It’s also, in part, to thank for Matteau’s shift back to a more direct-to-consumer (DTC) business. After launching as a DTC brand, Matteau fast became heavy on wholesale as the founders pursued international discovery and growth. Early days were 80% wholesale vs 20% DTC; the split then remained 70-30 for a while, Heinsen says. Lately, though, the DTC channel has been growing rapidly, edging into 50-50 territory. The last financial year closed at 51% wholesale vs 49% DTC, with Heinsen expecting the latter to hit about 55% in fiscal 2026.
“It’s done a complete flip,” says Heinsen, before clarifying that wholesale isn’t shrinking (Matteau’s latest Paris showroom was one of its best yet), but that DTC is simply growing at a much faster rate. It’s a good spot to be in, rounding out 2025, as multi-brand retail wages on through the turbulence.
Beyond the beach
Matteau may have been created for the beach, but the brand has expanded well beyond resortwear. “We’ve always been more of a summer brand, but we’re now addressing that more seasonal thing,” Heinsen says. “She’s not just doing summer breaks; she’s doing city breaks in the winter, or just spring in the city.” In 2024, Matteau launched cashmere and jeans, and has a Mackintosh trench coming out in its next drop.
Incorporating more winter elements is also a necessary step in establishing Matteau as an international fashion brand, versus an Aussie summer go-to. “It’s hard when you are a summer brand and an international brand at the same time,” Heinsen says, noting that they need to be able to talk to Australian customers about bikinis and dresses, while talking to the Northern Hemisphere client about cashmere, Mackintosh and denim.
Australia makes up 60% of the brand’s DTC sales, while 75% of international DTC sales are from the US. Wholesale, on the other hand, is made up of 85% international sales (primarily the US, Europe and the UK) and 15% domestic Australian sales. Hamer, who moved to New York shortly after co-founding Matteau, is now based in California, while Heinsen remains in Australia. Having established the brand in their two home markets, the pair are now looking to up Matteau’s UK and European penetration (while continuing to grow in the US).
