Australia’s C/MEO Collective Lifts Off on Tmall

Women’s fashion label C/MEO Collective has started selling on Chinese online marketplace Tmall.

The move is part of a broader strategy of parent company Australian Fashion Labels to focus on China.

“China is now really at the forefront of retail innovation and we see localisation of channels as crucial to being relevant in this market,” said Dean Flintoft, Australian Fashion Labels founder and chairman, in a statement.

Prior to launching on Tmall, C/MEO Collective was already stocked in approximately 300 brick-and-mortar stores across Greater China, along with Australian Fashion Labels’ other brands: Keepsake The Label, Finders Keepers and The Fifth.

But with more than 700 million people shopping on Alibaba’s retail marketplaces, including Tmall, this represents a significant expansion in reach.

According to the company’s statement, C/MEO Collective was chosen because it is the brand with the greatest appeal in the China market, thanks to its innovative signature style, premium fabrics and approachable price point.

“With C/MEO already having gained such strong traction in China via social media and via its marketplace presence, we wanted to respond to the enthusiasm for the brand and make it more accessible to our customer base in China,” said Mei Ping Doery, CEO of Australian Fashion Labels China.

C/MEO Collective showcased the first of its collections for Tmall at VAMFF in Melbourne on March 8.

While demand for Australian brands and products in China is most concentrated in areas such as health and wellness, beauty and food, and wine, fashion brands are increasingly seeing success.

Brands including Seafolly and Lorna Jane have made headway in China through Tmall, and the addition of C/MEO Collective suggests there is a market for more fashion-forward Australian design.

Australian Fashion Labels was founded in 2007 by Dean and Melanie Flintoft with the introduction of Finders Keepers. The company has since developed C/MEO Collective, Keepsake, The Fifth and Jaggar.

The brands are available in 1700 stores worldwide, including major department stores, as well as to customers directly through an online retail platform, which ships globally.