Julie Sandlau CEO Martin Glisby was quick to confirm that the company would establish a wholly-owned subsidiary of its Danish parent after news broke that its distributor in Australia, House of Brands (HOB), would cease trading.
Further indicating the Danish brand’s commitment to the local market was not only its presence at the Gold Coast jewellery fair last week, but also the attendance of president Dennis Jacobsen, who travelled from Denmark for the event.
Jacobsen told Jeweller that although HOB had seemed like the "perfect fit" to distribute its jewellery in Australia and New Zealand, the brand would now return to a business model that "has worked for 11 years".
"In other markets where we have been successful, such as the United States, we have established our own local distribution," explained Jacobsen. "We control the distribution and have a direct connection with retailers to ensure success. And it works – in markets where we do it ourselves, we do very well."
Julie Sandlau Australia is managed by Helen Hagerty, who already had a relationship with the business through her former role managing the brand for HOB.
Commenting on the decision to open a local office, Hagerty said, "The company operates more in this structure everywhere else. They’re not a company that is really reliant on distributors for the rest of their operations. This is their model. This is their comfort zone."
She added that Jacobsen’s visit to Australia allowed him to gain "first-hand feedback on the brand from the local industry and share insights about the brand’s performance and positioning in other markets".
Is the Australian market ready?
Hagerty, who has visited a number of internationally-based stores that stock the Julie Sandlau range, believed there was "absolute alignment" between the Australian market and its international counterparts. "The world is not that different. In any market, the best thing for a brand is for it to be in a place where it’s accessible," she said.
Jacobsen pointed out that Australia did differ from overseas markets in that it could be considered less mature.
"Some of the international brands that have started out in Australia within the last couple of years have already been in business overseas for a long time," he said.
When he attended the Sydney jewellery fair in September last year, Jacobsen said he recognised matte jewellery – which is a feature of Julie Sandlau jewellery – as an untapped market in Australia, with many people seemingly unfamiliar with the finish.
This year, however, he said that retailers appeared more responsive to Julie Sandlau’s "unique style".
"We’re not Pandora, and we don’t want to be Pandora," Jacobsen attested. "We want to be unique in our own way, and I think Australia is ready for that now."
The brand has gained what Hagerty called an "unbelievable" following in the United States, with much of its success due to extensive media coverage of celebrities wearing the jewellery. She said she hoped to build a similar reputation in Australia, adding she anticipated a "strong uptake" once the brand was properly established.
The Danish brand’s range includes earrings, bracelets, necklaces and rings, and was established more than a decade ago by former model and lawyer Julie Sandlau. Sandlau is expected to attend the Sydney jewellery fair in September this year.
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