The Outback in Beijing: Oroton Makes Debut

Talk to any Aussie and s/he’ll likely be familiar with Oroton, one of their country’s most popular luxury accessories brands. Now that the label has completely saturated the Australian market, Oroton is eyeing China (where else?) for its next point of expansion. Last month marked its debut into China’s e-commerce world via YMall; a Beijing retail shop is no doubt on the horizon. We asked Oroton’s creative director Ana Maria Escobar to talk about her creative team’s recent trip to Beijing and online shopping.

On the Aussie aesthetic
More relaxed yet still polished. To quote Tommy Ton, Australia is ‘French with a touch of LA.”

On what products Oroton does best
Leather goods are at the core and soul of the brand and this is where our expertise lies.

On the creative team’s recent trip to Beijing
What we like about China is that everything has a story and every piece has content so it’s a great inspiration. [My team] really loved Beijing, the food, the palaces, the colors, the culture. They brought back great books, images and little pieces that led to the creation of a whole new collection. I can’t talk about it too much though because it’s not in stores yet!

On whether it’s harder to design for men or women
This is a hard question. Probably men in my case, because you need to find innovation in simple shapes. Our menswear designer is always exploring new materials and new shapes to surprise the male customer, but the changes are very subtle.

On her favorite designer
Proenza Schouler.

On Oroton’s must-buy item
The Archive bag with mesh is timeless, beautiful and defines our brand.

On whether or not purses are seasonal items
Handbags are very transeasonal items, it all depends on the fabrication. For example, patent and suede are best in winter, while canvas and straw are great for summer. Colors and textures can also vary by season but most of the time a handbag is something you want to have forever.

On how many handbags a person should own
As many as your heart desires. They define who you are and you keep your life in them so why not own many!

On man-purses
Believe it or not, we develop shapes exclusively for men. I think they are practical pieces and it all depends on how you wear them and the confidence you show when carrying one.

On choosing to debut in China via the Internet first
We like to reach our customers using a variety of channels, and most customers learn about new brands by researching them on the Internet. We see online shopping in China as an area of growth and it gives us the opportunity to reach customers all over China rather than focusing on just one area.

On what items are difficult to buy online
These days a lot of sites make it easy to return items so I think you can pretty much buy anything. But I would probably find it hard to buy fine jewelry online.

Shop Oroton at www.ymall.com/st4437443.

Photo: Fabsugar.com and courtesy of Oroton