Designing shoes for Adelaide’s man about town
Jayne-Anne Power is bringing years of local fashion experience garnered at iconic Rossi Boots and International Fashion Labels to her new Adelaide men’s shoe brand Kennedy Parker.
Jayne-Anne Power designs her own Kennedy Parker shoe line. Photo: supplied
The well-known fashion industry marketer and product developer started the business as an online side hustle, and has now opened her first bricks and mortar shopfront in the central business district’s Gay’s Arcade.
Power was behind campaigns including Rossi’s bold new women’s range of boots that included Musk boots and a leopard-print style with elastic sides promoting products from one of the country’s remaining shoe manufacturing plants.
Rossi started its Adelaide factory 112 years ago, the company now has its head office in Melbourne after being bought by Propel Group and GP securities in 2020, but operations are still based in Adelaide.
Power also worked as general manager design and brand at International Fashion Labels, incorporating Australian Fashion Labels, and was also general manager at Australian design brand, The Wolf Gang.
“I’d been working as a marketer and product developer at Rossi Boots for a few years and thoroughly enjoyed the products and the whole business of footwear, it got me hooked,” she said.
Power outside the new shopfront in the Adelaide CBD. Photo: supplied
The work connected her with factories and tanneries around the world.
Then, when the shoe line plan started, she used these contacts to establish her own brand of casual to formal men’s footwear made from European leather in India.
Now she designs some shoes and tweaks some classics with a plan to rust on a loyal line of customers, selling across Australia since the online store started last year and with an eye on exports once the store settles into Gay’s Arcade.
“My years in men’s footwear taught me that many guys love and appreciate good quality leather products, and the longevity of the investment they’ve made really matters to them,” Power said.
“I wanted to create a collection that offered beautiful, wearable designs made with leathers that look and feel really luxe, using premium construction methods.”
The name draws together Jayne-Anne’s maiden name of Parker and “the addition of Kennedy just felt right”.
“The name infers approachable style, it’s memorable and it’s a name people can kind of relate to. I felt like I could picture how Kennedy Parker was dressed – modern classic, quality, relatable sophistication – so perhaps my customer could too.”
