Is Scanlan Theodore Worth It? Prices, Who Owns It, Where It Is Made and What You Pay For

Scanlan Theodore is a luxury brand by every measure that matters: independent, founder-led since 1987, an exclusive signature fabric, no wholesale, no licensing. Whether it is worth it depends on which piece you are holding. This is a plain account of the prices, the ownership, the manufacturing and the pieces that earn their keep, written for someone deciding whether to place a first order.

What Scanlan Theodore costs

At the brand’s own boutiques the ready-to-wear runs from about AUD 120 for a mesh basic to AUD 3,500 for a beaded gown, and the middle of the collection sits around AUD 480. On Luxury Shoes , which prices in US dollars and includes insured express shipping, the bands look like this across the 370 pieces we carry.

A Crepe Knit peplum collar jacket is $880, the matching soft hem skirt $570 and a crew neck singlet $350, so a full Crepe Knit suit is about $1,800 on Luxury Shoes . The gowns are the top of the range at $1,660 to $2,240.

What you are paying for

The fabric first. Crepe Knit is a dense viscose and polyamide knit developed exclusively for Scanlan Theodore and introduced in 2001, knitted from yarn the brand sources in Italy. No other label sells it. It holds a tailored line, does not crease and can be worn to the office a hundred times without looking tired, which is the whole argument for the price. Second, the design. Every collection is designed in-house in Melbourne under Gary Theodore, who co-founded the house and has never handed it to an outside creative director. Third, the retail model: the brand sells only through its own boutiques, its David Jones concessions and its own site, so there is no wholesale margin and no discount channel undercutting the price.

Who owns Scanlan Theodore

Gary Theodore. He founded the brand with Fiona Scanlan in 1987 with a boutique on Chapel Street in South Yarra. Scanlan sold her share in 2003 and works as a design consultant; Theodore remains owner and creative director. The US business is a separate company, Scanlan Theodore Americas, run by co-chief executives Melinda Robertson and Sarah Blank, two former finance professionals who approached Theodore with the idea of taking the brand to New York and opened the first US boutique in 2018. Read who is Scanlan Theodore for the full history.

Where it is made

Designed in Melbourne. The brand states that its Crepe Knit and mohair yarns come from Italian mills and that its leather goods are made in Italy. It does not publish a factory country for the rest of the ready-to-wear collection, and neither do we. What it does publish is the composition and the care for every piece, and Luxury Handbags prints both on each product page.

Which pieces are worth it

Crepe Knit, without qualification. A jacket and skirt bought this year will still be in the collection in some form next year, still hold their shape, and still pass as tailoring. The barrel leg jeans in Italian denim, because the cut is distinctive and the denim is heavy enough to last. The turban dresses and gowns, if you have the date to wear them to, because nobody else makes the neckline. Where the case is weaker: the mercerised tees and the mesh basics, which are well made but do a job a cheaper tee can do.

What to know before you buy

The brand sizes in AU, which reads as UK; US is two sizes down; jeans are by inch waist. It runs true to size everywhere except the denim cargo cuts, where the brand says to size down. Care is mostly dry clean. Luxury Handbags ships worldwide, insured, with a 14-day return window, and most regions pay duties on arrival. See the size guide, the sale and outlet guide and where to buy Scanlan Theodore, then shop the collection.

Frequently asked questions

Is Scanlan Theodore a luxury brand?

Yes. It is an independent, privately held Australian luxury house founded in Melbourne in 1987. At the brand’s own boutiques ready-to-wear runs from about AUD 120 for a mesh basic to AUD 3,500 for a beaded gown, with a median around AUD 480. It has an exclusive signature fabric, Crepe Knit, made from Italian yarn.

Is Scanlan Theodore worth it?

For the Crepe Knit jackets, skirts and dresses, yes: they hold their shape for years, do not crease and are worn to the office hundreds of times. For the basics, the case is weaker, because a mercerised tee at AUD 200 does the same job as a cheaper one.

Who owns Scanlan Theodore?

Gary Theodore, who co-founded the brand in 1987 and remains creative director. Fiona Scanlan sold her share in 2003. The US business, Scanlan Theodore Americas, is run by co-chief executives Melinda Robertson and Sarah Blank.

Is Scanlan Theodore made in Australia?

It is designed in Melbourne. The brand says its Crepe Knit and mohair yarns come from Italian mills and its leather goods are made in Italy. It does not publish the factory country for the rest of the ready-to-wear, so we do not claim one.

Who is the Scanlan Theodore CEO?

Gary Theodore leads the Australian business as founder and creative director. Melinda Robertson and Sarah Blank are co-CEOs of Scanlan Theodore Americas, the US arm.

Why is Scanlan Theodore so expensive?

An exclusive fabric developed for one house, Italian yarn, in-house design in Melbourne with no licensing, small production runs, and a boutique-only retail model with no wholesale discounting. You are paying for a fabric nobody else sells and a cut that has been refined since 2001.