Poulson, CEO, and Kelly Atkinson, Creative Director.

Showroom-X is a refined digital platform, dedicated to showcasing the best of the Australian spirit through luxury fashion, wellness, bespoke art and design.  By advocating a pure and artisanal philosophy for modern dressing, Showroom-X prizes craftsmanship, pure materials, quiet pleasures and modern heirlooms above all else. Its personal approach to retail is realised in its e-commerce edit of iconic and emerging local designers, including Christopher Esber, Sir The Label, Ellery, Aje, Kit-X, Esse Studios, Ten Pieces and Romance Was Born.

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What are some of the key challenges that you in your business, AND others in your industry community are facing around COVID-19? How are you navigating these?

Richard; Moving around…..I find that although we have all adapted well with technology assisting communication, I find that there is nothing like the old-fashioned handshake and touch on the shoulder. I miss that. Many businesses, like ours have suffered at the hand of not being able to facilitate new stock and many have also had the added stress of dealing with excesses of previous season. We have been lucky enough to share in each-others experiences as an industry to be more confident in the decisions we make.

Kelly; As almost every industry has we have been deeply affected with Covid, Firstly we have had to delay our launch to market which has had many repercussions, The biggest that we have some stock that would be considered as industry standard as “dead stock “ as its past it 6 week retail shelf life span. We have many commitments to our brand partners and didn’t want to make an already challenging time worse for them – so we made a business decision to honour all orders placed have been forced to relook at the way we sell & what. Stock that wasn’t new anymore we have had the designers sign custom Showroom -X tags so there is a bespoke touch of hand to what would be ordinary stock. Covid has given us all a chance to slow down and re-look at how and why we do business.  

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What are some of the opportunities for our industry that you see coming out of this crisis?

Richard; Digital everything!!! Any business that had sidelined decisions regarding digital enhancements have been on the back foot when it comes to optimisation of their platforms. Digital agencies have been raking in the cash through this period and good on them…….we are all better off for it with a better user experience at the end of the day.

Kelly; I strongly believe the silver lining from this whole pandemic has been the ability to refine our purpose & practises. 

As an industry we are a massive contributor to the environment and our earth, so by educating consumers on production values & fabrications we can hopefully help to reduce the overall impact on our plant – event just a little. I feel now even more than ever the customers want to learn – they want to know where their clothing has come from and why its worthy of their money. Conservation isn’t just about recycling and hemp fabric… We have closed loop fully traceable wool, fibre trace cotton. Australia is so advanced in some of these technologies that will revolutionise the fashion industry it’s amazing to be a part of the rewiring.

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How will you be passing the time during social distancing?

Richard; We are lucky enough to live in the most isolated city in the World! Perth currently has only a handful of cases with no community transmission, so we are allowed to be a little more relaxed with our isolation. I do listen to a daily YouTube video by “The Moon” who gives me my daily Bitcoin update and state of the world economy… I do believe we are heading toward a fully digital economy and I am very bullish on Bitcoin.

Kelly; We are lucky enough to be a Perth based business, so for the first time in my life I’m actually thankful of the isolation we have over here. Its kept us safe & as hard as its been not to see family & friends from interstate, it’s what we all have to do right now. As a Mother to a feistily 3-year-old I am well aware of how hard isolation is so anything that isn’t screen based has kept me going – my favorited book “man’s search for meaning” has been a good re-read right now. It’s an extremely poignant reminder we are all part of history – whether we choose to be or not. 

WANT more?

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