roposition.  “That is what sets us apart from other brands, in that we offer a product that looks and feels premium, but at a really accessible price point, so we wanted to marry those two things together,” Nilou Zibaee, Nude Lucy’s head of brand, told Inside Retail.  “There’s lots of wood, warm lighting, white finishes. It’s quite minimal, and has lots of curved edges.”   If all goes well, Zibaee hopes to roll out more Nude Lucy stores in future. The brand has also launched a pop-up store in Bondi Beach to mark the launch of its debut swim collection this summer.  From t-shirts to a total offer Nude Lucy was established by Glue Store’s wholesale arm Trend Imports in 2010 – initially as a t-shirt brand.  Over the past six years under Zibaee’s leadership, the brand has expanded into new product categories, such as linen shirts and pants, activewear and swim, and grown its wholesale presence. In addition to David Jones and The Iconic, the brand is stocked in Glue Store and around 200 independent boutiques.  Zibaee also oversaw the launch of Nude Lucy’s e-commerce site two years ago. Standalone stores were a natural next step, she said, but it wasn’t until Accent Group acquired Glue Store earlier this year that it was possible.  “It’s something that we’ve always wanted, but that acquisition by Accent Group is what actually allowed us to execute,” she said. The ASX-listed retailer is a big believer in bricks-and-mortar. Under its ownership, online activewear retailer Stylerunner and sportswear brand Exie have also opened their own standalone stores.  Stylerunner – like Nude Lucy – worked with Noise Noise Noise on its store design.  Wholesale still a big part of the business While the future is all about building Nude Lucy’s direct-to-consumer presence, Zibaee credits much of the brand’s past success to its wholesale partners.   “Direct to consumer is definitely the more profitable route for most businesses to take, and we’re definitely trying to expand that part of the business through our online website and a rollout of stores, but our wholesale accounts have been a huge part of our growth and are still a big part of the business,” she said.  “Being in [third-party retail] stores allowed us to build the brand. I would say that wholesale is still really important if you’re trying to find your feet. Leaning on other businesses that already have a DNA [and] a customer base is a great way to start yourself up.”   At the moment, the plan is to continue building Nude Lucy’s profile in Australia, but longer term, Zibaee would like to take the brand overseas.  “Places like LA where the relaxed Australian lifestyle is very highly sought after, I definitely think there’s a market for that,” she said.