The story of Papinelle is a lesson in following your dreams – and a reminder that digital communications can only take you so far. Founder Renae James shares four ways that strong, in-person relationships have helped her business take off.
Renae James started selling her distinctive, natural-fabric pyjamas at Sydney’s famous Paddington Markets in 2003 – and they were an instant hit. The following year, the design graduate took out a $9000 personal loan and went on to open her first boutique on Oxford Street shortly after, morphing into a fully fledged retailer. “We’ve been called Papinelle from day one,” says James. “I wanted a name we could own so I played around with the French words for butterfly (papillon) and lady beetle (coccinelle).”
Papinelle grew slowly but steadily and in 2016, James joined forces with fellow Australian entrepreneur Nicole Kelly. “We met at my first trade fair in New York in 2005. She had a stand opposite mine – we were two Aussie girls taking on the world and became friends, although we didn’t start working together for over a decade.”
In 2021, private equity firm Quadrant came on board to help accelerate Papinelle’s global growth. Today, the company’s range includes loungewear and underwear and is found in hundreds of department stores across Australia, New Zealand and the US (where the intimate-wear market is estimated to be worth US$63.9 billion this year alone). Paddington remains home to Papinelle’s flagship store but the team has travelled the world to connect with customers and partners, turning a little market stall into a global brand.
“The US market is close to 50% of our revenue – buyer meetings are essential”
“We make about four trips to the US each year to see our buyers but our trip in February was our first time back at this particular trade fair since Nicki and I met there in 2005 – 18 years ago! The US market is doing really well for us – it’s close to 50 per cent of our revenue, with at least half of that coming direct to our website. So we decided to do the trade fair again.
It’s great to keep up with trends and all our buyers are there so it’s a worthwhile trip. Being a Qantas Business Rewards member means we earn more Qantas Points on our flights, which we can then use for future upgrades and to put towards Qantas Hotels bookings. The benefits are endless.”
Tip: Use your business's Qantas Points to upgrade your next flight with Classic Upgrade Rewards^^ directly from your Qantas Business Rewards account.
“Our team travels a lot domestically to meet our customers face to face”
“In June 2022, we opened a concept space in the refurbished David Jones flagship store in Bourke Street. Having our own retail stores and concept spaces allows us to tell the Papinelle story through a broader product offering and beautiful imagery. It also gives us an opportunity to learn more about our customers, get feedback on the styles people are loving and what we need to do more of.
Our team – including visual merchandisers, retail managers and wholesale managers – travels a lot domestically to meet our customers face to face. Papinelle recently became a Level 3 Qantas Business Rewards member, which means we can nominate one of our team for a Gold Accelerator, a fast-track to help them attain Gold Frequent Flyer status.”
Tip: Nominate one traveller to upgrade to Gold§ with Gold Accelerator as a Level 3 Qantas Business Rewards member.
"This last-minute business trip changed everything for our business"
“Back in 2017, a buyer from Nordstrom, one of the biggest department stores in the US, asked to meet us the following week, not knowing we were in Sydney. It was an opportunity we couldn’t miss. We filled our suitcases with samples and hopped on a Qantas flight to LA and then onto Seattle where they’re based. They loved our products and after testing them in 25 locations, we became an all-store brand. About 12 months later, Dillard’s, another huge department store, approached us.
We’re a growth brand for them and they’re so excited with how it’s going. They’re based in Arkansas so we fly non-stop Sydney to Dallas and on to Little Rock. I’ve always flown Qantas. I’m a Platinum Frequent Flyer and I like the perks that come with that. When you get on the plane to fly back to Sydney, it’s like a big exhale. I can almost get a bit teary. I’m coming home.”
Tip: Enjoy an extensive network with Qantas and our partners to get you and your travellers wherever you need to be with over 1,300 destinations worldwide.
"We're selling something tactile – we need to touch and feel product samples"
“We typically fly to China or Hong Kong once or twice a year to visit suppliers. Making the effort to see them in person is so important for relationships and vital for our brand because we are known for our soft, natural fabrics. We’re not selling data or an app for your phone; we’re selling something that’s tactile so the ability to touch and feel it is priceless.
We always have a much better result when we see our suppliers in person and you get so much more done on these trips than you can via email or Zoom. And by accessing our Qantas Business Rewards member flight savings, travelling for work becomes even more cost-effective. Gold Frequent Flyer benefits, like access to lounges and priority check-in and boarding, make business travel more comfortable – especially when the days are long and our staff are away from their families – and the extra baggage allowance is great for samples.”
Help a team member go for Gold
There are a range of benefits for Qantas Business Rewards members – and their employees, too. The more Qantas Points your business earns from flying, the more you progress through the three levels of membership, unlocking bigger rewards and greater savings.~
What is Gold Accelerator?
As a Level 3 Qantas Business Rewards member, you can nominate one traveller each year to fast-track their Frequent Flyer status to Gold. §
How does it work?
The nominated Frequent Flyer will have 90 days to earn 100 Status Credits on new flight bookings departing within that period, to attain Gold Frequent Flyer status. §
What are the benefits of Gold?
Once your nominee successfully achieves Gold Frequent Flyer status, they’ll earn 75 per cent more Qantas Points on eligible flights, enjoy priority boarding and access to more than 600 lounges globally. Plus, they’ll also have access to more availability on Classic Flight Reward seats as well as many other benefits.^^
Important Information
~ Savings are available exclusively to Qantas Business Rewards Members on the base fare of selected fares only and do not apply to taxes, fees and carrier charges. Availability is limited. Member Deals are subject to the Qantas Business Rewards Terms and Conditions.
§ Only one nomination for the Qantas Business Rewards Gold Accelerator offer can be made per year by an eligible Qantas Business Rewards Level 3 Member. The Qantas Business Rewards account holder or full access user must complete a nomination form through the Qantas Business Rewards Account. The nominee must hold Bronze or Silver Qantas Frequent Flyer membership, be a stored traveller within the Qantas Business Rewards Account and have not been nominated for Gold Accelerator previously within the last 6 months. Once approved, the nominee’s Qantas Frequent Flyer status will be upgraded to Gold, when they earn at least 100 Status Credits on new bookings for departures between the date the offer is accepted and within 90 days. Status Credit earn must be on eligible flights booked and ticketed on a Qantas flight number (QF) where Status Credits are usually earned. Bonus Status Credit earn and Status Credits earned not via way of an eligible flight will not contribute towards required accelerator total to redeem this offer. Status Credits will be awarded within 6 weeks from departure. Members who have already been activated on previous Qantas Status Fast Track offers in the last 6 months, are not eligible for the Qantas Business Rewards Gold Accelerator offer. Gold Accelerator is only available to members with an Australian or New Zealand residential address on their Qantas Frequent Flyer account. Qantas may revoke or vary this offer in its own discretion.
^^ Gold Frequent Flyer benefits: Qantas Points and Status Credits (where applicable) are earned on Eligible Flights with a Qantas or applicable oneworld® Member Airline or Airline Partner flight number on your ticket. Qantas Points and Status Credits may not be earned on some fare types and booking classes. For full details see the Qantas Frequent Flyer program Terms and Conditions and Airline Earning Tables. Priority boarding is available for Gold, Platinum and Platinum One Frequent Flyer members and Emerald oneworld members for Qantas operated domestic flights in Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Gold Coast, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney and on selected Qantas operated international flights with a Qantas (QF) flight number on your ticket. Classic Flight Rewards, where available, can be booked on Qantas, Jetstar and partner airlines. Classic Flight Reward seats are subject to capacity controls and availability is limited. The number of seats available depends on the flight, date, season and destination and some flights may not have any Classic Flight Rewards available. Taxes, fees and carrier charges are payable by an Accepted Payment Card in addition to the Qantas Points required on Classic Flight Rewards. These are quoted at the time of booking and are subject to change. See Classic Flight Rewards for more details. Preferential access will be provided, when available, to selected Qantas Classic Flight Reward seats for Silver, Gold and Platinum members. On selected flights, preferential access provided to Gold and Platinum members may be above the access available to Silver and Bronze members. When seats are available, preferential access is provided at qantas.com and from Qantas Contact Centres and Qantas offices, excluding some international locations (Reward Assistance Fee applies to assisted bookings). Qantas Club Discounted Qantas Club membership is available to Qantas Frequent Flyer members who are Qantas Business Rewards Flyers of the Qantas Business Rewards Member. The discount applies to Qantas Club Individual membership rates and is managed under the Qantas Club Qantas Business Rewards scheme. Qantas Club membership is subject to the Qantas Club Terms and Conditions. Please be advised that lounges are subject to capacity limits at the time of your visit. If you're flying domestically on Qantas, QantasLink or Jetstar within Australia, and on Jetstar within New Zealand you may bring one guest to join you in a Qantas Club lounge. When visiting an international Qantas Club lounge, you are able to invite one guest each time you visit. Both you and your guest need to be travelling together further that day on the same flight. Lounge access eligibility conditions apply.
We acknowledge the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Traditional Custodians of the land on which we work, live and fly.
We pay respect to Elders past, present and emerging.