Black Milk – From Rags to Riches

Cate Reynolds-Foote,

Correspondent (Oceania)

 

James Lillis was on the verge of bankruptcy in 2009 when he took up a hobby that inadvertently began one of Australia’s best-known companies. He had the desire to sew, so by pawning his stereo he acquired a sewing machine and began sewing any material scraps he could get his hands on. His hobby became an obsession and soon basic necessities such as food came second to fuelling his new passion — threads, materials and machine upkeep didn’t come cheap, especially not his favourite stretch materials that were costume quality.

Having sewn (after several attempts) a pair of leggings for a fashion show James made his first sale to the woman who modelled them. After that the idea caught on that his newfound passion could be his livelihood he took to the streets trying door-to-door sales and market stalls. However, sales were slow, and profit was minimal, despite this his blog was buzzing – women from all over the country contacting him in search of his amazing creations. It was then James decided to take his business online.

Online orders rolled in, and the product range grew, though remained true to James’ unique style. The company was christened ‘Black Milk’ and a warehouse was set up in Brisbane. All of Black Milk’s products are designed in the Queensland headquarters, and unlike the majority of fashion labels all products are handmade here. This provides a number of jobs for locals and maintains excellent stock quality, two key factors that consumers often site as their reasons for purchase.

Less than five years after those very humble beginnings Black Milk is now one of Australia’s most prominent fashion labels with females, and increasingly males of all ages sporting various Black Milk items. The unique blend of the alternative design, handmade quality and brand philosophy combines to produce a highly sought designer label. There is also growing demand for the products arising from abroad, and it seems that the brand is only set to grow with orders often far outstripping stock levels. It is a true success story for Australian business.

Image Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons (Dmeranda) Flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/wicker-furniture/8599087544/)