With a lifelong passion for fashion, Saad always aspired to create her own fashion business. However, completing a double degree in law and communications and working as a paralegal left her little time to make this bold move.

With the pandemic slowing down her usual fast-paced lifestyle, Saad seized the opportunity to delve into a business venture within an area she had always been passionate about.

“Since a young age, I [have always wanted] to design clothes, and it was just something that I was able to be creative through.

“I really love finding some really cool pieces that make me feel confident. And so naturally, I was really excited to be able to start my own fashion business and put my creativity through,” Saad commented.

“It emerged during COVID-19, as I found that I enjoyed having control [over] how I was spending my time in the lockdowns. I realised that I was a bit more introverted, so I decided to create a brand that embraced being an introvert. So I design and sell slippers, hoodies, athleisure, and more.”

Deliberate in her approach, Saad carefully crafted the marketing and branding of her loungewear pieces, aiming to instill a sense of empowerment and confidence in those who wear them.

“I’m very focused on wanting to be intentional with the messaging that is on my clothing, that is on the hoodies. I want my customers to feel empowered that they’re able to start a conversation with people based off of the clothing that they’re wearing.

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“I think that my brand and the name itself, being LONELY IS MY HAPPY, has always been a conversation starter. So I feel like people being able to wear clothing that resonates with them and they feel like they can relate to has had that flow-on effect of confidence so that they can put something on and feel like this is a really high-quality piece of clothing,” she said.

Recognising the prevalent issue of mental health within the legal profession, Saad aims to use her clothing line as a platform to encourage open conversations about this important topic.

“I wanted people to be able to talk through my brand about their mental health. I wanted them to feel like that the brand was kind of there to promote positive mental health and also for people who may be going through mental health issues to feel like they are going to be OK.

“They may not have the biggest group of friends around them, but as long as that they have comfort within themselves and they can rely on themselves to get through some really hard times,” Saad stated.

“That is a big part of why I wanted my brand to be there, and I wanted it to have a positive impact on changing the conversation that we have about mental health and also taking away the same of mental health and potentially some people who are introverted who feel a little bit ashamed about that.”

Saad gives advice to people who are contemplating about taking the brave leap and starting their own business, stating: “I would say just be consistent, be persistent, don’t lose confidence.

“I think that if you really want to get ahead, you’ll get there. And just don’t be afraid to take a risk. If there’s someone that you look up to, don’t be afraid to send them an email and pitch to them why they should hire you or why you should work with them.

“I’ve had to pitch some really big businesses, and they actually worked with me because of my pitch. And I think that just came down to not being afraid to take a risk.”

The transcript of this podcast episode was slightly edited for publishing purposes. To listen to the full episode with Mariah Saad, click here: