Archive for category: Latest News

Neil, Pamela, Nicole T, and Tanya

Emily, Nicole P, John, Neil, Pamela, and Nicole T

Neil, and Nicole T

On Sunday a team of 7 Running Rainbirds took part in the Wings for Life World Run in Melbourne. They were some of the 130,732 registered participants in 34 locations across 6 continents that ran to raise an incredible AUD$10.22 million for Wings for Life, a non-profit foundation that funds research into finding a cure for spinal cord injury.

Our Running Rainbirds included Neil, Emily, Pamela, Nicole P, John, Tanya, and Nicole T. The team proved on the night that the elements shouldn’t get in the way of living life and having fun, with the team finishing 865th out of the 2343 teams racing around the world. Nicole P, Emily and Neil all were in the top 10 for their categories with racing in Melbourne.

Nicole P
“So pleased with an official 3rd place in the Wings of Life World Run last night with 37.89km. I was actually the first Aussie woman too.”
37.89km
Global: Ranked 887th – Female Ranked 76th – F35 Ranked 14th
In Melbourne: Ranked 29th – Female Ranked 3rd – F35 Ranked 1st

Emily
28.36km
Global: Ranked 4178th – Female Ranked 363rd – F30 Ranked 78th
In Melbourne: Ranked 125th – Female Ranked 14th – F30 Ranked 4th

John
23.63km
Global: Ranked 8868th – Male Ranked 7946th – M30 Ranked 1517th
In Melbourne: Ranked 285th – Male Ranked 247th – M30 Ranked 46th

Pam
17.06km
Global: Ranked 24317th – Female Ranked 4126th – F25 Ranked 840th
In Melbourne: Ranked 772nd – Female Ranked 157th – F25 Ranked 26th

Neil
15.45km
Global: Ranked 30826th – Male Ranked 24639th – M60 Ranked 249th
In Melbourne: Ranked 958th – Male Ranked 717th – M60 Ranked 7th

Nicole T
12.92km (2015 12.69km)
Global: Ranked 42783rd – Female Ranked 10809th – F30 Ranked 2003rd
In Melbourne: Ranked 1359th – Female Ranked 431th – F30 Ranked 79th

Tanya
11.54km
Global: Ranked 49866th – Female Ranked 14280th – F30 Ranked 2627th
In Melbourne: Ranked 1552nd – Female Ranked 529th – F30 Ranked 97th

They certainly showed that nothing makes them feel more alive than the freedom to explore, experience and challenge themselves.

You can watch the Melbourne event highlights here.

For more information on the Wings for Life World Run visit www.wingsforlifeworldrun.com.

David Nelson, Head of Finance and Operations

David Nelson, Head of Finance and Operations at Textile House, is celebrating ten years with the company. On theme with all things ten, David answers ten questions from Nicole Tattersall, Marketing and Social Media Coordinator,  about changes that have occurred within the past decade, career advice, and the future of the outdoor apparel industry.

Q. What have you enjoyed most about working at Textile House?
A. Working with great people.

Q. Over the 10 years you’ve been at Textile House what has been the biggest change you’ve seen in the outdoor clothing industry?
A. Online and major retailers changing customer offerings and customer channels.

Q. During your time at Textile House, what has been one of the biggest changes within the company?
A. The change to a values based organization and company wide training. Has changed people skills and mindsets.

Q. To date what has been one of your biggest achievements whilst at Textile House?
A. Helping plan five year plan and then executing the first two years.

Q. What inspires and motivates you in your work?
A. Being world class, and making it easier and better for your team and customers.

Q.  At Textile House we believe in finding balance, and are real people doing real things. What do you do to ensure balance in your life?
A. Play with my kids, learn Spanish and travel.

Q. If you could give one piece of advice to yourself when you first started at Textile House what would it be?
A. Inspire and focus on helping people, and the rest will follow.

Q. Describe your role as Head of Operations and Finance in three words.
A. Helping people with their goals.
(Okay, that’s more than three words, but because it’s such a good answer we’ll let you get away with five words)

Q. What changes do you see in the near future in the outdoor clothing industry?
A. Real disruption through fast fashion and agile startups.

Q. What’s an inspirational quote you live by? Why?
A. First start with why ?

Photo: Catriona Dolphin

It looks like we’re in for quite a bit of rain during April through to June, with rainfall above average forecasted for parts of southern Australia.

In a recent article by Sue Neales for The Australian (14/04/2016), BOM climatologist Blair Trewin is quoted as saying whilst he could confidently say the hot and dry El Nino was on its way out, at this stage there were only early hints and a 50-50 chance that a rain-bringing La Nina would arrive by winter. Sue further states that the “La Nina events are typically associated with above-average winter-spring rainfall over southern, central and eastern parts of the country.” And that “Last time a similar La Nina “watch” was issued by the BOM in April 2010 after a hot and dry El Nino run, it heralded one of the wettest 18 months of high rainfalls across the eastern states in Australian history.”

It has been reported by the Bureau of Meteorology that in Australia we’re likely to have above average rainfall across the Gascoyne region in WA, throughout SA, extending into NSW and the far western corners of QLD and VIC, during April, May, and June – and the ripple effect will be noticeable to retailers.

Weather data is helpful in anticipating seasonal consumer demand for products; with the likelihood of increased rainfall comes the likelihood of an increased need for suitable wet weather outerwear.

Mother Nature’s sway over consumer buying behaviour is worthy of attention by retailers. Whether it be looking at a few days head, a week ahead, a month ahead or a season ahead, knowing what’s in store weather wise can be of great benefit. When combined with understanding your customers requirements, it can be useful in:

• Optimising pre-season inventory
• Placing indent orders
• Planning marketing campaigns
• Organising product drops
• Planning pricing and discounting
• Staffing requirements
• Managing other areas of your business

No other external variable impacts buyer behaviour as immediately, frequently, directly, or meaningfully, like the weather. The weather influences the decisions made by consumers on a daily basis, from what they wear to what they eat and drink, what leisure activities they partake in to what household chores they do.

If the price of coffee goes up by 5% at your local cafe you’ll probably still buy a cup of coffee. However if there is a 5% increase in the amount of rainfall, you’ll more than likely wish at some point that you had packed your rain jacket, feel glad you didn’t hang your washing out to dry, and you may put washing your car off for another day.

With an expected above average rainfall forecasted over the next few months, Australian retailers should take a moment to consider how the impending extra rain will impact their customers buying behaviour, and what as a retailer they can to do to meet their customers needs and wants.

Team Avengers – Relay For Life

In the last weekend of February Lauren Danson from our sales team took part in the Relay For Life in Ballarat, Victoria. Lauren was one of the members of Team Avengers. Each year thousands of Australians participate in Relay For Life events across Australia, all raising funds for the Cancer Council. Team Avengers raised a total of $7,000, and were the second highest team to raise funds over the weekend.

“As we raised over $5,000 our money has gone towards a research grant to help cure cancer, which our team and captain is very chuffed about!” – Lauren Danson

We are proud to have people like Lauren as part of our team at Textile House. People who believe in the future, follow their passions, live their dreams, and seize opportunities.

If you’d like to donate towards or join Team Avengers as they prepare to take part in the 2017 Relay For Life in Ballarat click here.

Gondwana Outdoor Addicts, Friends of Gondwana, and Textile House Home Team members. Photo: P1xels.

Australian Owned and Designed

For more than 40 years Textile House has been an Australian owned company delivering product that has been specifically designed to perform in our unique environment.

Our product design team is based in our great new office in Collingwood, Victoria, where they design our range of outdoor, rainwear, and workwear apparel.

Tested To Australian and New Zealand Standards

Why test to Australian and New Zealand standards?
Textile House is an Australian company and our products are all designed in Australia. It is due to this fact that we only test to Australian and New Zealand Standards.

Currently, there is no legislation that say’s we have to test to a certain standard. There is however a global understanding that if the country the brand is in, has a testing standard available, then it will use that standard.

With integrity one of our core company values we want to ensure that we don’t mislead those whose outdoor experience relies on us providing the right information. This is why we test to Australian and New Zealand Standards.

We put our Gondwana Tritec 3 Layer fabric to the test.
Testing the waterproof rating of our of Gondwana Tritec 3 Layer fabric with Australian and New Zealand standards, and the Japan Industry Standards (JIS).

The results:
Australian and New Zealand standards = 10,000mm
Japan Industry Standards (JIS) = 20,000mm

Knowing that the fabric is exactly the same, we quickly saw how customers could be
confused by the ratings out there.

Next time you see a performance rating, ask what standard the fabric is tested against.

Happy Australia Day, from the Textile House Home Team.