“This is so exciting!” Ally Thomas exclaims as I walk in to Thirroul + Co. And it is exciting. At just 24, Ally has taken over the reins of the much-loved Thirroul staple, a store involving 30 small businesses that is part boutique, part gift shop, part lifestyle hub. Even more exciting is the fact that this isn’t even Ally’s first business. She also owns Malia The Label, a small-batch fashion house focusing on slow fashion, sustainability, timeless design and natural fibres.
Now that might seem a lot to take on but it was a natural progression for Ally, who was selling handmade cards locally when she was 12 or 13.
“Ever since I was young, I’ve had those little side projects,” she said.
However, it took a project in her Year 12 Design and Technology class to combine her love of drawing and sewing with her newfound appreciation for sustainability.
“I wanted to do something sustainable and I’m really artsy. My nan and my mum taught me to sew,” she said.
“I reached out to brands that used fabric for swimwear that’s made from plastics. I got their offcuts and I used them to make my own swimwear.”
But it was the Covid lockdowns of 2020 that proved to be a real turning point for Ally when she was introduced to Sheralee Rae, Thirroul + Co’s previous owner.
Remember when surgical masks were nearly impossible to come by and so we all turned to the more environmentally friendly material ones? Ally was making those in huge numbers and Sheralee was her number one customer.
Lockdowns also gave Ally a chance to use the skills that she was learning through the Billy Blue College of Design, a course that like so many others had to be moved online, and the time to reassess her own thoughts around fashion.
“I had so much spare time I ended up sewing up my own clothes. At the same time I was realising that a lot of the fashion in my wardrobe was the fast fashion, mass-produced, synthetic fibres and I was like this doesn’t fit with my values anymore.”
“From there, I started hand making a few pieces and I was doing made to order pieces for people, so I kind of just went for it during Covid and started my own clothing brand on a whim,” she said. "I’m like that, once I get an idea I just do it.”
As Malia The Label has evolved, Ally has moved from making the pieces herself to working with small factory makers in Indonesia who bring her designs to life. She said, “With my creations, when it goes from an idea in my head to real, to someone wearing it, I’m like 'oh my gosh, that’s so cool!'”
And now, as the new owner of Thirroul + Co, Ally is hoping to help other small businesses in the same way that Sheralee helped hers, inviting her label in store three years ago and offering plenty of mentoring.
“Now I’m so happy that I get to help other small businesses that may have been in the position that I was when I first started and help them to grow and flourish as a business too.”
You can find Malia The Label instore at Thirroul + Co, online and at local markets. Follow on Instagram and Facebook.