Zaket & Plover was founded in 2004 by husband and wife team Chris and Effie Vlahos as a continuation of Z & P Fashion, formerly known as La Dame Manufacturing.
Even though Zaket & Plover was launched over a decade ago, it has fast established itself as a leading Australian, luxury, knitwear label stocked in all the big retailers nationwide.
With strong ties to Italy, the owners only use top quality yarn to make their beautiful knitwear. Chris oversees the technical side of knitting and the business side, while Effie leads the talented design team in their Melbourne based studio.
“It was back in 1984 when Chris and his two sisters involved themselves in their parents’ business,” Effie Vlahos tells Neos Kosmos.
“Chris studied textiles both in Japan and Germany to eventually manage the ever growing knitting sector of the business which consisted of many flat bed, knitting machines manufacturing knitwear for the likes of Jaqueline Eve and Kmart to name a few. They also supplied David Jones with their own label of highly textured knitwear for over 20 years.”
Chris’ parents came out from Greece in the 50s; his father brought out his three brothers from the beautiful Ionian island of Lefkada and eventually started a clothing manufacturing business together with Chris’s mum.
“As migrants, they worked typically long hours and managed to make a name and good reputation for themselves,” Effie says.
“Over a span of 25 years these four brothers plus Chris’s mum managed and ran another four very successful, however, separate businesses.”
Even though success came after years of hard work and sacrifice, the Vlahos family did not hold on to it without the extra struggle that comes with evolving with and adapting to the times.
“With the start of the new millennium came changes in duty and tariffs from China so the business had to change accordingly,” Effie explains.
“Hence, the beginning of importing from China and the sad end of manufacturing in Melbourne.”
This was a very unsettling and emotional time for the Vlahos family, as they had to release over 40 workers who had become close friends, akin to “a second family”. The business took a new direction in 2001 with Chris taking the General Manager’s role, managing a small number of staff and dealing with importing. His sisters moved out of the business as they had growing families.
“I came into the company while on maternity leave from teaching, having studied textiles at uni and having worked extensively in the women’s retail sector,” she says looking back.
“I eventually took on the role of head designer.”
With experience, knowledge and a love of fashion and travel, the husband and wife team have not just salvaged the business but have taken it from strength to strength.
“Seventeen years on Chris and I now have four knitwear labels, three of which we sell nationally and all over New Zealand,” she says.
“We source most of our yarns from Italy and have a very close affiliation with the design and fashion industry in Europe. We are still considered a family run company; Chris’s mum still pops in at the age of 85 to check on our progress and the people we work with have become family.”
Other than those hard earned qualities, what is it that makes Zaket & Plover special?
First of all, its name.
“Zaket meaning zaketa (cardigan) and Plover from the word ploveri (pullover). We have always been proud of our Greek heritage and very proud of the hard work that was done by our families to get us to this fortunate position that we we’re in,” they enthuse, breaking down how they love its significance as a playful way to combine their past with their present and future.
“Moreover, we have given everything a fresh, yet easily wearable approach with signature weaves of Merino wool blends that are fully machine washable,” Effie continues praising her husband’s European training and his passion to constantly develop his own knit structures. Chris is known to spend hours formulating different knitting programs on his latest Japanese, computerised knitting machines.
“We make our knitwear for the modern woman who chooses to wear quality, Italian wool mix garments with a definite point of difference.”
The couple agrees that “people don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it. And what you do simply proves what you believe”; it is this motto by author Simon Sinek that they think best encapsulates their drive.
Colour features strongly in the sharp details over several styles in their highly commercial designs, while ensuring it’s not too tricked up for the over 30s market. The range has evolved with its emphasis on fashion, exceptional quality and very competitive price points.
Meanwhile, apart from focusing solely on heavy knitwear, the couple has recently started to introduce light woven garments to their ranges.
“Australia is generally a warm country with a very long, hot summer especially in Queensland, Western Australia and even parts of New South Wales so our retailers don’t necessarily need knitwear all year round,” Effie explains.
“Consequently, we introduced wovens into our ranges only a few years ago. This has worked well for us and is a section of the business that is steadily growing, as can be seen in our upcoming Spring-Summer range.”
Even though the duo have no intention of entering the male fashion market, given that every range they coordinate takes a very long time “from sourcing the yarns, making the knitted fabric and turning it into a garment to sourcing woven fabrics that sit back with the chosen knitwear”, they do plan to expand internationally.
“An exciting new element to our business is exporting to the USA. Americans love us Aussies and they seem to love our Greek Aussie story too,” says Effie.
“We believe in growing the business organically. We started exporting to New Zealand several years ago and feel ready to open our doors to the Northern Hemisphere. Hopefully Greece will be on the cards one day.”