Young Aussie duo launch Ellore clothing label
- Written by Diane Falzon
Young dynamic duo, Ebany Mclees, 26, and Olivia O’Neill, 23, have joined forces to launch ELLORE, the Australian made clothing label that is reinvigorating the diminishing Australian clothing manufacturing industry and generating much-needed excitement in the ever-growing fleece wear segment.
What started out as a passionate side hustle for the two best friends, with ELLORE’s first sale from the Curfew Collection in June 2021, ELLORE swiftly sold 175 garments in just seven days. The Melbourne-based business buds then spent the next 12 months selling their staple pieces through their website, Ellore.com, including their matching lounge wear and T-shirts, before both deciding to quit their day-time jobs to go all in.
As part of the ELLORE journey, Ebany and Olivia have worked tirelessly to secure contracts with the limited number of on-shore manufacturers left in Australia, including one of the last denim manufacturers in Melbourne to produce ELLORE’s all-new high-waisted wide leg denim jean.
From the very outset, the two young Australian entrepreneurs have had an unwavering passion for designing and creating responsibly made clothing, as well as designing pieces which are timeless and with longevity.
According to Ebany, sustainability has been the number one for ELLORE when working with fashion and garment production.
“Olivia and I always want to do our best to make our pieces as responsibly as possible, from design ideas to sampling, production, and freight to our finished garments. We want to create garments with a timeless design that will never go out of style, in high-quality fabrics that are durable and easily maintained, and are especially kind to our planet,” Ebany said.
“ELLORE boasts wardrobe staples which are a responsible alternative to the fast fashion world and the negative impacts it brings with it including promoting the throwaway culture, excessive consumerism. We are determined in steering clear of making clothes which are disposable commodities which end up in landfills around the world. We also recycle all fabric off cuts during production which gets turned into new textile pieces which also reduces our waste to landfill.
“In sourcing Australian made products, ELLORE supports the economy at every level - from creating jobs, to working with local suppliers and businesses and much more.
“It is also reassuring to know that Australia has some of the world's strictest labour, business, safety and quality control standards, so when ELLORE’s customers are purchasing our pieces, they know they are supporting a business that provides top of the range garments, as well as a business that treats and pays their workers fairly and uses high quality resources and materials.
“Australia has a phenomenal reputation for manufacturing the highest quality of clothing in the world and we wanted to be a part of it and provide our customers with the best.” Ebany added.
Fast forward 18 months, and ELLORE continues to grow from strength to strength, especially in keeping sustainability as a priority.
Olivia adds, “ELLORE uses compostable packaging to support our sustainability as its kinder to the environment as opposed to single use plastics. As a small business, we are forever growing and looking for more ways to become as environmentally conscious so we are always on the lookout for ways we can lessen our impact on the environment.”
ELLORE’s swift success has not been taken for granted by the young entrepreneurs.
Ebany says, “We saw a gap in the market, that being able to find our own affordable, accessible Australian made clothing that was stylish, yet timeless, and fit into our day to day lives. We took it upon ourselves to tackle the task of bringing this to market head on.”
ELLORE’s latest collection of Basics was inspired by the tees and jeans Ebany and Olivia couldn’t get their hands on so they decided to make them.
“If you’re anything like us, you‘re always on the hunt for good quality basics. Based on clean and simple but high-quality staples, we were excited to launch our version of basics. Bringing the perfect pair of jeans to fruition inspired by the 90’s high rise denim and our everyday tee, as well as our baby tee.
“Bringing together the simplicity of jeans and a fitted tee to present our off-duty model attire. It’s for the get up and go girls who still want to look sophisticated and most importantly feel confident.” Ebany adds.
This month, ELLORE launched its Melbourne-made wide leg jean, as part of its BASICS X, stocking an inclusive size range from Size 6AU to 22AU.
Olivia says, “Our wide leg jean is created from the finest denim and each denim garment comes directly from its Melbourne made manufacturing team. Our denim makers are committed to the ethical production of high-quality denim clothing, with more than 25 years of denim expertise enriching every piece, the team takes locally made to a whole new level and is also proudly accredited by Ethical Clothing Australia.
“We are so excited for the future of ELLORE and for what's to come. We plan to continue to build on our current bestselling fleece wear range, whilst building out the perfect “capsule” wardrobe with all your favourite Australian made pieces.”
The Ellore clothing range starts from $69 to $229.