Shona Joy Thatcher | |
|---|---|
| Born | Melbourne, Australia |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Occupation | Fashion designer |
| Organization | Shona Joy |
| Children | 2 |
Shona Joy Thatcher is an Australian fashion designer and owner of the label "Shona Joy".
Born in Melbourne, [1] Thatcher grew up loving to watch her mother get ready for an event or a party and having input into what she wore. [2] As a child Thatcher began collecting classic pieces at vintage stores and hunting for treasures at markets. [2] Her mother died when Thatcher was in her mid-twenties. [3] Thatcher studied a BA of textile design then worked as a Design Assistant at Australian brands "Charlie Brown" and later at "Marcs". [1]
In 2000, Thatcher began selling her hand painted designs at Spitalfields and Portobello markets in London [1] and then the iconic Bondi Beach and Paddington Markets. [4] [5] Thatcher then designed a capsule collection of hand painted t-shirts for Belinda Seper's Corner Shop in Paddington and Christy Turlington bought them in every color. [2] After the success of her t-shirts, the first Shona Joy collection was sold into David Jones. At the time there was a team of two in the brand and had a mix of silks and cotton voiles and customised prints in easy, voluminous silhouettes. Thatcher realised she could have a successful career in fashion after the first collection had a 94% sell thru in the first week at David Jones. [2]
Still based in Sydney, Australia the Shona Joy label is led by Thatcher and grounded by a love of designing for real women. [4] The label has grown and now creates 5 ready-to-wear collections every year that are stocked internationally at leading stores from David Jones, Harrods, [6] Revolve and Intermix to Harvey Nichols and Bloomingdales. [2] The Shona Joy brand quickly became a market leader in the bridesmaid space, with a focus on evening wear dresses. [2]
In 2021, Shona Joy presented at Afterpay Australian Fashion Week via a virtual experience led by panoramic images on the beaches of Green Island in Manyana, New South Wales near where Thatcher resides. [7]
Thatcher is married with two sons. [3]