Kidman and Olympic swimmers, open the Brisbane Fashion Festival

It was a landmark week for Kidman in Brisbane, celebrating Australian heritage, style and sporting excellence with the opening of our new Kidman flagship store and opening of the Brisbane Fashion Festival.

Firstly, on Monday evening August 24th, guests gathered at 175 Eagle Street in the heart of Brisbane to celebrate the opening of Kidman’s newest flagship store – an exciting new chapter for a brand inspired by the remarkable legacy of legendary Australian pastoralist, “the Cattle King”, Sir Sidney Kidman.

The evening also celebrated the pioneering spirit of James Nicholas of Cobb & Co, grandfather of Hancock Prospecting Executive Chairman Mrs Gina Rinehart AO, who played an essential role in opening up Australia’s outback through his Cobb & Co coaches which carried water, passengers, supplies, household goods, mail and equipment, without which outback towns could not flourish. James Nicholas and his friend Sidney Kidman were partners in two pastoral stations, with their shared history forming part of the extraordinary story of regional Australia that Gina Rinehart and Kidman are proud to carry forward today. Under the executive chairmanship of Mrs Rinehart, Kidman continues to honour this Australian heritage while bringing the brand to new generations. 

Guests at the Brisbane opening were among the first to preview two new Kidman collections – Kidman by Shayna, designed in collaboration with Australian swimming champion Shayna Jack for the younger clientele, and the new Mulga Collection, inspired by the colours, character and landscapes of Australia and which included the personal touches of Mrs Rinehart. 

During Mrs Rinehart’s speech at the store opening, she pondered, if pioneer’s like her grandfather, James Nicholas, and his friend, Sidney Kidman, had to deal with today’s government  tape when her grandfather was building thousands of miles of roads and establishing staging inns for his coaches, horses and passengers to provide essential services to those in the outback, could they have done what they did in one lifetime or would this have taken generations? She also commented that the guests were standing on a colourful carpet that represented the banded iron formation and were surrounded by lit rocky shelves and the Kidman collection, which helped to illustrate  Australia’s critical primary industries. 

Agriculture CEO Adam Giles warmly welcomed the Queensland and interstate guests and stated that the guests weren’t just entering a boutique, but an important part of Australia’s pastoral history and cultural heritage.