d’ItaliaMedia K i t

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Synopsis• Established 2003• Primarily a designer fabric store• Majority of fabrics are exclusive and of Italian origin• Majority of laces are exclusive and from established

French lace houses• Optional - but commonly used - dressmaking, tailoring

and couture referral service, with 15 dedicated expert makers on hand (taking only d’Italia referrals)

• 5 experienced staff on deck

Fabric Types:• Italian Designer silks• French laces and beadings• Silks of all varieties• Cottons and other natural blends• Wools, cashmeres and angoras• Trims

LabelsOne-off designer lengths include labels such as:

Gucci, Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, Prada, Chanel, Versace, Cavalli, Jil Sander, Miu Miu, Miss Sixty, Missoni, Escada, Balenciaga, and others…

A Quick Look at d’Italia

• Australian women• Primarily Victorian based but a signifi cant percentage

are interstate customers• 20-80 y/o

Customer Types:

• Personal/home sewers• Professional dressmakers• Professional fashion designers• Celebrities• Women seeking garments/clothing for:

• Wedding dresses/bridal gowns• Mother of the bride outfi ts• Cocktail and formal dresses• Womens’ suiting/professional wear• Cocktail and formal gowns• Racing fashion• Special events: Brownlows, Logies...• Celebrities• Larger sizes

Demographics

Buyer Types

Age Groups

Geo-location

An established and respected quality designer fabric store specialising in current-season Italian designer fabric and French lace and an optional custom-making referral service.

Brides, professionals, plus-sizes, celebrities, race-goers, runway models - you name it - use d’Italia to create their individualised fashions. Australian women no longer need to settle for second-rate, cheaply-made, ill-fitting, off-the-rack clothing when it is so simple to create their own quality clothing at affordable prices. They can now have their own style, with their choice of top quality fabric.

Renown for stocking the most beautiful array of natural and glamorous European textiles in a variety of colours, designs and prints, d’Italia is Australia’s leading stockist of quality silk, wool, cashmere, cotton, linen, and French laces and beadings.

Offering professional honest styling advice and personal service, d’Italia’s staff are on hand to help customers work out exactly what they need to feel beautiful; the design is fine-tuned and the perfect fabric types and lengths are identified. Services extend to an optional referral to one of d’Italia’s dedicated team of expert seamstresses, talented couturiers, or precision tailors, all of whom are remarkably affordable, and their services are engaged by a majority of d’Italia’s regular customers.

Company Overview

In early 2003 Suzanna Zágon was looking for an outlet by which to combine her natural creativity with an innate appreciation of style and beauty. Being a keen sewer, she understood the frustration of haunting the then only three existing quality fabric shops around Melbourne which offered a very limited range and who – because of their minority - demanded exorbitant prices.

Acting on insight, Suzanna eagerly made plans to open a boutique which would offer customers a range of fabrics not only impressive in design, texture, aesthetic beauty and quality, but without the absurd prices tags…a boutique which would out-class and out-price the existing outlets and simply sell itself on a reputation evolved by the most honest and sincere form of advertising: word-of-mouth.

Within a few months of negotiations, Suzanna managed to secure an exclusive arrangement with a highly-regarded Melbourne-based fabric importer/wholesaler who traves every two months to Europe to personally, hand-select and import stock direct from high-profile Italian designer warehouses. It was agreed that Suzanna would have access to all the fresh new seasons’ stock as it arrived into Australia – on consignment - to sell direct to the public.

Until d’Italia opened, no other fabric retail store in Australia could lay claim to being able to offer the public first-pick at new season European designer imports, and this arrangement also ensured that the stock was unique compared to that which any other stores offered.

And so, d’Italia opened for trading in April 2003, retailing initially in only this Italian designer stock.

Within the first year of trading, Suzanna quickly realized there was a very real demand for quality custom making and made contact with d’Italia’s first tailor/couturier who was flattered to be asked to take on only d’Italia’s customers on a private referral basis. This opened the floodgates for d’Italia into not only racewear, but also bridal couture - whereon Suzanna researched and gained access to a couple of highly reputable agents to source her silks, laces and beadings from French lace houses and quality silk makers, thus making it possible for d’Italia to stock an exclusive range of the world’s most beautiful and unique bridal and evening speciality stock.

In the years that followed to date - by a thorough process of trials and experience - d’Italia accumulated and now boasts a team of fifteen top-quality makers, including four elite bridal couturiers, four precision

ladies’ tailors and seven seamstresses who upon mutual agreement take only d’Italia’s customers on a strictly private referral basis. With ever-precious word of mouth recommendations and reputation, it is not uncommon for customers – both local and interstate - to secure d’Italia’s makers up to 18 months in advance in order to ensure their garments will be made to perfection with d’Italia’s exquisite fabric.

Expanding on her belief - that a sense of beauty is indeed personal and varies according to each woman’s unique taste and style - Suzanna maintains that d’Italia carry a wide range of fabric styles to cater for women of all ages’ differing tastes and requirements, from classy casual to exquisite formal and bridal wear.

The secret to d’Italia is that Suzanna has applied her personal life credo to her business: “A woman who appreciates the finer things in life owes it to herself to enjoy them, else she is denying herself a fundamental female necessity – the pleasure of feeling beauty”.

The History of d’Italia

Suzanna ZagonLead Fashion Designer & Owner

Carl NeumannMarketer & Owner

Husband and wife team:

“We offer brides the creation of an individualised gown, fitted perfectly, at a fraction of the cost of ready-made gowns,” says Suzanna Zagon, owner of d’Italia. “Every gown is created over time with unlimited fittings, which means that a bride and her personal couturier plan and discuss every step in the making of the gown thoroughly, tweaking the style and fit at intervals. In addition to this, the corsetry inside the gown is built from scratch to give her optimal shape and ensure that the gown won’t budge. All of this means the bride gets the exact style she wants and that her gown literally fits her like a glove.”

“At d’Italia, we love bridal consultations in particular because brides are always so enthusiastic at the thought of actually being able to make what they really want, just for them.” says Suzanna, smiling. “d’Italia offers private consultations to brides, during which the design of the gown is thoroughly discussed and sketched in accordance with the bride’s needs and wants, and the perfect combination of silks and laces are chosen from our gorgeous collections. Upon request and given availability, we will direct a bride to one of four highly-experienced and talented bridal couturiers who - by mutual agreement - take only d’Italia’s brides by way of a formal referral system.”

Located in the beautiful inner city suburb of Malvern, the boutique is an aesthetically inspiring space for brides-to-be who are not satisfied with the usual bridal styles found in ready-made stores.

Many brides go to d’Italia with a desire to combine elements from a variety of styles, whilst others are wanting to create an entirely unique design of their own. “The bridal consultants at d’Italia can create and sketch a design from scratch depending on what the bride does and doesn’t want in a gown, and of course in accordance with the bride’s body shape and personality.” says Suzanna. “Brides are often delighted that we can actually make their dream dress a reality, and once we have selected the fabrics and priced it for them they are surprised that the cost is almost always a fraction of what a similar style would be in a ready-made store, with absolutely no compromise in quality. In addition, they are going to get exactly what they want, fitting them perfectly, made expertly in the best quality fabrics - all of which is literally impossible in a bought gown.”

d’Italia’s website, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest pages and in-house Brag Book boast hundreds of images of beautiful, happy, confident brides in their stunning gowns, and after ten years’ servicing brides both locally and interstate, d’Italia looks forward to the creation of hundreds more.

Interview with Suzanna on Bridal Gowns

Where does d’Italia source its fabric from?Most of d’Itlaia’s stock is from Italy and France, as we believe these sources are superior in their manufacture of the finest quality fabric. The designer stock is sourced directly from the most reputable Italian manufacturers who create for the top European designer fashion houses – such as Gucci, Armani, Versace, Balenciaga, Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, Jil Sander, Roberto Cavalli, Escada, Valentino and Chanel… d’Italia’s stock includes these labels regularly.

Who does d’Italia specifically cater for? d’Italia’s stock ranges from classy casual to very formal wear; bridal gowns, bridesmaids, mothers of the bride, ball gowns, formal gowns, evening wear, cocktail gowns, professional/office wear, smart casual wear, everyday wear and even resort/holiday wear. Customers are constantly impressed with the diversity of the fabric available, and know they will always find something more unique and unusual than at any other fabric store.

What makes d’Italia’s range so much more unique and exclusive than other quality fabric stores?The answer to this lies in the fact that d’Italia operates on a completely different basis than all other fabric shops. The fabric available on the shelves is current season stock - NOT old, past seasons, out-dated remnants. As the designer stock is produced in Europe in limited quantities and will never be reproduced, it cannot be re-ordered once sold - so this makes it limited and exclusive.

How often do you get new stock in?d’Italia’s agents travel to Italy and France every 6 to 8 weeks to source the new up-coming seasons’ fabrics. As such, you will constantly find new and exciting stock on d’Italia’s shelves, including a good range of summer and winter weights all year around in order to cater for those travelling overseas.

Do you give out samples?Yes, of course. Small strips are handed out freely,

however many customers prefer to purchase 10cm strips as they provide a more true representation where a proper colour match or pattern is important. This service is extended to interstate telephone/mail enquiries especially, however time is of the essence when it comes to whether or not the fabric would still be available for sale in the short-term future.

Are the optional referral-only dressmakers/seamstresses/tailors/couturiers good and are they expensive?All 15 of d’Italia’s makers who are available on a referral basis are of an excellent standard, and boast a high quality of work and expertise. Not only scrutinised over many years for fundamentals such as the quality of their work, they are fully competent in design and can communicate well with customers in a professional manner. d’Italia monitors customers’ feedback on their work and professionalism regularly, as approximately 95% of regular customers employ their services on an ongoing basis. Remember, many of d’Italia’s regular customers have most of their wardrobe made to fit, as they have trouble finding suitable clothing off-the-rack. This involves a significant outlay on the cost on quality fabric, so the quality of the making must also be excellent.

Considering their work is of the highest standard, their prices are surprisingly reasonable and very much affordable. As they are so heavily booked into the future, they have no need for commercial studios and instead deliberately work from their own private professional studios. As such, their fees are maintained at a very much lower rate than other quality seamstresses in Melbourne who are either on a salary or operating from a shop front, and fees are paid directly to them with no mark-up or commission to d’Italia. Fees charged include the initial consultation, pattern-making, calico mock-ups (where necessary), at least 2 to 3 fittings, and the final finishing.

Do customers need to know exactly what style they want before meeting with a dressmaker, and do they need to provide a pattern?Not at all – the dressmakers’ experience makes them an excellent source for suggestions. Customers only need have a basic idea of what they are after, (which is worked out with d’Italia’s consultants) as

Frequently Asked Questions

the dressmakers’ studios have many fashion books and pictures to help fine-tune their ideas, plus they all store images of past creations on their computers. It is usual for them to work off the design sketches from d’Italia, and then in the process of fittings, the design is fine tuned on the body. The dressmakers make their own patterns, regardless of whether they are making something from a sketch, from a photo or copying an existing garment - so it is completely unnecessary to take patterns to them.A design is often best left to develop on the body, which is actually what couture is. It is easy for d’Italia’s consultants to calculate know how much fabric is required for a basic design, after which you may request for a referral to a dressmaker. After the making of the garment has commenced, there are many stages where the design can be tweaked along the way - so you will end up with a completely unique and individual style, custom-made for you! Although this requires a fair amount of faith in the dressmaker’s talents, it is the most creative way to make something amazing. After having “settled in” with a seamstress by having had a number of garments made by her in the past, many regular customers eventually trust their dressmaker to help them create styles individually for them. A personal relationship develops between customer and dressmaker - one based on familiarity and understanding...

Besides dressmaking and design, what other benefits do your consultants and dressmakers provide your customers?d’Italia’s consultants and dressmakers have a very good eye for what is flattering for all types of body shapes, and are genuine and honest with the advice they offer. Sometimes you may have an idea of what style you are after, and our dressmakers’ experience leads them to be able to suggest more flattering alternatives if, in their belief, there may be a more optimal style for your figure type.

Remember, all the dressmakers/seamstresses are ladies with many years’ experience working with all different shapes and sizes - so they are extremely confident in advising what will flatter your body the most...if you are open to suggestions!

What other services does d’Italia provide?You will be assisted at the boutique with free and friendly styling and design advice - including sketching designs that would flatter you the most - and you can be measured up to calculate how much fabric you will require for your garment. Even if you only have a rough idea of what you’d like to have made, it is easy to work

out how much fabric you will need so that you can secure the fabric you love.

It is very common for customers to arrive on d’Italia’s doorstep completely discouraged, as they have had no luck finding anything off-the-rack that looks adequate to meet the occasion they are planning for - even if its just simple everyday casual wear. Almost always, d’Italia can help them find the right fabric, adapt a style that would flatter them the most with that fabric, and then refer them if required to an expert dressmaker. It is always easier - and much more fun - than most expect it to be!

When are appointments recommended?Appointments are encouraged for those who would like to be served with minimal interruptions and it is essential especially for brides and bridal groups to book appointments, as it is more practical to have one of d’Italia’s bridal experts allocated to help them personally (rather than on-the-spot, without an appointment, on a busy Saturday morning for example).

How long does it take to make a garment?It is impossible to put a time on how long, because no garment is made in one stretch of time. Instead, appointments and fittings are spread out over a number of weeks - deliberately planned out into the future - so that there is no unnecessary stress involved in having to rush anything. Creation of a perfect garment takes time and care. It is for this reason that the seamstresses are booked well in advance of the events that the garments are being made for - the emphasis being on the actual month of the event - and then the appointments are planned backwards for the months leading up to the event. d’Italia’s referral seamstresses are regularly booked up to 12-18 months in advance of events.

What are your prices for fabric and dressmaking?The average cost of d’Italia custom-made garments – including couture and fabric - range from only:Mother of the bride garment/dress $1,500+Cocktail/formal/evening dresses from $1,500+Women’s suits from $1,400+Bridal gowns without French lace, beading or embellishments $2,500 - $3,000+Bridal gowns with French lace, beading and/or embellishments $3,500+(varies according to the speciality fabrics chosen)

d’Italia’s website is as professional as they come, with many highly informative pages dedicated to the comprehensive range of products and services on offer, valuable tips to assist women on the right way to go about preparing for their custom-making requirements, a large Frequently Asked Questions section, highly interesting instructional videos, and weekly updated blog posts. The website will be replaced with a brand new and even better one by the end of August, 2013.

Many of d’Italia’s website visitors and customers subscribe to the “52 Fashion Tips”, fashion updates and weekly e-newsletters. Each week d’Italia sends subscribers a fashion advice column and periodical fashion news, tips and special offers.

Website

Videos

There is a popular Facebook page, which now boasts over 3000 Friends, on which followers can view dozens of recent beautiful creations, keep up-to-date with new stock arrivals, view customer testimonials and leave comments.

Pinterest, Twitter and Instagram are also popular social media tools which d’Italia is becoming a sure favourite on, with many avid followers and new ones joining the league on a daily basis.

d’Italia has dozens of in-house mini clips which are both educational and informative, covering topics such as different types of fabrics, laces and trims and their use, how to use certain fabrics for different effects, how to estimate the amount of fabric needed for different types of garments, and what styles and fabric types fl atter different body shapes.

To date, these videos have had over 200,000 views.

Socialising

Find d’Italia on these social sites:

www.facebook.com/DesignerFabric

www.pinterest.com/ditaliafabrics

www.youtube.com/voguetips

www.twitter.com/dItalia

www.ditalia.tumblr.com

www.instagram.com/ditaliafabric

62 Glenferrie Road,Malvern Victoria Australia

Phone: 03 9509 4633Email: press@ditalia.com.auWebsite: www.ditalia.com.au

d’Italia

Need a story? We would love some press!