CullaChange is have its own big CHANGE…

Our beloved and colourful matriach, Rosemary, passed away in December ‘24 after a fierce battle with cancer. 

Rosemary started Cullachange in the late 70s, opening a denim stone-washing factory in Marrickville. Little did she know this would lead her to become the creator of one of the last textile dyeing hubs in Australia. As she built her stone-washing empire, one simple request changed everything: a customer asked if she could dye fabric to a specific colour. Agreeing to the challenge, word quickly spread, soon customers were coming to have their jeans, shirts & homewares dyed in unique and vibrant colours. Serving her customers through the roller door of her Marrickville factory, she decided to set up a more hospitable shopfront from her Riley Street terrace house in Surry Hills, before moving to our more reknown Devonshire Street shop.

Over thirty-five plus years later, Rosemary grew Culla Change with her vivacity for colour and creativity, building a cult following of “dye hard" colour changing customers Australia-wide. Since Rosemary’s passing, her daughter, Jess, stepped into Rosie’s big colourful shoes. In the mid-90s, Jess started working at Cullachange as a teen. Beginning in the shop as a colour consultant, she soon moved out to the dyehouse to train as a dyer. After 20 years, she decided on a career change, becoming a Primary school teacher, albeit continuing to work part-time doing speciality colour matching. When Rosemary was diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2020, Jess dropped teaching immediately and came back full-time to be by Rosemary’s side. 

Sadly, after Rosemary’s passing,  her loss deeply affected our small family business—personally, emotionally, and professionally. Balancing grief with the demands of running the business has taken its toll, and paired with the rising costs of resources and the growth of fast fashion, it has sadly become unsustainable. After much reflection, we have come to the very difficult, but necessary, decision to step away and focus on our families, healing, and health.