Aboriginal Victoria

Clothing the Gaps by Laura Thompson

Laura designs t-shirts to spark conversations but now the company she co-founded, Clothing the Gaps, is doing far more by funding Aboriginal health and community programs.

Many of our worlds were turned upside down with the arrival of the pandemic but when Laura Thompson and Sarah Sheridan's business took a huge hit, they turned lemons into lemonade. Alongside social enterprise Clothing the Gaps, they'd been running Spark Health to deliver health promotion programs and resources to Aboriginal communities.

As part of that, Laura, a Gunditjmara woman, designed t-shirts, with the sales helping to fund its programs.

“Clothing the Gaps really grew during the first lockdown because we couldn’t deliver our grassroots programs and we lost a lot of our contracts,” says Laura. “We didn’t want to lose any staff – we were a team of four at the time – so we refocused our efforts on the brand.”

Laura Thompson

It was the same time as the Black Lives Matter protests. Many people also became aware of the issues facing Aboriginal people, including black deaths in custody, and wanted to show their support.

“We didn’t have a lot of merchandise at the time,” explains Laura. “But it was a massive month. That was really the start of Clothing the Gaps.”

Right from the start, allies have asked if they could wear the gear designed by Clothing the Gaps, and so the company created two symbols – Ally Friendly and Mob Only – to help people identify culturally appropriate t-shirts, hoodies and more. The company also includes postcards with each purchase outlining how people can actively create social change. The business has grown to a team of 25 and opened a store in Brunswick. “It is a space that feels like home, it’s a safe Blak space,” says Laura. “And for non-Indigenous people it offers a new experience. All the staff are Aboriginal and they are cultural educators. In the space, you’re surrounded by artwork and political statements and the whole building’s painted red, black and yellow.”

Also on the building is a huge mural that says 'Free the Flag'. It’s one of the campaigns that has now been taken up by the Clothing the Gaps Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation led by Aboriginal people to improve the health and lives of the Indigenous community. +clothingthegaps.com.au

Clothing the Gaps team