Australian activewear label Suave is officially closing down after founder Connor Wright announced that mounting debt and severe online backlash made the business untenable.
Wright made the announcement in an emotional video posted to Suave's TikTok account, revealing that the company was struggling financially long before a viral gym controversy erupted. He also disclosed that he lost his fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) employment after critics contacted his employer. FIFO roles, typical in Australia's mining and resource industries, involve commuting to remote work sites, and losing that job left Wright unable to fund Suave out of his personal income.
The closure brings an abrupt end to a turbulent year for the brand, which previously generated as much as $60,000 a month in sales. Customer backlash, harassment of brand associates, and direct threats against Wright and his wife Chloe ultimately forced the decision.
"Ultimately, we have decided that we're going to be closing down Suave," Wright told followers in the TikTok video.
"Continuing to pour any money into Suave just doesn't make sense to me, and I'd rather take everything I've learnt from this business and move into something else," he added. "We're simply just trying to escape the debt that we're in. There is no funding any future for Suave."
Financial struggles predated scandal
Wright was careful to stress that the controversy surrounding a gym video was not the sole reason for shutting down Suave. Running the small business had become increasingly difficult while juggling his regular job alongside major changes in his personal life.
"A lot of people seem to think that Suave is just a big elaborate team, but it's not. It's just me, and Chloe helps out. I haven't been able to afford to hire anyone," Wright explained.
The couple married this year and have also been renovating their home. Wright returned to FIFO work specifically to help cover costs associated with their house, wedding, and honeymoon.
"Honestly, Suave took a backseat to our lives. There wasn't enough focus going into it," Wright admitted.
Wright acknowledged making critical strategic mistakes, particularly relying too heavily on TikTok for marketing. "I ended up putting way too many eggs into one basket," he said. He conceded that he failed to invest enough time in holding events, conducting in-person promotion, or building an audience across other social media platforms.
Suave's manufacturing model also strained its financial resources. Rather than white-labelling pre-existing activewear garments from third-party manufacturers, Wright designed products entirely from scratch. This custom design approach required larger minimum order quantities and resulted in significantly higher product costs.
"By the end of it, we were left with f**k all, to be honest," Wright said. "My goal in the market was to create genuinely custom products. It wasn't to create mass-produced s**t."
Gym rowing video triggers online backlash
In May, Suave's existing financial problems entered the public spotlight when Chloe filmed a stranger using a rowing machine in a gym, viewed from a nearby restaurant.
Chloe uploaded the footage to Instagram with the caption, "Turns out me and Emily have been doing the rower wrong all these years," accompanied by a laughing emoji.
Fitness personality Joey Swoll, who is widely known for calling out poor gym etiquette on social media, publicly criticised the post. "A grown woman doesn't know better than to film strangers in the gym to post online and make fun of them," Swoll said.
Public criticism spread swiftly online, with commenters arguing it was inappropriate for someone associated with an activewear brand to mock a fellow gymgoer. The incident tapped into widespread public discussions about gyms being intimidating spaces for everyday people.
Following the outcry, both Connor and Chloe issued public apologies. "The gym is a very vulnerable place, and I did violate that. I promise you I've learnt from this and I hope you guys can accept my apology," Chloe said at the time.
Wright echoed those sentiments in his latest closure video. "I handled that situation f***ing terribly. I reacted really, really poorly, and yeah, I definitely agree that I could have done that better," he said.
Escalating harassment and death threats
Days after the initial apologies, Wright posted another video, which has since been deleted, expressing frustration over the ongoing public criticism. "You asked for an apology, you got two of them. It still wasn't f***ing good enough," he said in the deleted clip.
Critics argued that the second video undermined the couple's initial statements and prolonged public scrutiny of the activewear brand.
While Wright now admits that posting the second video was a mistake, he stated that the surrounding backlash quickly escalated beyond criticism of their conduct. According to Wright, he and Chloe received death threats, had their home and workplace addresses published online, and faced threats that their home would be petrol bombed.
In addition, content creators collaborating with Suave were targeted, customers were harassed for sharing photos of their purchases, and the brand's social media content was repeatedly reported.
"People have every right to be upset and to hold us accountable, I completely agree," Wright said. "But threatening livelihoods, safety, and attacking unrelated people, it's just not normal."
Wright added that the harassment disrupted the couple's sleep and fundamentally altered how he felt about continuing the company.
Followers divided over brand closure
News of Suave's shutdown divided social media users and followers, reflecting intense ongoing debate surrounding the brand. Some critics stated that the label's reputation among customers was irreparably damaged.
"And this is why we don't record strangers and post them on the internet making fun of them," one user commented.
"What goes around, comes around," wrote another commenter.
Conversely, other observers argued that Wright losing his job was an excessive consequence. "No one should lose their job the way that you did. A very sad ending but all the best with the next adventure," one supporter wrote.
When a follower publicly questioned whether Wright harboured resentment toward his wife over the business collapse, Wright firmly rejected the claim. "The only thing I have for my wife is love," he replied. "We have only gotten stronger through all of this and we will continue to build an amazing life together."
Lessons for social media entrepreneurs
The rise and fall of Suave highlights the precarious position small business owners face when they serve as the public faces of their brands. While social media platforms allow independent labels to reach global audiences without massive marketing budgets, they also blur the boundary between personal behavior and commercial reputation.
Wright acknowledged his responsibility for the brand's trajectory while maintaining that personal mistakes were only part of a broader story. "I've made business mistakes and personal mistakes in the last six months to a year. I'm f***ing making mistakes all the time and I'm always growing from them," he said.
As Suave prepares to wind down operations, Wright and Chloe plan to remain active online to document their next steps. Offering advice to aspiring entrepreneurs, Wright delivered a blunt assessment of small business ownership.
"Don't put all your eggs in one basket," Wright said. "Don't overcomplicate your first business, and your business is going to need all your time, passion, and attention. You're gonna f**k things up, just take the lesson and do better next time."
