Some of the most affordable and ethical clothing brands manufacture their garments in Melbourne. They help you dress sustainably, look stylish, and foster the local economy.
Many Australian-made fashion labels and clothing designers create eco-friendly garments in the Victorian capital. They offer beautiful alternatives to build a functional and fashionable wardrobe and protect the environment.
To help you drive positive change in the local textile and apparel industry, here is our selection of the best affordable, sustainable, and Melbourne-made clothing brands.
We've got you covered if you also want to discover Australian-made, ethical fashion labels based in other cities.
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1. Nobody Denim
Category: Basics, denim, dresses, knitwear, outerwear, accessories
For: Women
From: Melbourne, Australia
Values: Organic, recycled, local, give back, made in Australia
Prices: $70-$220
Nobody Denim is a Melbourne-made clothing brand of premium ethical denim jeans and apparel. It offers affordable, eco-friendly dresses, shirts, shorts, jackets, knitwear, and more for women.
The ethical fashion label is committed to reducing waste across the supply chain. It promotes material efficiency and works to reduce its water and energy consumption.
Nobody Denim is on a journey to do more to lessen its environmental and social impact. It creates beautifully crafted and long-lasting clothes locally from sustainable raw materials.
SHOP NOBODY DENIM
2. Vege Threads
Category: Basics, dresses, swimwear, sportswear, underwear, accessories
For: Women
From: Melbourne, Australia
Values: Organic, recycled, local, made in Australia
Prices: $60-$280
Vege Threads is an ethical clothing brand that manufactures beautiful collections locally in Melbourne, Australia, using organic and eco-friendly materials and dyes in limited numbers.
The Australian-made fashion label is committed to transparency and an ethical supply chain. It works with local knitting mills and dye houses to bring together a community that shares the same values and is interested in sustainability.
Vege Threads is a work in progress and strives to become better for its customers and the planet. It creates affordable, long-lasting, practical, and beautifully designed garments.
SHOP VEGE THREADS
3. SISTER Studios
Category: Basics, dresses, loungewear, knitwear, accessories
For: Women
From: Melbourne, Australia
Values: Organic, recycled, local, zero-waste, made in Australia
Prices: $60-$120
SISTER Studios is a Melbourne-made ethical clothing brand that makes dreamy sustainable womenswear. Best friends and clothing designers Emma Cutri and Alice McIntosh launched the label years ago.
SISTER Studios manufactures all its clothes around the corner from its studio in Brunswick in a small family-run ECA accredited factory. It stays on top of quality and production while supporting local businesses.
SISTER Studios uses natural fibers wants to stay plastic-free. It makes its clothes from linen, cotton, and deadstock fabrics and donates leftovers to local kindergartens, schools, and artist studios.
SHOP SISTER Studios
4. Lois Hazel
Category: Basics, dresses, loungewear, knitwear, accessories
For: Women
From: Melbourne, Australia
Values: Organic, recycled, made in Australia
Prices: $100-$430
Lois Hazel is a Melbourne-made ethical clothing brand for women. It creates affordable and sustainable apparel in Melbourne with 100% transparency and responsible production practices.
Lois Hazel is a sustainable fashion brand that constantly strives to do better and be better. It uses eco-friendly materials such as GOTS-certified organic cotton, recycled plastics, and deadstock fabrics.
Lois Hazel believes the future of fashion should be honest and sustainable. It should have a positive impact on the environment and community. Lois Hazel is committed to ethical and sustainable business practices.
SHOP LOIS HAZEL
5. E Nolan
Category: Basics, knitwear, outerwear, accessories
For: Women
From: Melbourne, Australia
Values: Organic, recycled, timeless, made-to-order, made in Australia
Prices: $220-$240
Melbourne-made fashion label E Nolan offers made-to-measure tailored garments made from organic and recycled fabrics. It creates timeless, quality garments with a classic cut and ageless design.
The womenswear label challenges the notion of traditional tailoring, focusing on lightweight garments made to last with high versatility and ease of wear.
E Nolan beautifully makes durable suits with custom fabrics from a selection of over 600 cloths with different colors, natural fibers, and custom finishes.
SHOP E NOLAN
6. A.BCH
Category: Basics, dresses, loungewear, knitwear, accessories
For: Women
From: Melbourne, Australia
Values: Organic, recycled, made in Australia
Prices: $70-$220
A.BCH is a Melbourne-made ethical clothing brand that creates affordable, sustainable, organic, evergreen collections, focusing on hyper transparency.
A.BCH is a circular fashion label that designs lifestyle pieces to transform the way people buy, wear and discard clothing. It strives to make contemporary, affordable garments in a closed-loop fashion.
All A.BCH's clothes are made in Melbourne by a family-owned manufacturer from renewable, natural, and recycled materials, including GOTS-certified organic cotton, linen, hemp, and Tencel lyocell.
SHOP A.BCH
7. Denimsmith
Category: Basics, denim, outerwear, loungewear, accessories
For: Women, men
From: Melbourne, Australia
Values: Local, artisan craft, made in Australia
Prices: $30-$170
Denimsmith is a collaborative vision of veteran Australian designers and makers committed to the ethical production of affordable, high-quality denim clothing in Australia.
Passionate and dedicated Melbourne makers design and craft fair denim jeans for women and men. The history, hearts, and hardworking hands of the local community of creators launched the collaborative in 2015.
Denimsmith is a family business that builds upon two decades of denim expertise to bring locally-made denim to a whole new level.
SHOP DENIMSMITH
8. Kalaurie
Category: Basics, dresses, knitwear, outerwear, accessories
For: Women
From: Melbourne, Australia
Values: Organic, recycled, timeless, artisan craft, made-to-order, made in Australia
Prices: $300-$330
Kalaurie is a Melbourne-made ethical clothing brand that makes womenswear to order. It chooses sustainable materials to create modern wardrobe staples for the modern woman.
Sustainably and ethically handcrafted in Melbourne, Australia, Kalaurie offers capsule collections drawing inspiration from storytelling with quality, timelessness, craftsmanship, and environmental consciousness holding equal priority.
Kalaurie designs and crafts modern, fashionable pieces to be treasured for a lifetime, passing through many hands. It creates long-lasting, functional, well-made, thoughtful, and intimate garments.
SHOP KALAURIE
9. Arnsdorf
Category: Basics, denim, dresses, outerwear, knitwear, loungewear, accessories
For: Women
From: Melbourne, Australia
Values: Organic, timeless, B Corp, give back, made in Australia
Prices: $250-$340
Arnsdorf is a Melbourne-made fashion label founded in 2006 by clothing designer Jade Sarita Arnott. It ethically makes modern archetypal clothing for women of style and purpose in Melbourne, Australia.
The Melbourne-made womenswear label offers sophisticated and modern aesthetics for the conscious fashion consumer. It believes in the transformative power of clothing that impacts every aspect of your life.
Arnsdorf manufactures all its clothes in its factory in Collingwood, Melbourne. It's a Benefit Corporation committed to transparency, respect for the environment, and sustainable practices.
The Melbourne-made clothing brand only chooses the highest quality and the most sustainable fibers to create perfect, long-lasting garments that can survive beyond one season in every way.
Arnsdorf builds upon respect for the people who make its garments and the women who wear them. It also donates 2% of every purchase to Kiva, a loan provider for women in developing countries that helps them be financially independent and empowered.
SHOP ARNSDORF
10. Kuwaii
Category: Basics, dresses, knitwear, outerwear, shoes, accessories
For: Women
From: Melbourne, Australia
Values: Organic, recycled, zero-waste, local, made in Australia
Prices: $90-$100
Kuwaii is an alternative to mass-made fashion that creates beautiful pieces in Melbourne since 2008. Its collections feature gorgeous prints and fabrics made with love in Australia.
The Melbourne-made sustainable clothing brand chooses each fabric with intention and care, carefully considering all ingredients and the environmental impacts of their production.
Kuwaii also runs a Garment & Textile Recycling Program, giving a new life to your old pieces depending on their condition. It aims to be carbon-neutral, plastic-free, solar-powered, and minimize waste.
SHOP KUWAII
11. Dominique Healy
Category: Basics, dresses, loungewear, knitwear
For: Women
From: Melbourne, Australia
Values: Recycled, timeless, made to order, made in Australia
Prices: $160-$190
Dominique Healy is a fashion designer and creator of an eponymous clothing brand that makes trans-seasonal pieces in Melbourne, Australia. She offers capsule collections of fairly and locally made tops and dresses.
Dominique Healy only releases slow, exclusive garments in small quantities. She predominately uses deadstock fabric sourced from makers and mills in Japan, Hong Kong, France, Italy, Australia, and New Zealand.
Dominique Healy continuously seeks and incorporates more sustainable and earth-friendly materials into her collections. She maintains a large proportion of production in-house at her Melbourne studio.
SHOP DOMINIQUE HEALY
12. FME Apparel
Category: Basics, dresses, knitwear, shoes, accessories
For: Women
From: Melbourne, Australia
Values: Organic, made in Australia
Prices: $110-$250
FME Apparel is a Melbourne-made ethical clothing brand that celebrates creative expression and community through photography and clothing design.
Established by designer Maddy Maeve in 2012, FME Apparel creates beautiful alternatives to high-street fashion. It makes ethical clothes with a strong emphasis on high-quality and organic fabrics.
FME Apparel produces all its garments in Melbourne in small, thoughtful runs. It offers effortless dresses, jumpsuits, knitwear, pants, tops, footwear, and accessories.
SHOP FME APPAREL
13. Limb the Label
Category: Basics, denim, dresses, outerwear, knitwear, accessories
For: Women
From: Melbourne, Australia
Values: Local, made to order, made in Australia
Prices: $90-$220
Limb the Label is an ethically conscious clothing brand that strives for sustainable fashion. It creates modern-day essentials from classic, timeless silhouettes in Melbourne, Australia.
Clothing designers Sinead Hargreaves and Andria Kiefer launched the Melbourne-made fashion label in 2015 to create wardrobe cornerstones for everyday wear.
Limb the Label believes that clothes should be made with care to last. It's committed to supporting local talent and local industry. It focuses on minimizing both waste and environmental impact.
SHOP LIMB THE LABEL
14. Par Moi
Category: Basics, dresses, accessories, jewelry
For: Women
From: Melbourne, Australia
Values: Recycled, zero-waste, timeless, made in Australia
Prices: $210-$300
Par Moi ethically and sustainably creates beautiful pieces from deadstock fabrics that last beyond traditional seasons. It believes in complete transparency and makes each garment to order, keeping waste to a minimum.
Launched in early 2019 by Ashiya Omundsen, the Melbourne-made clothing brand designs each piece to stand alone to discourage mass, multi-seasonal consumption.
Par Moi wants to minimize its footprint and refuses seasonal collections. It only sources deadstock and surplus fabrics to design stand-alone pieces that enhance the wearers' style.
SHOP PAR MOI
15. Obus
Category: Basics, dresses, knitwear, accessories, jewelry
For: Women
From: Melbourne, Australia
Values: Natural, made in Australia
Prices: $160-$260
Obus makes exceptional quality clothing featuring natural fibers and exclusive prints. It creates beautiful and practical wearables for the modern woman.
Creative Director Kylie Zerbst founded the fashion label to offer fashionable clothing, accessories, and shoes that combine cutting-edge fashion, ease of wear, pared-back tailoring, and a constantly changing palette of colors.
Obus is helping to support the local industry and economy by making most of its clothes in Melbourne, Australia. It offers dresses, coats, tops, skirts, pants, knitwear, and more.
SHOP OBUS
16. HEW Clothing
Category: Basics, dresses, knitwear, accessories, jewelry
For: Women, men
From: Melbourne, Australia
Values: Organic, made in Australia
Prices: $110-$300
HEW Clothing makes GOTS-certified organic garments. It offers dresses, skirts, pants, tops, shirts, knitwear, accessories, and jewelry for women and men.
HEW Clothing believes that a good business is a responsible business. It cares about the details of its garments at all stages of production, from farm to factory.
The sustainable clothing brand is committed to reducing its environmental footprint. It feels a great responsibility towards sustainability in the fashion industry.
HEW Clothing produces some of its clothes in Australia, but also New Zealand and China. It works towards creating garments that are circular and biodegradable, combining style and sustainability.
SHOP HEW CLOTHING
17. Tara Whalley
Category: Basics, dresses, loungewear, underwear, accessories
For: Women
From: Melbourne, Australia
Values: Organic, inclusive, artisan craft, made in Australia
Prices: $30-$190
Tara Whalley is a clothing designer and fashion brand that makes popular, gorgeous styles in Melbourne, Australia. Her collections feature beautiful and colorful prints in lightweight fabrics.
Tara Whalley originally hand paints all her prints by herself and designs comfortable, sharp, and exciting hero pieces for your wardrobe. She proudly makes all her clothes in Melbourne.
Tara Whalley recently extended her size range to XS-4XL to meet customer demand.
SHOP TARA WHALLEY
18. ULO
Category: Basics, dresses, loungewear, accessories
For: Women, children
From: Melbourne, Australia
Values: Natural, artisan craft, made in Australia
Prices: $170-$250
ULO is a Melbourne-made ethical clothing brand that creates effortless and beautiful pieces from African fabrics. It offers bold wax prints for all women to enjoy, designed and handcrafted in Melbourne.
ULO is on a mission to create quality clothing with subtle in design yet bold in action. It makes all its clothes with ease and comfort in mind, focusing on selecting prints that will bring joy.
ULO only produces garments in small batches, working very closely with vendors in Ghana, Tanzania, Nigeria, and Senegal to select fabrics for its designs.
SHOP ULO
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About the Author: Alex Assoune
What We're Up Against
Multinational corporations overproducing cheap products in the poorest countries.
Huge factories with sweatshop-like conditions underpaying workers.
Media conglomerates promoting unethical, unsustainable products.
Bad actors encouraging overconsumption through oblivious behavior.
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