SYDNEY – The sign might read Little Joe by Gail Elliott New York, but there’s nothing Manhattan-esque about the melaleuca and grevillea trees outside the boutique’s front door.
Gail Elliott has just opened her first freestanding boutique, at 181C Edgecliff Road in Woollahra here. The 1,000-square-foot shop is the first of six stores Elliott and her business partner and husband, Australian director Joe Coffey, plan to roll out within two years. Boutiques in Surfers Paradise in Queensland and in Melbourne are slated to open within eight to 12 months, followed by Los Angeles, New York and London, in that order.
Why Sydney? It’s where Elliott and Coffey now spend a third of the year and where the retail waters are relatively calm, said Elliott. That certainly goes for this off-the-beaten-track section of Woollahra, which boasts only one other fashion retailer and is located two blocks down from the bustling retail nexus of Westfield Bondi Junction. Industry sources estimate Elliott’s boutique could generate retail sales of 800,000 to 1 million Australian dollars, or $584,320 to $730,400 at current exchange, in its first year.
The modern silver/white decor boasts both white resin and platinum-painted cabinetry, mirrors, a white cork floor, baby-pink satin floor-to-ceiling changing room curtains and chandeliers by mid-century Danish designer Verner Panton.
“I’ve never been in retail before so it was good not to be thrown in the deep end before venturing elsewhere,” said Elliott, who is selling not just her own Little Joe by Gail Elliott line of silk charmeuse knickers, camisoles and slipdresses but True Religion and Hudson jeans, Park Vogel and LA Made T-shirts, Terry Biviano stilettos, Mella terry and Ultrasuede flip-flops, Kooba handbags and Terax hair care as well.
There is also the debut product from the new Little Joe by Gail Elliott beauty range, which will be produced through New York’s Slatkin & Co.: a Lotus Flower scented candle that retails for 60 Australian dollars, or $43.80 (and on which Henri Bendel will have an exclusive for Valentine’s Day, said Elliott). The second candle will be Jasmine Blossom, followed by lip glosses, salt scrubs and bath oils.
Prices elsewhere in the shop range from 34 Australian dollars, or $24.83, for a pair of cotton cheesecloth Little Joe by Gail Elliott knickers, up to 2,000 Australian, or $1,460, for a piece of jewelry from Carolina Barbieri or Manon von Gerken.
Related Articles
You May Also Like
Elliott will soon also take delivery of Seven Jeans, C&C California, Eberjey, Alice + Olivia, Meli-Melo and Matta sarongs and swimwear from her supermodel mate, Eva Herzigova.
But if Little Joe by Gail Elliott fans are after more of the model’s popular lingerie, they’d better be quick. Elliott’s range is rapidly moving away from its lingerie roots, with 75 percent of her fall 2006 collection made up of ready-to-wear. The new collection will include a capsule line of cashmere knitwear as well as more dresses along the lines of the hit Gypsy Peasant dress from spring 2006 that retails for 350 to 400 Australian dollars, or $255 to $292 (of which Intermix in New York ordered 250 units, according to Elliott). She is also introducing a few of her own leather accessories, such as a wide corset belt.
“The whole line has evolved a lot from my first little idea of doing cute little slips and camisoles … when lingerie/innerwear was quite popular as outerwear,” Elliott said. “I think we’ve moved away from that now. I think it’s [still] very girly and pretty. But we’re using zips now – it’s definitely outerwear.”