RM Williams co-owner Nicola Forrest opens women’s boot line

Nicola Forrest, the billionaire co-owner of RM Williamsis 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 Andrewafter 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.”