Melbourne entrepreneur Yeresha Herath told her fashion idea Elegant Ensembles would fail, she’s proving doubters wrong

She was told her dream was ‘impossible’ and a ‘headache problem’, but a young Melbourne woman is proving critics wrong after launching a ‘slow fashion’ brand.

Yeresha Herath launched Elegant Ensembles in July.

She was told her dream was impossible but a Melbourne entrepreneur is taking on retail giants, thumbing her nose at the mass-produced culture and launching a slow fashion clothing brand.
Yeresha Herath launched slow-fashion clothing brand Elegant Ensembles in the country’s fashion capital in July in the midst of big fast fashion brands closing their doors.

The new made-to-order womenswear label harks back to the golden era of custom tailored gowns and is designed to offer a more thoughtful, accessible alternative to both fast fashion and expensive luxury brands by custom making outfits based on a customer’s exact measurements.

Ms Herath’s venture comes at a challenging time for Australian fashion retail.

Several prominent brands collapsed in late 2024 and early 2025, including stores under the Mosaic Brands umbrella (Rivers, Katies, Rockmans, Autograph, Crossroads, W. Lane, BeMe, Millers, and Noni B) as well as Jeanswest, largely due to the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.

Despite industry consultants calling her business model ‘impossible’ and a ‘headache problem,’ Ms Herath has found early success, selling four to five dresses daily since launch.

The Midnight Romance set was made to shine under starry skies.

“What you’re trying to solve. It’s a headache problem. Give it up. Do what other people are doing. Just buy bulk and sell at a higher price,” she said of the advice she was given.

“That’s not what I’m trying to do. So a lot of people told me ‘what you’re trying to do is impossible’.

She said she was told ‘you will never make money off of it, it’s not something that you can do’.

The business started from Ms Herath’s personal frustration as a woman of petite stature who struggled to find well-fitting clothes without compromising on style or paying excessive costs.

Her research over two to three years revealed many women with shorter frames faced similar challenges.

“Soon I realised I was not alone, and a lot of women with short frames fell in love with a garment only to be disappointed by either how it fits or how much it costs,” she said.

Ms Herath, who worked full-time as a sustainability consultant, self-funded the venture, investing approximately $10,000 in testing with various manufacturers locally and overseas before finding a high-quality producer who could deliver her vision.

Her debut collection, Ethereal Dreams, launched in July 2025 featuring romantic, airy pieces designed to transition seamlessly from day to night wear.

You Will Remember Me is made to leave a lasting impression, timeless elegance and effortless femininity, perfect for garden parties, weddings, or dreamy brunches.

The range is priced from $510 to $790.

For Ms Herath, ‘accessible luxury’ doesn’t mean cheap products, but rather high-quality, durable pieces that are reasonably priced compared to traditional luxury fashion.

“If you want to do something right and pay your supply chain properly, get the right quality material, get the garment made to really good quality craftsmanship, then you need to pay people fairly,” she said.

“Accessible luxury is reasonably priced products, but very, very good quality, something that’s going to last and something that stands out.”

The Cloud 9 dress.

Being totally removed from the fast fashion brands, Elegant Ensembles focuses on quality of the dress with garments being completed within two-four weeks depending on the customer’s needs.

Over the next three years, Ms Herath plans to open a flagship store in Melbourne that will serve not only as a sales space but as a showroom where customers can experience the garments first-hand.

She also aims to partner with larger retailers that align with her brand values and is actively developing a summer collection featuring more everyday pieces, contrasting with the current focus on evening and occasional wear.

The brand’s production has remained “very limited” and “curated,” with significant attention to fabric selection and garment creation, positioning Elegant Ensembles as a sustainable alternative to fast fashion in an increasingly conscious consumer market.

Originally published as Melbourne entrepreneur Yeresha Herath told her fashion idea Elegant Ensembles would fail, she’s proving doubters wrong