Vintage and antiques emporium Dirty Janes has opened its doors to the Canberra market, selling a range of wares from vintage jewellery to furniture and art.
Despite opening in an uncertain time for businesses across the country and the world, owner Jane Crowley said she is determined to continue to support her stallholders.
“This virus, it has the potential to really crush our spirit,” she said.
“And we can’t let that happen, and I’m not going out there to flaunt with danger or anything like that, but I’m looking at these 90 stallholders, who are all independent businesses in here, and just going ‘they have worked so hard for this; they’ve got to be given a chance to earn an income.”
Dirty Janes’ café, Billy Ts, is offering takeaway only, and the entire café and retail teams are abiding by ACT Health guidelines.
“We’re desperately trying to adhere to what the government says, where all the staff have been briefed on cleaning everything and keeping social distancing,” Jane said.
“We’ve got a security guard coming for the [opening] weekend.
“It goes against my natural instinct; I want people to come, but now I want only a certain percentage to come and the rest to stay at home.”
Jane has expanded her popular business from Bowral in the NSW Southern Highlands to open a second location, here in Canberra, and has transformed an ex-geological survey building into a mecca for vintage wares, with upcycling and sustainability at the heart of the business.
“The majority, 90%, of the stock in here is recycled or upcycled or second-hand in some shape or form, which makes it so fabulous,” she said.
“Someone once described our business as ‘we swim against the tide of mass production’, and I really like that.”
Dirty Janes is open for business at 80 Collie Street in Fyshwick. Check out what’s on offer via their Instagram @dirtyjanes_canberra
