RM Williams co-owner Nicola Forrest is sticking the boot in for women

Nicola Forrest, the billionaire co-owner of RM Williams, is giving the bush outfitter’s story a plot twist worthy of their interwoven belts. Until now, the legacy of charismatic founder Reginald Murray Williams, who died in 2003, has kept women in the back saddle of the 92-year-old brand’s history.

Inside the Outback Heritage Museum, at the Adelaide address still woven on the tug of the classic boots, the smell of leather competes with the testosterone of male-focused exhibits. But on the factory floor, the future looks different.

An $8 million expansion launched by Forrest – in her first official media appearance since the July announcement of the separation from her mining billionaire husband Andrew, after 31 years of marriage – has created factory space for a production line dedicated to women’s boots. With the introduction of styles that stop short of stretching into thigh-high territory by sticking to heritage techniques, Forrest is hoping to push women’s boot sales beyond the current level of 15 per cent of sales in that category.

“This is a new chapter for RM Williams, which is really exciting for Adelaide and Australia,” Forrest says. “What this new line is doing is enabling us to not only have specific designs for women but to create 70 new jobs.

“We are investing in the next chapter of this history, together with talented women in leadership positions working on every step of the boot-making process, proudly making products for women, by women.”

Forrest took centre stage at the launch and kept the focus on the boot brand the Forrests’ investment company Tattarang acquired in 2020 rather than on anything relating to her split.

In an age of gender-neutral clothing, a dedicated women’s production line might seem more suitable for the Heritage Museum, but it’s a product of practicality rather than the patriarchy.

“From a manufacturing standpoint, women’s footwear is unique,” says Tara Moses, chief operations officer at RM Williams. “It needs to have a bit more finesse to it. It’s a smaller boot and needs different types of tooling. You also have extra heels that go with it. Now that we have the line, we can expand the craft.”

The majority of that craftsmanship is done by women.

“Over 50 per cent of our workforce is women,” Moses says. “That’s the beauty of this industry from a manufacturing standpoint. With apparel and footwear, many more women are engaged in the industry. They have the dexterity that’s required for skills, such as sewing and plaiting.”

Soon to join the factory floor runway is the Roseberry style, which chief design officer Rachel Allen singles out from the expanded women’s range.

“It’s a riff on the classic Craftsman, with a bit more of a heel, so you can wear it with a dress or jeans,” Allen says. “It has all the elements of our brand’s DNA with a wearability that women want.”

“Trends will ebb and flow but there are so many parts of the business heritage we can lean into, from the equestrian world to rodeos.”

This is clearly not Forrest’s first rodeo, greeting workers and taking time to inspect the boot manufacturing and the braiding.

Forrest is a long-time wearer of the boots but also has experience with the braiding, which along with belts is still used on stock whips.

“They’re good gifts,” Forrest says. “We got them for a wedding present. I did think it was a bit odd. They came in handy quite a bit.”

And the twists keep coming.

The writer travelled to Adelaide as a guest of RM Williams.

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