BETTINA LIANO

Profile

Bettina Liano is, undoubtedly, a leading light in the Australian fashion industry, and one of its most highly-regarded retailers and exporters.

Launched in the 1980's from truly humble beginnings, Bettina Liano has come a long way, likening her journey to that of "travelling down the yellow brick road".

Without ever having undertaken a sewing lesson in her life, Liano began to take her art to another dimension by creating simply-draped jersey dresses that attracted instant admiration. Liano's unique pieces soon caught the eye of a leading fashion retailer who immediately recognised her talent, and invited her to design and make original dresses for his store. Even at this time, Liano was taking a global approach to fashion, looking beyond the seemingly barren local horizon toward the international fashion scene.

By 1990, the demand for Bettina Liano clothing led to the opening of her own store in Chapel Street, Melbourne. It was at this time that she recognised a gap in both the national and international marketplace for a sexy, fashionable yet affordable clothing line. Within twelve months, her revolutionary version of denim was born, destined to put the female hips firmly on the fashion map. It was her reputation for making sleek, fitted pants that spawned the idea to create a sexy, fitted jean. By literally going to ‏the lowest lengths', Liano has, over the years, risen above and beyond some of fashion's biggest players to achieve international cult status with her truly original Australian range of hipster ‏O' jeans that fit like a second skin.