TAKING IT SLOW WITH DUSTY888 STUDIO.

slow. sustainable. one of a kind.

Biya wearing the Belladonna Shirt. Image credit: Ally (Dusty888 Studio)

Biya wearing the Belladonna Shirt. Image credit: Ally (Dusty888 Studio)

Picture this, you’re at a tote-bag making workshop in Melbourne, Australia and in walks eighteen-year-old Ally. She’s just made the move from Macau, China, to study animation and doesn’t yet realise that this sewing workshop is about to alter her reality. 

Ally, always into art and design, had the mindset that sewing was an impossible skill, wrapped in layers of instruction and technicality. Until she gave it a go. 

“I thought it was going to be super hard, like, not doable. So I went to this sewing workshop - that was my first time using a sewing machine, and I was like, wait, it’s actually not that hard.” 

During her next trip home, armed with her new sewing knowledge, Ally pulled out her Grandma’s vintage Singer machine and tried to get to work. 

“My dad saw me doing that, he was like, ‘Why are you doing this? I’ll just buy you a new one’. And then he bought me the sewing machine that I'm still using now, which is really sweet.” 

Fast-forward to May 2025, Ally, now a graduate, and I sit on a Zoom call; it’s 11am for me, 8pm for her. We discuss the fight against fast fashion brands, the stigma around sewing, the freedom of doing your own thing and the rebellious act of slowing down. Oh, and her first Dusty888 Studio collection - duh. 

Despite being in the midst of a fast-moving, ever-changing fashion world, where trends are churned out on a never-ending conveyor belt, Ally feels no pressure to comply or compete. 

Dusty888 Studio (the name coined after an adorable plushie to retain anonymity on social media) is slow and sustainable. Ally starts her creative process in charity shops (op shops/thrift stores), cherry-picking clothing with an understanding of what makes a good piece. A certain button brand, a specific fabric. And, because not every brilliant idea comes with a pot of gold, bargains are hunted for. 

"I think [this collection] is for the everyday person who just wants more interesting clothes."

“I’ve been working on it on and off [for about a year]. Whenever I go thrifting, I’ll see what they have, and I'll be like ‘oh yeah, I like this’. I have piles of clothes in my living room from my thrifting trips.”

Then, Ally will select a piece from her mound of finds and sew new life into it bit by bit. 

“It’s been a really long process of thrifting and sewing, thrifting and sewing,” she says. 

It’s paid off.  

Her one-of-a-kind collection is a carefully curated selection of shirts, a mini dress, a denim corset top and shorts embellished with heat-vinyl transfers. Her favourite being the Belladonna, an hourglass-effect shirt cinched at the waist and blooming at the hips, of which the collection boasts five in varying sizes. All items were made with a vague idea of what a Dusty888 shopper would be like. 

“I think my stuff is, like, slightly different from usual [clothes], but it’s still very like, everyday. You can still go out in it; it’s not going to be super uncomfortable. I feel like a lot of interesting clothes are just a bit too extravagant. So I think [this collection] is for the everyday person who just wants more interesting clothes.”

If this sounds like you, act fast because when this collection sells out, Ally is in no rush to create another. 

“After this, I'll just be making stuff for myself for a while, and then I'll see what happens from there. But honestly, it could be six months to a year.”

"You kind of expect it to happen because you can’t really trademark anything in fashion."

Once sold out, the items in this collection will not be made again. Dusty888 customers can revel in the fact that they own a completely unique piece. Unless, of course, one of the fast-fashion giants gets their hands on it. As a new, emerging brand, this is something that Ally has thought about. 

“My friends told me I should patent my designs, and I was like, 'Guys, how am I supposed to patent a button-up design?’ You kind of expect it to happen because you can’t really trademark anything in fashion.” 

Ally settles any concern by reminding herself that her pieces are completely rare, and whilst you can copy a design, you can’t replicate the talent, quality and passion that has gone into the creation. 

The lack of urgency to churn out collection after collection, even with the threat of having a design stolen, is both inspiring and refreshing. Ally is happy to enjoy the creative process, ride the wave of releasing her first collection and then let it all settle - slowly.

Create the Belladonna shirt yourself with the Dusty888studio guide! https://dusty888studio.gumroad.com/l/oajqub?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGn31346Wlc6zzGlHp4fttZEeOUy43vJpINUPCYZNuslNGFLSDktT5Nt1OkNkc_aem_viVXpEWQlVZg14a6joKpGA