A Q&A with Sally from Empowered Clothing

Hi Sally! To start, could you tell us a little about yourself and the journey that led to founding Empowered Clothing?

I was born and bred in Melbourne and, if I’m being honest, I never imagined I’d end up in the clothing industry.

After completing a Bachelor of Arts, I spent three years backpacking around the world before returning home to work in banking and finance. In my late twenties, a health challenge led me down a very different path and sparked a lifelong interest in natural therapies, wellbeing and personal development. Since then, I’ve studied everything from aromatherapy, remedial therapies and counselling through to personal training, coaching and more recently frequency and energy-based healing modalities.

For more than 30 years my focus has been helping people feel empowered from the inside out. I owned and operated a wellness studio called Holistically Fit, with the tagline “Empower Yourself Inside and Out,” and today my broader business operates under Self Empowered Lifestyles.

The idea for Empowered Clothing came during one of my regular beach walks on the Mornington Peninsula—what I affectionately call my outdoor office. I was listening to an audiobook by Dr Joe Vitale, who suggested that if you wanted to create something meaningful, you should start by asking yourself what you love.

As I walked, I realised I loved movement, nature, personal growth and having meaningful conversations with my girlfriends about life. Almost instantly, the concept of Empowered Clothing landed. The phrase “Dress with Intent” followed soon after.

Within 24 hours I had secured the business name and domain name. Despite knowing absolutely nothing about the fashion industry, I felt strongly guided to create something that combined empowerment, sustainability and ethical manufacturing. Looking back, that beach walk changed the direction of my business and introduced me to an entirely new industry that I’m still learning from every day.

That’s quite a unique starting point! For readers discovering Empowered Clothing for the first time, how would you describe the business and the kinds of products you create?

Empowered Clothing was born in 2022 and launched just nine months after the original idea arrived during that beach walk.
At its heart, Empowered Clothing is about encouraging people to think differently about what they wear. Most of us open our wardrobe every day and instinctively reach for certain colours, styles or pieces without really thinking about why. I believe there is a deeper connection between what we choose to wear and how we choose to show up in the world.

Our tagline is “Dress with Intent” and that philosophy sits at the centre of everything we create.
The clothing collections include our Chakra Range, Frequency Range and Creation Range, all designed to inspire empowerment, self-awareness and conscious living. We offer women’s and unisex styles made from sustainably sourced fabrics and produced entirely in Melbourne.

The business sits under my broader Self Empowered Lifestyles brand, which focuses on helping people create healthier, calmer and more empowered lives. Most of the people I work with are men and women over 40 who are often feeling overwhelmed, stressed, or what I affectionately call “tired and wired.”

Alongside the clothing, we also offer products such as wellness journals, chakra candles, crystal bracelets and energy sprays. More recently, I’ve become fascinated by the role frequencies can play in wellbeing and now incorporate frequency-based products and services into my work.

Everything we create is designed around one simple idea: helping people become more conscious of the energy they bring to their lives, their choices and ultimately themselves.

Everything is made entirely in Melbourne using sustainably sourced materials like bamboo and recycled fibres. Can you take us behind the scenes of your production process, and tell us what manufacturing locally means to you?

From day one, local manufacturing was never negotiable for me.

When I first had the idea for Empowered Clothing, I knew very little about garment production, but I knew exactly what values I wanted the business to stand for. Supporting Australian manufacturing, using more sustainable fabrics and producing garments ethically were at the top of that list.

One of the best discoveries I made early on was finding Sample Room through Ethical Clothing Australia. As a small start-up brand, being able to produce small runs locally was incredibly important. It allowed me to test ideas without needing to commit to huge production quantities, while also working with a team who understood ethical manufacturing standards.

The Chakra Range was probably the most complex collection to develop. We worked across seven colours and multiple fabric weights while sourcing quality bamboo fabrics that aligned with the vision. The Creation Range introduced new challenges because leggings and activewear require different levels of stretch, compression and durability than bamboo could provide on its own. The Frequency Range was a little easier because we had already established trusted suppliers, fabrics and colour matching processes.

What I love most about manufacturing locally is the connection. I know who is making my garments. I can visit production facilities, ask questions and build genuine relationships with the people involved.

For me, local manufacturing isn’t just about producing clothing. It’s about supporting Australian skills, Australian jobs and Australian businesses. It’s about investing in our own backyard and being proud of the story behind every garment we create.

Coming into fashion from a completely different world can’t have been easy. What’s been the biggest challenge you’ve had to navigate, and what are you most proud of having achieved along the way?

Without question, the biggest challenge has been entering an industry where I had absolutely no prior experience.

Four years ago, I couldn’t have told you what a tech pack was, how garment production worked or even much of the language used within the fashion industry. Coming from a wellness background, it felt like learning an entirely new language.

There were definitely moments where I felt out of my depth. However, one of the things I’ve learned throughout my career is that curiosity, persistence and a willingness to keep learning can take you a long way.

I immersed myself in research, attended industry events, connected with other designers and took every opportunity to learn. Ethical Clothing Australia played a significant role in that journey. Through their events, networking opportunities and educational resources, I was able to connect with manufacturers, industry professionals, outworkers, union representatives and fellow accredited brands who generously shared their knowledge and experience.

One of the achievements I’m most proud of isn’t necessarily a sales figure or collection launch. It’s the fact that I stayed true to my original values. Despite the challenges, Empowered Clothing remains Australian made, ethically manufactured and focused on sustainability.

I’m also incredibly proud to have received recognition through industry and business awards, including awards acknowledging our commitment to conscious and ethical fashion.

Perhaps most importantly, I’m proud to be part of a community that is working to create positive change within the industry and helping consumers think more consciously about the choices they make every day.

Empowered Clothing has now been accredited with Ethical Clothing Australia for nearly three years. What led you to pursue accreditation, and what has it meant for the business and the way customers connect with your brand over that time?

The more I learned about the global fashion industry, the more determined I became to do things differently.

What shocked me most was discovering the enormous environmental and social impact of the industry. From landfill waste and water pollution through to worker exploitation and unsafe conditions, the reality can be confronting. As I dug deeper, I realised that every clothing purchase tells a story—and as consumers, we have a responsibility to understand that story.

That’s why Ethical Clothing Australia was so important to me from the very beginning.

I wanted to know where my garments were being made, who was making them and whether the people involved were being treated fairly and paid appropriately. In today’s world, no one should have to work in unsafe conditions or be exploited simply so clothing can be sold at the lowest possible price.

Accreditation provides an independent verification of those values and gives customers confidence that our garments are being produced ethically within Australia.

Over the years, Ethical Clothing Australia has also become much more than an accreditation body. The organisation has provided support, education, networking opportunities and incredible insights into the people who make our clothing. Hearing the stories of outworkers and industry professionals has been particularly impactful and has strengthened my commitment to ethical manufacturing.

I am incredibly proud to display the Ethical Clothing Australia label on our garments. It reflects the values we stand for and our commitment to creating clothing that people can feel good about wearing for more reasons than one.

Finally, is there anything else you’d like to share, or anything you’d want readers to take away from the Empowered Clothing story?

One of the things I hope Empowered Clothing brings to the fashion conversation is a slightly different perspective.

For me, clothing is about more than fabric and functionality. It’s also about intention, energy and self-expression. Every day we stand in front of our wardrobe and choose what we’re going to wear. We are naturally drawn to certain colours, styles and pieces depending on how we feel and who we want to be that day.

I often say, “Where your attention goes, your energy flows.”

That’s why our collections incorporate affirmations, colours, frequencies and symbolism designed to encourage people to connect more consciously with themselves.
One of my favourite customer stories is a lawyer who wears one of our Empowerment tops underneath her suit when she’s appearing in court. Nobody else sees it, but she knows it’s there. For her, it’s a reminder of the qualities she wants to embody that day.
While our point of difference may be a little unconventional, I believe people are increasingly looking for products that align with both their values and their wellbeing.

I’m incredibly grateful to Ethical Clothing Australia, Sample Room and the wider accredited community for supporting that vision. As a small Australian business, it’s an honour to be part of a movement that values ethical production, sustainability and transparency while encouraging consumers to think more consciously about the clothing they wear.

To learn more about Empowered Clothing, visit their directory listing and website.