‘People care’: Shoe icon Jo Mercer on the rise of Aussie-made fashion
The Age
23-05-22 19:00
Jo Mercer, founder of the eponymous Australian footwear label, has launched a new brand, Matilda Life, which champions conscious consumption and showcases local materials and designers. The venture, which offers a line of "relaxed essentials", aims to appeal to buyers seeking quality clothing, rather than fast, cheap fashion made offshore. Mercer said she sensed a "backlash against that kind of consumerism", and added that Matilda Life's bricks and mortar boutique that opened last year in Melbourne was attracting "genuinely interested" customers. Expenditure data indicates that higher-end fashion remains in demand despite financial pressures.