Luxury fashion label Willow is for sale

Australian luxury fashion label Willow is for sale following a “strategic review” by its owner, the Apparel Group.

The Apparel Group (APG & Co) acquired Willow in 2011 and since then the brand has sat alongside its sister labels, JAG, Sportscraft and Saba.

However, the Apparel Group has decided the Willow brand no longer fits with its long-term strategy.

Following a report in the Australian Financial Review, the Apparel Group confirmed it intends to sell the brand.

“Following the recent appointment of Peter Halkett as executive chairman of APG & Co, the board has undertaken a strategic review of its brand portfolio,” the company said in a statement provided to SmartCompany.

“The review has concluded that whilst Willow is a great boutique fashion business with a dedicated and loyal customer following, Willow is not a strategic fit for the long term plans of APG & Co.”

Adrian Jones, chief executive of APG & Co, said in the same sentence the retail group intends to focus on its “growth in mass premium brands” and this means Willow “does not align to our long term strategic roadmap”.

APG & Co also indicated the sales process will mean some changes to the store footprint of Willow, which according to its website currently operates 20 retail outlets.

However, the company said the Willow brand will continue to trade throughout the process.

Willow was founded by Kit Willow Podgornik, who continued to work for the label as creative director until 2013, when she claimed she was “sacked” by the Apparel Group.

Podgornik launched ethical fashion label, KITX, in August 2015.