Tigerlily counts down to dramatic rebrand

The countdown to the unveiling of Tigerlily’s rebrand has begun, with the Australian designer label wiping the contents of its entire Instagram feed last Friday.

“The response has been overwhelmingly positive, which is a reflection of the strength of the brand amongst fans across Australia,” Chris Buchanan, Tigerlily CEO, told Inside Retail

“Since we deleted our feed, we have increased our follower base by more than 2000. Our first teaser video launched on Sunday and has been one of our most engaging posts ever in 20 years. We are thrilled our customers have responded so positively to this change.

Tigerlily turns 20 this year and on November 19, it will reveal a dramatic rebrand, featuring a new logo, tone of voice, direction and product evolution.

The rebrand will roll out in Australia and New Zealand across advertising and social media campaigns, existing stores and include the relaunch of its online store. In Australia, a limited edition Tigerlily newspaper will be distributed in all stores, featuring content inspired by exotic faraway locations and glamorous hotels, reflecting the brand’s values around travel, exploration and experience.

“After 20 years of travelling with customers, we’re ready for our next adventure and for us, the second evolution of the [brand] is about a new perception of what it means to be sophisticated, fun and playful,” said Buchanan.

In December, Tigerlily will also open a luxurious new store at Melbourne Emporium, the first to reflect its updated brand values, which revolve around adventure, optimism, exploration and travel, Buchanan explained.

“We took a different approach to this store. One of the things that resonates with all our customers is travel, experience and exploration. So we’ve looked at some exotic locations and hotels and the new store experience mirrors a hotel lobby from luxury retail with all the trimmings,” he said.

According to Buchanan, in order to survive in the current retail landscape, businesses need to constantly evolve. 

“The world is changing, customers and tastes are changing and everyone needs to evolve. We’re not going to be the last to do a rebrand, so this is really a celebration of our 20th anniversary year,” he said. 

“This process has been a 12-month journey, it’s very organic, we’ve considered our heritage, our values and for us, it’s about getting a cohesive message across all our touchpoints. That starts with our communication, tone of voice, product, messaging and in particular, our campaign.” 

Beyond swim

As part of the brand transformation, Tigerlily will put a renewed focus on its ready-to-wear collection. While many consumers consider the brand to be all about swimwear, the reality is that 80 per cent of sales come from its other ranges. It’s a common misconception that Buchanan is looking forward to changing.

From pre-fall 2020, Tigerlily will begin delivering two collections per season to better meet the needs of its international customers. One collection, known as ready-to-wear will feature more elevated, contemporary designs at a higher price points, Buchanan explained. The other range, called the Holiday Edit, will focus on swimwear and overswim.

“I think everyone remembers Tigerlily as a swimwear brand, but for 15 years, we’ve been a clothing brand. There’s no better way to celebrate 20 years of being one of Australia’s most iconic brands than to start a new journey and really create some clarity around who we are and what we do,” said Buchanan.

Overseas opportunities

Buchanan believes the rebranded Tigerlily will be in even more demand internationally. Its current partners are Selfridges in the UK, Shopbop in the US and Bloomingdale’s in Dubai.

Meanwhile in the US, the brand is continuing to increase its presence and has just secured an exclusive partnership with a major retailer that will launch in January next year.

“We also recently partnered with a major fashion icon to launch our pre-fall collection in Europe, which has been a key area for growth over the past 12 months,” revealed Buchanan.

“Combined with our brand relaunch, and more elevated product, the demand for Tigerlily in export markets has never been stronger.”


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