Shona Joy Thatcher

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]