dellaram vreeland

“The whole idea practically fell into my lap.”

When Wotjobaluk woman Indya Hayes speaks about launching her social enterprise The Minority Co, she does so with a degree of humility.

But the amount of energy poured into her passion project does not go unseen.

Indy founded The Minority Co almost three years ago in a bid to encourage others “to be better”.

Having felt inspired by certain enterprises taking place overseas which used fashion to make impactful statements, the then 21-year-old conceived the idea so as to cast a spotlight on the injustices faced by minority groups around Australia and beyond.

“Honestly the whole idea practically fell into my lap,” she says. “I had no plan on turning it into a business. I’d been following accounts on Instagram like The Sweater Club and People of Colour in America, so I kind of put my own twist on it and blended the two together.”

The Minority Co is a Wadawurrung-based clothing and accessories line that aims to make a difference through specially tailored messages of empowerment.

Clocking up over 15,000 followers on Instagram since its inception, the company has made waves across the nation as a 100% bla(c)k owned business that gives a voice to the voiceless.

Known for its iconic sweatshirts with embroidered messages such as ‘Always Was. Always Will Be’, ‘Black Lives Matter’, ‘deadly.’ and ‘Empowered Women Empower Women’, Indy says the success of her brand has come about thanks to people’s ability to relate to the spirit and intention behind it.

“A lot of what I do is a representation of me, my family, and my community, and I think a lot of people can relate to that,” she says. “I think because is has such a clear and important meaning, that’s made a big difference as well.”

As well as being a First Nations woman, Indy’s African American, Polish, Cherokee and Celtic roots means her family hails “from some of the biggest minority groups in the world”.

Growing up “in the most culturally diverse family you could ever think of”, she says racial discrimination was something she faced on the regular, making initiatives such as hers all the more crucial.

“My brand name is my family,” Indy says. “If you know anything about any of the groups of people I’m from you could probably understand why this is so important to me. I want better for my people and that is what drives me and what fuels my passion – my family, my community, my friends, and knowing that I’m making a difference, no matter how big or small.”

“I want to donate to Indigenous education charities to allow more of a chance to bridge the education gap and allow for other youth to grow and develop into people that can have an impact on the future of our people.”

The Minority Co is Indy’s way of doing better for her family and her community, and in turn inspiring others to find their role in the advancement of their communities. She says her aim is to educate, raise awareness, and expose the ills of the world so others might feel empowered to work towards change.

“I like to think of my business as a statement that challenges society’s norms and controversial topics rather than just a clothing line. (Racism) has been taught and engrained in society without people even realising. Ultimately, it comes down to stereotypes, misinformation and uneducated people.”

“(You have to) educate yourself and educate others. I’m trying to push that so hard because I honestly believe it could make so much difference. Also, pull people up for being their prejudices. I don’t care if it’s your friend, family, partner. I don’t care how awkward it is. It needs to start happening more so people realise it’s not a joke. It’s people’s lives at this point.

“I really just hope that we can be better. I hope that Indigenous people have more of a say in decisions that affect us as a people and I hope that Australia can see our culture for the beautiful, strong, important part of Australian history that it is. “

Discover how Indy is honing in on her craft to give a voice to our marginalised communities: theminorityco.com or @theminorityco_

Words: Dellaram Vreeland
Image credits: @theminorityco_