About - DUSK TILL DORN

Hi I’m Grace & this is dusk till dorn.

The name dusk till dorn comes from the way these pieces are designed to carry you from dusk till dawn — from the DF to the day-to-day — and the spelling “dorn” is a little play on my last name, Dorney.

I’ve been sewing for over ten years, and my love for creating clothing started long before this brand ever existed. During COVID lockdown, I launched my first clothing business and—after a few viral TikToks—decided to start manufacturing to keep up with demand. It was important to me that I didn’t compromise on my values, so everything was made ethically and sustainably here on Eora (Sydney) land, in sizes 6–20 for full inclusivity.

But with that came a hard lesson: large-scale manufacturing is expensive, and ordering a wide size range left me with a lot of excess stock — both financially and environmentally unsustainable. After stepping back, I promised myself that if I ever started a clothing label again, I’d do it differently. And I have.

Every piece in this collection has been sewn by hand by me. Everything is upcycled from thrifted clothing — giving new life to garments that already exist, instead of adding more new fabric into a world where so much ends up in landfill. (Fun fact: globally about 85% of used clothes are sent to landfill or incineration rather than actually being reused or recycled.) Because these materials are second-hand, you may notice small marks or quirks on some pieces — that’s part of their story.

I’ve kept sizing small (XS–M) simply because, as a one-woman operation, I need to produce sustainably. In my previous business, these were the sizes that always sold out, while larger sizes unfortunately became excess stock. My dream is to eventually expand and accommodate all sizes, but right now, this is the most sustainable path for me and for the planet.

This collection is truly an extension of me — my values, my creativity, my hard-won lessons, and my love for giving forgotten clothes a new life. Every design is completely one-of-a-kind, so in a world of mass production and matching outfits, you’ll never bump into someone wearing your fit. And when someone asks where you got it? You can hit them with a very smug, “Sorry… it’s one of one :/”.

I hope you love these pieces as much as I loved making them.

85%

of used clothes and other textiles are sent to landfill or incineration rather than being reused or recycled.

According to a recent Australian study, although over 90% of clothing could be reused or recycled, only 7% of discarded textiles actually get recycled.

80%

In NSW (where DTD is based), of almost 305,000 tonnes of textiles discarded in one year, only 800 tonnes were recycled — roughly 80% ended up in landfill.