Sportsgirl is an Australian women's clothing chain owned and operated by Sussan. History 1940s and 1950s The first Sportsgirl store opened in 1948 as an alternative to its sister label Sportscraft on Swanston Street, Melbourne. The store was owned and operated by the Bardas family, who until then had no retail outlet and had been distributing their Sportscraft clothing label via department stores. In 1956, the rent on their initial property was raised (potentially due to Melbourne being host to the 1956 Summer Olympics). The Bardas family, therefore, decided to move their store to Collins Street. They would eventually purchase this property in 1959, cementing it as the flagship store for the brand as they expanded throughout the metropolitan area. 1960s In the 1960s, Sportsgirl emerged as a leader in the Australian fashion industry, including opening a Sydney flagship store on Pitt Street, successfully developing a brand image and a store identity that moved fashion retail away from the concept of established department stores to the concept of the lifestyle fashion boutique, using interior design, visual merchandising, graphic design, and advertising to build its fashion brand into one that appealed to the emerging youth market of the 1960s. As well as carefully choosing overseas imports, Sportsgirl sourced its fashion lines from young Australian designers, employing heavy use of print advertising and merchandising display to create a Sportsgirl identity that linked its clothing lines to a set of lifestyle values and accessories. 1970s In the 1970s, Sportsgirl continued opening stores in locations throughout Australia. It continued its heavy use of mass advertising through print and media advertising that linked fashion with lifestyle images. Sportsgirl adopts the developing methods of mass marketing. It capitalizes on the power of linking fashion with exciting images. Sportsgirl advertising campaigns and its in-store magazines combine photography with slogans and lifestyle concepts. Sportsgirl uses special events, in-store parades, and promotions to pump excitement into fashion. Internationally acclaimed illustrator Antonio was brought to Australia by Sportsgirl, who used his drawings to promote a parade held in two circus tents. Make-up artists Way Bandy and Regis are brought to Australia to give public demonstrations of the latest fashion looks. Sportsgirl blazes through as one of the first fashion retailers to sell homewares and body and beauty products. 1980s By the 1980s, Sportsgirl had over 100 stores throughout Australia. Frontline (not to be confused with the television series of the