Strong and stylish label
Strong Girls Co was created with a vision to produce quality pieces that are designed to empower women. The brand’s founders, sisters-in-law Amie and Stacey Raymond explain their inspiration behind the new label.
Alove of sport and a passion for community inspired sisters-in-law Amie and Stacey Raymond to an establish activewear brand that the pair hope will empower and support women.
The North Queensland-based pair recently launched active wear label Strong Girls Co.
Amie and Stacey admit the choice for women’s fitness apparel is considerable.
“Apparel is mostly mass produced then ‘hyped’ and sold by social influencers,” Amie explains. “Our hope was to create a label that when people interact with it (and wear it) they can feel that same sense of community, belonging and acceptance that we all deserve, without agenda and with true transparency on where their clothing is coming from.”
They work collaboratively with “real” women to design and create pieces for Strong Girls Co.
“We also wanted to be able to give women a bigger voice in the clothing that they want to wear and feel comfortable to move in,” Stacey explains. “With each collection we release, one featured garment is designed in true collaboration with a real woman in our lives.
“Our first release features the Sarah crop – Sarah wanted bra pads that were sewn-in and that didn’t move around on her.
“Additionally, we pay it forward by gifting a percentage of the profits of the featured item to the collaborator’s charity of choice, and Sarah has chosen Share the Dignity.”
The pair say their aim is to create more than a brand or label, wanting to create a new community that welcomes everyone into the fold.
It was towards the end of 2020 that Amie and
Stacey started tossing around the idea of a community group of sorts, built around women supporting each other in their health and fitness journey.
“We had both been training in the gym and had joined a few online groups where women were supporting one another and we really felt the value in that sort of group,” Amie says. “We never knew we would end up being a clothing label.”
But Strong Girls Co. is more than just
another clothing brand.
The sisters-in-law wanted to create something with purpose and of genuine quality.
All Strong Girls Co. garments are ethically and sustainably sourced through an Australian social enterprise which operates from
Cambodia, Avodah Global.
“We are incredibly proud to be involved with an Australian Social Enterprise who we work with to source our garments from both their Brisbane and Cambodian sewing centres,” the women explain to NQ Weekend. “The Cambodian Sewing Centre employs survivors of trafficking and their families, and it is businesses like ours that will allow these sewing centres to grow and keep more vulnerable girls and women safe.
“Like us, it’s a women-led business, whose values are greatly aligned with ours, where other girls and women are not competition, they are allies.
“The ability to create something that gives back to others and enriches the lives of other women and their families is incredibly fulfilling.”
Amie says the feedback they have received so far about the quality of their products has been extremely positive.
“The material and sew quality really are fantastic and customers are loving knowing that their purchases are supporting other women,” she says. “It’s very important to us that all our garments are of a high quality.”
It was essential to the women that their brand was ethically sourced.
“This was the most important thing to us,” Aimie says. “In fact, we simply would not have opened if we couldn’t deliver our products in an ethical and sustainable way.
“We were very fortunate to be introduced to our suppliers who have the same values in terms of slow fashion, quality materials and fair and sustainable employment for their workers.”
The moment the pair met about 15 years
ago, they hit if off.
Amie and Stacey met in 2007 when Stacey started dating Stacey’s older brother Kurt.
“Stacey and I hit it off straight away and always had fun together whenever we hung out, we are both a little quirky and weird and we just clicked, sort of like the sisters we both never had,” Amie says. “We even travelled overseas together in 2010, which was a really great experience.”
Stacey, who has two children, Jack, 5, and Lenny, 2, describes her sister-in-law as the person who is “meant to be in her life”.
The pair both gravitated to fitness at a young age.
Amie loved dancing and Stacey spent a lot of time focused on Roller Derby.
“The beauty about Roller Derby is that it attracts a very strong and warm type of human being,” Stacey says. “The types of human beings that help lift you up even when they don’t realise they are doing it.
“I dabbled in weight training on and off but until Amie introduced me to a body building coaches group.
“Finding my strength through weight training, along with ageing, maturity but most importantly becoming a wife and a mother, has made me face, manage and work through a lot of mental health issues.”
Amie, who has a Bachelor of Biomedical Science and a Masters In Health
Administration, admits she too has struggled with mental health issues.
“It’s no secret to anyone in my life that I’ve struggled with my mental health over the years, but when I started training in the gym for a body building competition and really started to push the limits, that’s when I also started to be able to work through a lot of my challenges,” Aimie says. “I’ve always been somewhat of a recluse but the community of like-minded people I was exposed to through my new sport has highlighted to me the true value in not just supporting others but asking for support through all facets of life.”
The sisters-in-law say they thoroughly enjoy owning their own business.
“The knowledge that we have created with this entity that gives people joy and that can give back to the world is pretty special,” Amie says. “Hopefully one day it can be our full-time job.
“Expanding our business would be great but remaining aligned with our purpose and values will always be front of mind.
“Our ethos ‘together we go further’ is the central tenant to all that we do within our business. “Without the support of our friends, families, colleagues and other local businesses no matter how big or small, we couldn’t have come this far and we can’t wait to see where we go next.”
Our ethos is ‘together we go further’