VENROY
'THIS IS NICE’ CHATS WITH VENROY FOUNDER AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR, SEAN VENTURI, ON VENROY’S WINTER 21 COLLECTION, A FEW OF HIS FAVOURITE THINGS, AND HOW HE FINDS THE PERFECT BALANCE BETWEEN STYLE AND COMFORT.
‘this is nice’: We love a bit of VENROY at ‘this is nice’, especially (very selfishly) with the addition of womenswear in the last few years. Can you give the ‘this is nice’ community a bit of backstory on how VENROY started and where it is today?
Sean Venturi: VENROY was a passion project, something my friend and I started casually whilst I was studying full time. It began as boardies and with the support of our close friends and family, slowly became something bigger. We expanded as a men’s leisurewear brand in line with our first store in Bondi Beach in 2015. Bondi has always been such a central pillar of our identity, so it was nice to see this come full circle. Now, we have six stores, including Armadale in Melbourne and James Street in Queensland. Womenswear, which was introduced in 2017, now accounts for half of the business which I’m always really thrilled to see.
‘tIN’: Do you have any advice you wish you had received when you were first starting out?
SV: To really trust your vision and stick with it. We’ve obviously deviated and grown significantly as a brand, but everything we do, we’ve brought it back to the central idea of escapism and leisure. A vision will keep you focused and most importantly, authentic, which is something that customers today are valuing more than ever.
‘TIN’: VENROY is known for its cool classic leisurewear and your Winter 21 Collection is no exception. However, there is something about the collection that is that extra bit sophisticated and chic while still managing to feel like wearable pieces we love. How do you find a balance between keeping things comfortable and also stylish at the same time?
SV: Thanks for saying that! That’s important for us because we’ve invested a lot of resources in using the best fabrics and yarns so that we can hit that balance between style and comfort. In winter those technical features like insulation and padding are essential to brace for the cold but equally in summer, pieces need to be breathable and unfussy.
‘TIN’: Do you have a favourite piece from your Winter 21 Collection? We are very into the corduroy pieces and the trench.
SV: The corduroy is awesome! Personally, I love the alpaca drawstring sweater. We used Alpaca for the first time last season and I can’t get enough. It’s super soft but also really lightweight which makes it convenient for layering and also travel.
FAST FAVOURITES
‘TIN’: Place?
SV: Flat rock Bondi
‘TIN’: Person?
SV: My Nonno
‘TIN’: VENROY collection?
SV: Every season we seem to perfect and refine the offering, so usually, it’s the collection that’s most current
‘TIN’: Song?
SV: Dan Lywood has curated a VENROY sound which he has developed into playlists specifically for our stores. Only problem is you have to be in store to hear it… for now…
‘TIN’: Restaurant?
SV: Sean’s Panaroma. Nothing to do with the name. The food and view are unbeatable.
‘TIN’: Colour?
SV: Blue
‘TIN’: Muse?
SV: I have several, but Aristotle Onassis, Alain Delon and Gianni Agnelli are top of mind.
‘TIN’: Fabric?
SV: Linen. It’s a core part of our offering and has a really low impact on the environment
‘TIN’: Drink?
SV: Pretty happy with a cold beer in summer!
‘TIN’: Season?
SV: Summer. No doubt.
‘TIN’: Way to celebrate?
SV: Booking a plane ticket to a destination you’ve never been before.
‘TIN’: Quote?
SV: Love the sentiment from Michael Jordan when he said:
“I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed.”
‘tin’: What was your inspiration behind the Winter 21 Collection? It makes us want to immediately book a holiday down the snow (or to ski in Japan...we’re dreaming big post COVID).
SV: All our collections are designed around a place and a feeling. Whilst High Summer was nostalgic as we dreamt of summer escapes, Winter 21 has a more striking approach. We looked to European ski fields, like Courchevel and Zermatt, and the incredible apres-ski fashion of the 90’s. You’ll see subtle hints of this in some colours and silhouettes, but the distinct, bold attitude of that time is something we’ve really tried to capture this season.
‘tin’: VENROY is among few brands that doesn’t sell through wholesale retailers, can you explain what brought you to sell your pieces exclusively?
SV: The decision initially came about from frustration at the wholesale model. I was living in LA, selling our boardies to some of the biggest and most prestigious retailers in the world, and while it was huge in terms of exposure and key learnings, a lot of the systems felt deeply rigid – they want a certain style at a particular time and cost, and you are at the mercy of those deadlines.
You can’t beat having a direct relationship and feedback from your customer and we can also be really accessible by ridding of that third party mark ups. Being a direct to consumer brand also allows us to not be cost sensitive when it comes to sourcing quality raw materials and trims. Also, if you’ve been to a VENROY store, they are deliberately transportive and feed directly into who we are as a brand.
Image of VENROY’s newest store in Melbourne.
‘tin’: VENROY began 10 years ago as a boardshort brand, moved into menswear and recently added womenswear. What’s next for VENROY?
SV: We plan to open several more stores throughout Australia. Our most recent store in Armadale, Melbourne has been so well received which is really encouraging. We are looking at supporting our other popular markets with a bricks and mortar presence also. It’s invaluable in communicating our brand story to our customers.
You can shop venroy’s winter 21 collection online and in-store now.
FILL IN THE BLANK… ‘IT’S _________ TO BE NICE’
‘IT’S EASY TO BE NICE’
— Sean Venturi, Founder & Creative Director of VENROY