John Wright Email & Phone Number

During my 30 years in the clothing industry I’ve witnessed many changes. Some of these changes have been welcomed while others have presented their own unique challenges. The ability to adapt quickly to an ever-adjusting environment has been critical to success.I established Auravale Industries in 1987 with a small and passionate group of fellow rag-traders. In an ever-changing market I believe that you are only ever 5 minutes ahead of your competitor. The strength of Auravale has always been its ability to be nimble on its feet and constantly on the outlook for the next opportunity. I remain on the look-out for the next big brand, and excited about this industry, this “rag-trade”.

Listed skills include Apparel, Business Strategy, Product Development, Fashion, and 3 others.

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  Managing Director

  Auravale Industries Ltd

  1987 - Present

  My career has been defined by change and the implementation of it. Auravale was established in 1976 and the company quickly grew to become a significant player in the New Zealand market. In particular our Cutler & Co men’s clothing collection was embraced by clothing retailers and consumers alike and within a few short years established itself as a key player in the local market. Auravale also quickly gained a foot-hold in the Australian clothing market. A position we have been able to capitalise on over the past 20 years since our first endeavour there.As Auravale looked further afield for opportunities during the 1990’s we realised we had built an organization perfectly poised to import as well as export. Our efforts resulted in Auravale securing the distribution rights to such iconic clothing brands as Diesel, Energie and Miss Sixty. Auravale’s established network of retailers was used to full effect and sales of these now iconic Italian brands quickly grew in the local market, transforming from relatively unknown to the household names they are today.In the late 2000’s we witnessed the emergence of several US brands, and the waning of their Italian counterparts, many of which had reached brand maturity by that time. Auravale was offered the opportunity to sell its distribution rights on its European stable of brands. This chance was seized and our focus shifted again to spotting up and coming new clothing labels. During this period we aligned ourselves with the GSUS brand of Amsterdam, LTB Jeans of Turkey and Monarchy of USA. More recently we have added upcoming Dutch brand No Excess and English denim label Pearly King to our portfolio.