Kit Willow launched the KitX brand after departing her namesake label in 2013.
Anyone who took an interest in Australian fashion in the aughts will remember Willow. And after four years in hibernation, it's coming back.
Originally launched in 2003 with a small collection of lingerie, Willow gained a cult following for its structured jackets and architectural style, and made founder Kit Willow a household name.
In 2011, Willow sold a controlling stake in the brand to Apparel Group & Co (APG&Co), which owns Sportscraft and Saba, staying on as creative director. But things didn't gel and in 2013, Willow departed APG&Co, telling The Sydney Morning Herald at the time her "employment was terminated without my consent".
Willow said she was "heartbroken" by her sudden exit from the brand she "lived and breathed" for a decade. She launched legal action, ultimately reaching a confidential settlement, which prevents her from discussing the events in any great detail to this day.
The Willow brand is coming back but without any involvement from its founder.
She went on to launch a sustainable brand, KitX, in 2015, while the following year, APG&Co signalled its intention to sell Willow, as it "[did] not align to our long-term strategic roadmap”, former chief executive Adrian Jones said at the time.
The sale never happened and APG&Co closed the brand in 2016. But in an Instagram post on August 19, APG&Co quietly announced it was bringing Willow back. The post says the revived brand would "[honour] the artful, precise design of the brand's roots".
APG&Co's creative director, Elisha Hopkinson, says the decision to close Willow in 2016 was never final.
"We knew it had a strong customer following and we wanted to make sure we could bring the brand back for [them], she says. "When we closed it, we always knew it wasn't goodbye."
APG&Co's plan is to release capsule collections every four to six months. The first collection, of about 20 pieces, includes dresses, jackets and work separates in a palette of rust, mustard, teal and black.
Hopkinson hopes the new-look Willow will appeal to the women who used to shop the brand for its designs that combined "elegance with an element of strength".
In an interesting twist, this season both KitX and Willow will be stocked at David Jones, which has an exclusive deal to sell APG&Co's other brands, including Sportscraft and Saba.
On stocking both brands simultaneously, David Jones' general manager of womenswear, footwear and accessories, Bridget Veals, said: “We are pleased to be offering a one-off capsule collection from Willow at David Jones this season."
Hopkinson said she was hopeful it will be the start of a "longstanding relationship" between Willow and David Jones.
Kit Willow declined to comment for this article.
Since launching in 2015, KitX has been a champion of sustainable fashion. In 2018, Willow was selected to represent Australia in London, where she met with the Duchess of Cambridge as part of the Commonwealth Fashion Exchange.
Melissa Singer is National Fashion Editor of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.
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