‘Evolving landscape’: Behind fashion brand DECJUBA’s retail expansion
With the unveiling of two new retail superstores in Doncaster and Bondi last year, fashion brand DECJUBA proves a retail upgrade is the key to bricks and mortar longevity.
DECJUBA CEO Audrey Nania took over from founder Tania Austin about a month ago, while Austin segues into her latest role as chair and remains 100% owner of the brand.
It was Austin’s visionary retail approach that brought plenty of success to the fashion house; seeing it grow from five retail stores in 2008 when they launched, to 170 Australia-wide today.
But it’s the arrival of a DECJUBA’S 424sqm Doncaster store that speaks of retail excellence – from a design point of view it’s aspirational living at its retail best; plenty of architectural curved interiors, neutral tones and accents within, and plenty of room to shop, and oh, don’t we love change rooms that don’t make you feel boxed in.
This is where fashion and lifestyle come together under the one roof, and where the DECJUBA digital customer has influenced the retail store shopper of the future. It’s a case of video didn’t kill the radio star; it just gave her a fabulous platform to stand up and be noticed.
DECJUBA has plans to roll-out the brand in more Myer department stores around the country too – introducing children’s wear last September across 15 Myer stores and now womenswear in the mix. This year will see DECJUBA bring more of their niche brands under their umbrella into the Myer family for more retail pow-wow.
“Our biggest growth in the 17 years has been our commercial property footprint,” says Audrey Nania who started with the brand in 2009 as an assistant planner and then became COO in 2021.
“When we first started it was all about smaller boutique stores, and now when you look at what we’re doing it’s all about retail spaces with sleek interior curves and fresh design makeover like Doncaster, it shows how things have changed and what the customer wants is an elevated experience,” says Nania.
“There is a new lens on the retail consumer too, and it’s a world between the digital and retail space is an evolving landscape,” she explains.
“That means we will continue to change and shift as a result of that demand. When we began it was all about bricks and mortar, A-frames and banners to get noticed. Then COVID happened and it impacted everyone, including our brand. Since then, the in-store experience has become so different. We have brought the moving digital image in store with video and visual content as you shop. We have really leaned into this in our Doncaster and Bondi stores – they’re bringing this new format to life,” says Nania of how social media has found its foothold in retail stores now.
DECJUBA CEO Audrey Nania and founder Tania Austin. Picture: Supplied
The Australian retail clothing industry generated over $24.4 billion in revenue in 2024 with the average Aussie spending $2,500 per year on clothes, buying roughly 56 items annually. There was a slight increase in retail turnover of 0.3% this January 2025, most of it went to discretionary shopping such as food. Fashion is still a splurge we take, but retailers know they have to try lots of tricks to get us and start spending.
Pivoting with the changing retail times has been essential to DECJUBA’S growth. During the pandemic, they leaned into the uncertainty by refurbishing existing stores that needed a face-lift, they moved into new retail stores that were up for lease at cheaper rents at the time, and worked on their digital footprint to keep the traffic coming their way.
“Bricks and mortar and our commitment to it won’t change,” says Nania.
“We know our customer and they count on us as a brand to be there. They want an in-store experience,” says Nania who visits twice a week to remind herself what the brand looks and feels like to customers.
“You can’t replace trying on clothes, so that experience is key for us too.”
Taking over as CEO will no doubt see Nania try and expand on the brand’s success so far.
“Tania [Austin] has always led with an opportunistic what’s next attitude in business,” says Nania.
“She is a visionary, and while covid was tough, she always reminded us that when the tide goes out it also comes back in. During this time, we upsized some locations and took opportunities to refurbish others. We have really focused on the brand as a whole and have D-Luxe Basics, DECJUBA and DECJUBA Kids under one roof living harmoniously in our larger stores which is working well.”
There’s also an airport retail presence located at Virgin’s Domestic Airport in Sydney.
“We were at Sydney airport six years ago before the renovation, but the decision to come back made sense as our brand lends itself to the grab and go fashion model,” says Nania.
“D-LUXE – our elevated basics allow you to buy a blazer that’s affordable and accessible if you forget yours at home or need to quickly replace something. We are in Sydney Airport because it’s exciting, it’s small and packs a punch.”
DECJUBA has also signed a new three-year partnership with The Australian Ballet with its D-LUXE range now the official studio wear partner. The DECJUBA Foundation, established in 2021, aims to bring outreach programs including workshops, creative residences and performances for schools in regional areas to access the work of the Australian Ballet.
D-LUXE was founded in 2016 and originally only available to customers online as a sub-brand of the business. Now they have plenty of standalone stores in WA, South Australia, Victoria, Queensland and NSW. The range has a strong focus on 100% recycled fibres, denim made with Aussie cotton and a linen collection made from 100% European flax.
