Founder story

Waste not, want not.

Our Founder, Joann hails from Vietnam, a country known for its textile industry. Unsurprisingly, she was born into a family that runs a textile business and thus, since a young age, she has had a strong interest in fashion and textiles. Growing up, she watched her family’s business expand rapidly, and with it, the piling up of fabric waste (deadstock fabric) – fabric that do not end up with the consumer, but rather in the warehouses behind the factory. This is commonly due to cancelled orders, out-of-trend styles and overproduction.

That is not the only environmental issue that struck her. After graduating as a chemical engineer from Australia, she worked with large multinational corporations. Here, she was appalled by the amount of non-recyclable plastic packaging pouring out of factories only to end up in landfills.

Thus, she set out on a mission. The goal: a sustainable world. Combining her engineering expertise with an eco-friendly mindset, she took her first step – a sustainable clothing line. Utilising recycled materials (e.g., recycled polyester from water bottles otherwise destined for landfills) as well as deadstock fabric is just the start. Soon, Joann plans to explore other sustainable materials such as bamboo, Tencel and recycled nylon.

Don’t forget, Joann loves fashion too! And if you combined an engineer with fashion, it is of no surprise that you’d get the best of both worlds. Well-designed pieces that look good yet retains functionality. Clothes that snugly hug the body contour yet remains comfy. Garments made of recycled material yet build to last.

And so, Finesse Activewear was born – sustainability without compromise.