Article courtesy of Hobart Mercury.
Billionaire and mining tycoon Gina Rinehart has advanced her journey into the fashion industry with her company’s purchase of Rossi Boots. S. Kidman & Co said purchasing the boot manufacturer was part of its “commitment to preserving iconic national brands”.
What started as a labour of love in an Adelaide backyard shed in 1910, soon became a beloved Aussie fashion staple. The Rossiter family started Rossi Boots in 1910, and was sold to Melbourne-based outfit Propel Group, which also ran the well-known DrizaBone and rural workwear brand RB Sellars.
The purchase by Ms Rinehart of Rossi Boots follows her acquisition of Driza-Bone, which she said was motivated by a desire to preserve and maintain its “magnificent past”, ensuring it remained in Aussie hands while also rejuvenating the brand. Driza-Bone, best known for its oil skin jackets, has been a staple in Aussie wardrobes for more than 120 years.
Putting the brand on the world map, was the classic 1982 Australian film, The Man from Snowy River. “We want to keep and preserve its magnificent past but we also want to rejuvenate it,” Ms Rinehart said.
