Supporting Local: Empowering Home-Grown Fashion

Our latest series, Supporting Local, is about placing a spotlight on how we can all do our part to make a stronger, more sustainable local fashion industry here in Brisbane.

At Euphorie, we're sometimes referred to as 'the fashion house that heritage built'; in other words, we've been here, doing what we do, for a long time. We've been fortunate enough to have so many wonderful brides, bridesmaids, and women who love what we do and support us by buying our gowns and suggesting us to their friends or acquaintances. But what if you were to find a new fashion brand here in Brisbane and wanted to support it the way our brides have supported us? This blog has got you covered, and this is your guide to helping local fashion create a better thriving industry.

We're intentionally skipping over the expected 'buy their products' concept of supporting a brand because it goes without saying. Instead, we're focussing on actionable ways you can help your favourite brands without spending a single dollar.

Honest brand/product reviews

Leaving reviews for brands we love is always one of those things we want to do, but we often forget or lose track of time in the moment, and it escapes us. However, for several reasons, leaving an honest review can go a long way for an emerging brand.

First, it can help the brand appear higher up in Google search results, which can help them grow and be found by other consumers like yourself, allowing that brand to keep doing what you love them for.

Secondly, it can help others like you know what to expect when purchasing. If you bought a handbag you love that was well crafted and looked beautiful in person, leaving an honest and genuine review about that experience can help the next person better understand the quality of the items they might buy.

Lastly, when it comes to a review of a product, one of the best things you can do is wear the garment and tag the brand on your preferred social platform, like Instagram, for example. You'll show up in the brands 'tagged' section, allowing others to see how great you looked in your clothing or accessory.

If you're uncomfortable being out in the open on social media, please don't feel like you have to do something like this; it's just a suggestion.

When most people think of Australia and fashion, they don't typically think of Brisbane first or even second. Generally, Sydney and Melbourne are placed before Brisbane in the industry's idea of fashion hubs. Still, we want to do our part to change that and encourage more founders, creatives, and brands to step out into the open and launch fashion brands that push the industry ahead.

Word of mouth

Okay, so no one expects you to literally go around telling random strangers to shop with a brand or patron a business, BUT if you know a fantastic leather goods brand, for example, and a friend is looking to buy a leather jacket, you can be a voice of influence to help that brand make a sale and keep their business thriving.

Our words can hold significant meaning to those that trust us, so people around you are more likely to shop with a brand because you said so than if they saw an advertisement or an Instagram post, for example.

Helping feed the algorithm

What frustrates most business owners is the time and effort to get your work seen by the public on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and other social media platforms.

The truth is that the algorithm puts a lot more weight on a consumer interacting with a brand than vice versa. A simple like, comment, or forwarding it to someone that might be interested can make a significant impact on a brand.

Sharing the brand's work

When brands share their content or add a new product to their website, sharing that among your social media circles or friend, groups can prove to be exceptionally beneficial for a brand. This is essentially a combination of the last two pieces of advice; it helps feed the algorithm while offering a word-of-mouth impression among your friend group.

Supporting local brands helps build a better local fashion industry, opening the doors for the next generations and creating an even better industry than it is today.