demand as far as I could tell for Australian made products, but it’s very hard to find,” she said during an interview with The Australian Financial Review. “There’s absolutely a gap in the market. I guess the pandemic really demonstrated the importance to everyone of making sure that we do support local business because if we don’t, it can disappear.”
Mercer pointed to Thornbury-based Anna Fiori, a highly successful shoe factory making product founded in 1969. The company was owned by Rick Angerosa, who was forced to stop making shoes amid the COVID-19 pandemic. “I approached them and said what a shame that no more shoes are being made in Australia,” Mercer said. “They told me, we absolutely can make shoes, if you want we will re-open in that factory.”
Matilda Life is set to initially launch a range of women’s clothing, accessories, shoes and native fragrances, and is expected to move into men’s and children’s wear next year. The company’s commitment is to four key principles that will not be compromised: Australian manufacturing, sustainability, quality and fair price.
“Our 100 per cent organic cotton jersey has been knitted in Melbourne. Our leather for our shoe has been tanned in Queensland and our shipping boxes are produced in Melbourne. Our stationery has been all printed in Sydney,” Mercer said. “We are absolutely committed to sustainability. We’ve got no plastic whatsoever within our shipping boxes that are actually compostable… We’re not shipping stuff all over the world, and therefore our carbon footprint is less.”
