Equilibrio is an online store that sells quality South African women’s clothing and accessories. The site was originally launched as a lifestyle and fashion blog which quickly racked up local awards and recognition. After a while, we realised that our blog would be the perfect platform to launch a collated marketplace for South African designed and made fashion. A small online store was launched in 2018 and has steadily grown into a larger, yet carefully curated online shop.
ABOUT THE FOUNDERS
Founders Michelle Doyle and Jill Moolenschot are best friends and soulmates. They are the mother and favourite auntie of 9-year-old girl “Little”, and fur-moms to Duke, Daisy and Angus the Great Danes and Margot the Frenchie.
Both Michelle and Jill started their careers in the corporate world and finance. Michelle’s path branched into investor relations, marketing and media while Jill was Finance Director of a number of major corporations. Somewhere along the way they’d had enough of the rat race and were teetering on the brink of burnout. They individually decided to resign from their jobs without a plan and were lucky enough to be able to take some time off.
HOW EQUILIBRIO WAS BORN
In May 2017 Michelle contracted tick bite fever after a cycle race that she and Jill both rode, and while sick (and bored) in bed she started watching Youtube videos on how to build a website. She’d been tinkering with the theme of “a balanced life” and wanted to start a blog for women, many of whom were also struggling to find a balance between work and life. The blog would cover various topics that women may find interesting and also be a personal, creative outlet. The site was launched on 1 June 2017.
Equilibrio (which means balance) was inspired by Michelle and Jill’s quest to find balance in their own lives. Somewhere between the corporate adrenalin junkie, the athlete, the mom and the pyjama sloth is a sweet spot, and that is where they want to be (but are yet to achieve).
Balance to them means eating healthily but with a few glasses of wine thrown in to keep things interesting and looking their best but not at the cost of the planet. Moderation is an anthem they are trying to live by but seldom achieve.
Michelle and Jill started off by writing and sharing their views on their passions along with some special friends and subject matter experts who contributed to the Equilibrio blog on an occasional basis. Their hope was that Equilibrio will in some small way promote the local fashion industry and help others find balance too. The online store was subsequently launched in 2018 and has become Equilibrio’s main focus.
In 2021 Jill left Equillibrio but is still very much a sounding board (and fantastic customer) to Michelle and the Equilibrio team. Michelle continues the journey of expanding the e-commerce business with the goal of selling and promoting South African fashion overseas.
THE ONLINE WOMEN’S STORE
A year after the blog was started, Equilibrio launched a small online women’s store with local clothing and accessories. The online shop quickly grew into a bigger e-commerce business that passionately promotes and sells locally designed women’s fashion.
We all know that fashion is a pollutive industry. And although we all love looking good, we need to take the planet and the people who make our clothes into consideration. Most of the items in the store are made-to-order which means the item is only made once an order is placed. This results in less wastage and no clothing that ends up in a landfill. Items are made in small local studios or factories where workers are treated well and paid a fair wages. This is our sustainability promise.
It is Equilibrio’s main mission to support and promote the previously neglected local fashion industry and eventually market quality South Africa products to the world. We promote the movement of buying less and buying better for a more sustainable industry.
The Equilibrio team spends a lot of their time chatting to local designers, finding new brands, and trying on women’s clothing! Every item in the Equilibrio online shop is hand-picked and curated.
Many of us may think that fashion is a glamorous industry. But it is tough, and particularly so in South Africa. When you buy an item on the Equilibrio online shop, you can rest assured you are supporting a small business and helping a fellow South African make a living.
