Business · Companies · 1 hr ago
Shona Joy fashion label to close after 26 years
Designer Shona Thatcher plans to close her Australian fashion label, Shona Joy, after 26 years.
She told staff she wants to spend more time with her family and says the decision is not due to financial problems.
The business began in 2000, with Thatcher selling clothes at markets in Bondi and Paddington.
It grew into an international brand, with designs sold in 33 countries and at major retailers.
Thatcher said commuting between her home in Byron Bay and the company’s Sydney base had become difficult while raising young children.
She considered selling the business but did not find a buyer that felt right.
The company’s 33 employees will receive their entitlements, and customers can keep buying Shona Joy online until the new year.
Australian fashion label Shona Joy will close after 26 years.
Founder Shona Thatcher told staff she wanted to spend more time with her family.
Thatcher said the decision was not driven by financial problems and that commuting between Byron Bay and Sydney had become difficult.
The business began in 2000 and grew to sell its designs in 33 countries.
Staff will be paid their entitlements, and customers can continue buying the label’s stock until the new year.
- Who
- Shona Joy, founded by designer Shona Thatcher, and its 33 staff members.
- What
- The fashion label is closing after 26 years. Staff will be paid their entitlements.
- When
- Thatcher informed staff on Monday. The label’s stock will remain available until the new year.
- Where
- The business is based in Sydney, and Thatcher lives in Byron Bay.
- Why
- Thatcher wants to focus on her family and said the commute had become difficult. She said the decision was not due to financial problems.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Thatcher began selling her designs at markets in Bondi and Paddington.
Thatcher and her family moved to Byron Bay.
Thatcher said the La Lune maxi dress generated more than $12.5 million in sales.
Thatcher informed staff that she had decided to close the business.
- Founded
- 2000
- Staff
- 33 employees
- Markets
- Designs sold in 33 countries
- La Lune maxi dress sales
- More than $12.5 million in 2025
- Stock availability
- Until the new year
3 sources
What people are saying
My family and I moved to Byron Bay five years ago,
This business is my baby and my passion. But my children are my priority.
There have been a lot of tears this year. It’s an emotional decision. But I have to do this. It’s the hardest decision I have ever had to make,
I hope that customers remember wearing Shona Joy during the most treasured moments of their life.