Hussy Clothing & Fashion

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Edgy Boutique Womenswear from Marie Hatzis

View recent Hussy Collections on the Australian Fashion Review Blog.

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Introduction to the Hussy Fashion Label

It seemed destined that Sydney-born designer Marie Hatzis would enter into a world of fashion . Inspired by her seamstress mother from a very early age, Marie’s first memory of designing is of creating outfits for her Barbie, which her mother used to make for her – “She was the most stylish Barbie in Sydney”, Marie says.

With just $2,000 and a fierce determination, Marie founded her womenswear label, ‘Hussy’ in 1995, when she was just 21-years-old. When describing the influence behind the rather provocative name Marie says: “It was a really playful term (used in the 1990s) to call a head turning and alluring woman, and that really became the ethos behind the Hussy label.”

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The Hussy label soon gained a a reputation for the signature brand look – forward-thinking and highly stylised with eclectic prints and strong tailoring. Hussy was soon to become an iconic fashion label at the forefront of the Australian fashion scene, with the brand’s first stand-alone boutique opening in 1999 in Sydney’s Darlinghurst.

The brand gained significant international recognition in 2003, when Kelly Rowland of Destiny’s Child fame strutted down the red carpet at ‘Entertainment Weekly’s It List’ party in LA. Soon afterwards the label began to be picked up by international stockists, turning Hussy into a multinational organisation.

As of early 2012, Hussy has established as an international fashion tour de force, operating a wholesale network of 70 major national stockists (including David Jones department stores) and 30 international retailers including, Fred Segal in the US, Villa Moda in the Middle East, and Mahna Mahna in Japan. The Hussy brand also has five stand alone boutiques in Australia and Bali’s uber-cool Seminyak district.

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Hussy Fashion Label: Key Dates

1995: Womenswear fashion label, Hussy, is founded by Sydney-born designer, Marie Hatzis.
1999: The first Hussy flagship store opens in Sydney’s Darlinghurst.
2003: The Hussy label gained international recognition when Kelly Rowland of Destiny’s Child fame, walked the red carpet at Entertainment Weekly’s It List party in LA in one of the brand’s dresses.
2004: The second Hussy stand-alone store opens within Sydney’s prestigious Strand Arcade building.
2005: The Hussy brand took part in the Australian Style event in London, further boosting the label’s international profile. The following year, Hussy took part in the same event, held in Dubai.
2006: The Hussy flagship boutique opens in Melbourne. Also, this year saw the release of the latest addition to the Hussy empire – ‘Madame Marie’, a luxury high-end label, catering to the more exclusive, top-end market. Additionally it was a year of accolades for the Hussy brand. Marie was voted #36 in the BRW Top 50 Women Entrepreneurs List, as well as Hussy being voted the winner of the National Business Award at the inaugural Australian Business Awards.
2008: Marie begins registering Hussy designs, after seeing more and more inferior copies of her designs being sold in Australian retail stores at significantly-reduced prices.
2009: Hussy’s fourth Australian stand-alone store opens in Queensland’s chic Circle on Cavill retail precinct
2010: The Hussy fashion label successfully sued fellow Sydney manufacturer REVERSE for both design and copyright infringement on three of its designs. Eight months after Hussy brought the matter of three copied dress designs from the 2009 Late Night Lover collection to the attention of their lawyers, the case was settled out of court with a substantial settlement sum paid by REVERSE to Hussy. Marie said of the issue: “My decision to take legal action was not taken lightly, but was something I felt was important to do to show that we are serious about ensuring that our customers purchase an original and unique garment.”

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Aesthetic of the Hussy Fashion Label

“There is an edgy elegance in the clothing and accessories…with signature prints, intricate hand embellishments, and that unique twist that gives it such a feminine, structured look.” – Marie Hatizis.

The Hussy woman (or girl) is “self-assured, alluring and eye-catching”, with an inborn flair for effortless glamour. Catering for a wide customer base, the brand has a high fashion aesthetic, with each collection being full of intricate tailoring, design driven techniques and hand-done intricate embellishments – a juxtaposition of edgy hardware and feminine sass. The forward-thinking aesthetic has won the brand a loyal international following and counts Julia Roberts,and Dannii Minogue, Kelly Rowland, Charlize Theron amongst its fans.

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