Manning Cartell: 20 years of Australia’s famous family-owned fashion empire
Australian fashion label Manning Cartell celebrates its 20th anniversary this year; the independent brand marking the moment with a limited-edition occasion-focused capsule that heroes in on key sartorial moments.
Founded by sisters Cheryl, Vanessa and Gabrielle Manning in 2005, the Sydney trio are proudly still hands-on in a 100% family-owned and run business.
Their retail footprint has remained steady over the decades – avoiding too many store roll-outs and they still occupy some of the same leased properties they opened in 2006. There are six Manning Cartell stores around the country – with four in Sydney alone.
Manning Cartell’s founders. Picture: supplied
The label was once housed in both major Australian department stores over a 12-year period – firstly at Myer and then David Jones, but it’s the individual boutique that is resonating with their loyal customer base.
They’ve become known as a multi-generational brand that’s contemporary and reliable in a fashion world of constant change.
A new store opened in Double Bay in August this year; they spent 18-months hunting for a perfect location. It’s an area that speaks to their clientele of mothers and daughters who worship their brand. It’s ideal for those seeking occasion wear and keen to linger longer when it comes to trying on evening dresses. And who doesn’t love a change room that can accommodate a friend, a partner and a pram if need be?
“Double Bay has a really lovely community feel to it,” says chief executive Gabrielle Manning. “It feels localised and many tourists like to visit too. We’re located between incredible restaurants and it’s where you’ll find Neil Perry’s Margaret. We’re in a two-level terrace that feels beautiful and has a calming sense as you walk in,” she says.
As part of their 20th anniversary in business, Manning Cartell revisit some of their best-selling styles and revamp them for the modern woman. It’s a chance to get nostalgic with a contemporary glow-up.
Manning Cartell, Double Bay. Picture: supplied
Australian model Jennifer Hawkins wore the brand on many occasions – from Australian Fashion Week in 2008 to Myer campaign launches for Spring/Summer 2013-14. She certainly inspired many women to tap into a brand that she made look effortlessly chic.
Hollywood’s Hayley Bieber wore Manning Cartell’s Sheer Bliss Dress – turning it into a viral moment in 2016 while Amal Clooney was photographed wearing the Manning Cartell Pure Chemistry coat in 2016 -drawn to their sustainability pledge which they committed to back in 2012.
“We have had to be resilient to last this long in business,” reflects Ms Cartell.
“As a family, we’ve been through enormous challenges over the last eight years, losing our mother was the biggest. And when you’re in business with your family, you can’t all take time off because you’re grieving the loss of a mother. It was a very challenging time that occurred. It’s that sort of resilience that brings you closer but can also be quite challenging, but ultimately our love and commitment to the brand has remained unwavering,” she says.
It took going through archival photographs of their fashion garments that stopped the sisters in their tracks and inspired the 20th anniversary capsule.
Inside the Double Bay store. Picture: supplied
“It gave us perspective on how much we had done since launching the business,” says Gabrielle.
The sisters admit their commercial business growth has been organic over the years, and it’s paid off to not be overly ambitious in their strategy with stores popping up in places that don’t quite understand the brand.
“We’ve grown as a business in 20 years, but have kept it at a size that we can manage ourselves. We don’t have external investors and that means a lot to us because we have full control of what we do next,” says Gabrielle.
Going into business together felt like a natural segue for the Cartell sisters; each having dabbled in fashion careers with other labels before starting their own. There is a fourth Cartell sister; but she’s not involved in the fashion journey.
“It was really a curiosity and love of fashion that inspired us to start this,” says Gabrielle.
Inside Manning Cartel, Double Bay. Picture: supplied
“We wanted a new challenge and felt that we could do something to help women feel great about themselves,” adds co-managing director Vanessa Cartell.
“For us it’s always been about working with interesting fabrics and making our product in Australia – that was an integral part of the brand’s DNA. We still make 50% of our products in Australia; and the other half is offshore due to the shift in what can actually be made locally in fashion,” she says.
“We feel we have become a brand that really empowers all generations of women with confidence,” says Vanessa.
Manning Cartell opened their first store in Paddington in 2006, and are still located in the same retail space.
Then came The Strand in Sydney; with refurbishments taking place over the years.
“We love that we can show full collections in our stores; people still want that tactile experience. Our retail portfolio has grown with the demand for the brand has with it, people want to come in and try it for themselves and be styled by those who know what they’re doing,” says Gabrielle.
Bella Hadid wears Manning Cartell. Picture: supplied
In Melbourne; they opened their first retail boutique in 2009, positioned in the very chic GPO Building [where H&M is these days]. Nowadays, they’re on High Street, Armadale with a host of other Australian fashion brands around them.
“We opened three stores in 2014 which was really ambitious of us,” explains Vanessa of a time that also saw the brand swap out of Myer and expand with a stronger retail footprint nationally in David Jones.
“We were on a roll; we had Claremont in Perth, Brisbane [in 2016] and also a spot in Chadstone. We’ve tested ourselves in various locations, and learned pretty quickly that we weren’t quite ready for the lifestyle of the Queensland market,” says Gabrielle.
“Our brand was too urban for Queensland when we decided to open there, and we haven’t opened another store there since, but are actively looking,” says Gabrielle – 9 years on from their Pacific Fair Shopping Centre experiment on the Gold Coast. There was also a presence at Indooroopilly Shopping Centre in the same year.
Surviving in fashion retail comes with its own challenges, getting customers into store, nurturing a new demographic to raise brand awareness and training sales staff to understand the essence of outfit styling is key.
Hailey Bieber wears Manning Cartell. Picture: supplied
According to the sisters, Gen X women still love the in-store experience and many younger shoppers are chasing a similar nostalgia and like to shop with their friends in tow for opinions. Sure, they look online, call stores and ask for garments to be put on hold until they arrive to try it on, but when it comes to occasion wear, many women still like to try before they buy.
“Fashion requires an evolving energy,” says Gabrielle. “You can’t go with the flow or cruise through this and do well, it just doesn’t happen in fashion that way. You need to be ever aware of what customers want and keep delivering on that,” she says.
It helps when celebrities get on board the retail journey – Selena Gomez wearing a Manning Cartell coat when photographed alongside Paul Rudd in New York in 2018 while Kylie Jenner wore a precious metal mini in the same year and shared it with her followers.
“When celebrities choose to wear your garments, it allows the brand to be seen more as a lifestyle choice than a styled one,” says Gabrielle. “It feels more organic because they’re responding to a garment they actually want in their wardrobe.”
From minis to maxis and gowns; Manning Cartell have always brought an element of sportiness to their silhouettes. The mission now is to look into the US market again – as more than 10% of sales is coming from America. They also marked their milestone with a campaign shoot in New York City working with Aussie born model Bambi Northwood-Blyth using Manhattan and Williamsburg Bridge as their as the backdrop.
