When I first started DTL I didn't know if it was just a silly passion project of mine at the age of 20, or if it was genuinely going to turn into something bigger than just myself. Now at the age of 27, I can proudly say that DTL is now a team of women and over 9,000 community members who all wear DTL.
This doesn't come easy to write, I must admit. A lot of raw and vulnerable feelings here and I never thought I would write this on my brands website. But here it goes....
I started DTL with honestly one thing in mind. Community. Now this may seem a little sad but it's just the truth. Growing up I didn't have any female guidance, no close group of girlfriends, nothing. It was just my Dad and I. I always wanted a group of girlfriends or guidance but for me, it didn't come so easily. So I set out to create a community around loving yourself and being a part of something that would always include you. For me, the meaning of 'inclusivity' isn't purely about size, it's about feeling like you belong and will always be welcomed.
Just to set the record straight, I had absolutely no idea what, how, where, to start. I was a dream-filled 20-year-old with $10k savings after working 3-4 jobs at any one time living in a 1-bedroom apartment.
I just started researching, Googling and eventually bought my own second hand sewing machine and rolls of fabric from Spotlight.
I made my own samples and drew my own designs (which were terrible by the way - we've come a long way!). I then went searching for a manufacturer, found one and started sampling. I was so so so bloody picky and I know for a fact my manufacturer hated working with me because I was so bloody detailed. Traditionally it takes 4-6 weeks for sampling. It took me 18 months for the original 'Booty Sculpt Legging' and the 'Support & Compress Sports Bra'. To be fair though I was a first-time designer with no experience and these manufacturers were working with big brands ordering A LOT more than myself. I was lucky they even took me seriously.
But I finally received our stock and I launched my first-ever collection in January of 2020. I packed my little Ford Fiesta car and went to every Gold Coast market and pop-up shop in a mall that I could afford to rent in pretty much every weekend. March of 2020 hit and I had sold out of sizes before I could arrange another restock, Covid was announced and my manufacturer closed for 6 months.
After Covid I finally got my hands on our-then newest collection. In 2021 in September I relaunched after having next to nothing for over a year. We suddenly were being noticed. We had magazines, media, articles started writing about us and everything started going so so so well. We had the chance to work with some incredible people in the media and again..... we sold out. I hadn't worked out how to manage stock and inventory at that point.
At the start of 2022 I decided to go 'all in' on new designs and started to be innovative with new pieces. I wanted to design a high-impact sports bra for women sizes XS to 4XCurve.
It took 18 months again to design this bra. Finally launched it in May of 2023 and it has gone insane. We moved out of my garage and into our first-ever warehouse. Where we are now!
Things have been growing so fast - hence the 'sold out' sign across multiple pieces.
Now, we’re gearing up for the next big chapter of DTL. We’ve outgrown our first warehouse (yes, already!) and are on the hunt for a new space. But this time, it’s not just about storage — we want to create a place where our team and community can come together. We’re dreaming of a dedicated community area to host events, launch collections, and connect with you in person.
On the design front, we’re working on new bra styles, compression leggings, and introducing even more beautiful colours. Every single piece is designed with our community in mind, and I’m so lucky to have an incredible team of six amazing women by my side to make it all happen.
And the best part? We’re just getting started. Our goal for 2025 is to host quarterly community events to bring everyone together, celebrate you, and give back to the people who’ve made this all possible.
I can’t put into words how grateful I am for this community. Without you, DTL wouldn’t exist, and I’ll never take that for granted. Thank you for being here, for wearing DTL, and for making this journey so much more than I ever imagined. ❤️
100% Hype Girl, Marketing Coordinator, Incredible Content Creator
Our Founder, Garment Designer & #1 Team Distractor
Kindest Soul, Lead Customer Care, Always has a solution
Sweetest Human, Wizard at all things graphics and video, absolute working bee with multiple side hustles
Most patient woman in the world, Rhi's Assistant & Production Coordinator
Queen of attention to detail, Senior Design Tech, DTL's first team member!
Hey, I’m Rhi! I started Duke The Label when I was 20, but it’s wild to think how this all came to be. I grew up on the Gold Coast, living the ultimate beach baby life, but my world was all about sport and school. Raised by my dad, creativity wasn’t exactly part of my day-to-day. It was basketball, fitness, and just getting through school.
Things shifted when I left home after school. Living on my own gave me the chance to figure out who I really was. At almost 6ft tall, I’d always struggled to find clothes that fit properly, so I started making my own — dresses, skirts, pants, you name it. That was the first spark of creativity in my life, and it felt so different but so me.
After stepping away from basketball because of back and ankle issues, I found a new passion for the gym. The gym became my happy place — not just for working out but for the people. I built friendships there that I never had growing up, and i'd bond with other women through activewear. I started becoming obsessed with leggings, but I could never find ones that I loved. So, I thought, why not make my own?
What started as me sewing spotlight fabric together to make leggings for myself, turned into sharing them with my gym friends. That’s when the magic happened. I became obsessed with making garments that others were wanting. The activewear connected me to other women, and it essentially was how I made friends.
Fast forward to today, and I’m still a gym girl, still living on the beautiful Gold Coast, and still so in love with this journey. I have an incredible team of women by my side, a growing community of amazing women. Which honestly is all I ever wanted, was to be apart of a community of women. Now I have that and the opportunity to design activewear that’s not just functional but empowering.
I’m endlessly grateful for everything DTL has become. I started with a simple goal of creating activewear to build friendships, and it’s grown into something I never could’ve imagined. Here’s to the next five years of building, creating, and giving back to the community that’s made it all possible. Thank you for being here. ❤️
