This week, we chat with Ella Stapleton, Founder of By ALL’E is fashion brand designed by woman for woman. Handcrafted in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, By ALL’E is dedicated to empowering women through the inside out in each piece.
Welcome to the Emirates Woman weekly series ‘How I got my job as…’ where we speak to some incredible entrepreneurs and businesswomen both based in the UAE and globally to find out about their career paths that led them to where they are now; what their daily routines look like; the advice they’d give to those starting out; and the hurdles they’ve had to overcome.
Each piece has been carefully designed around the female form, accentuating, and crafting the perfect fit. The creative journey of each and every piece has undergone months of research, sketches, fabric sourcing and sampling to refine and perfect, just for you. All the garments handmade with love in Dubai, by a small local team.
To delve into her story, Emirates Woman spoke to Stapleton to see how it all began.
What was your favorite subject at school?
My favorite subject at school was always art. It felt different from the traditional subjects, and it gave me the freedom to express my creativity in ways that other classes did not.
What was your first job?
My first job was when I was about 14 or 15. A friend of my mum owned a local café in Australia, and I started working there as a waitress on weekends. It was a great experience that taught me the value of money and the importance of hard work and responsibility.
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What brought you to Dubai?
I went travelling to Europe for three months when I was 21 and after returning back home to Australia, it felt somewhat isolated from the rest of the world. I had a job opportunity to come and work in Dubai and thought, I guess I have nothing to lose. I have been here now for 8 years and haven’t looked back.
What inspired you to enter the space and your brand?
After losing my job in property development due to the pandemic in 2020, I decided to pursue an idea I’d always dreamed of: opening an online fashion boutique in Dubai. I started by bringing Australian fashion brands to Dubai and reselling them. I did that for about three years, but eventually, I found myself getting bored with the buying and reselling process—it didn’t really challenge my creativity. So, I decided to take the leap and create my own fashion brand, where I could truly express my own vision and designs.
I always felt there was a huge gap in the Dubai market for unique women’s clothing, as it was mostly limited to high street brands in the malls. I often found myself ordering clothes online from other countries, but that came with high shipping rates, long delivery times, and pricey customs charges.
Talk us through the concept?
The brand is called By ALL’E, which is essentially my name but backwards. The concept of the brand is to encapsulate a unique collection of premium, yet still affordable fashion to women.
When creating the concept, I really wanted to bring strong ethics towards sustainability and a slower fashion experience. We focus on sourcing local fabrics, producing in smaller batches to minimize waste, and using sustainable materials whenever possible. Additionally, we are proud to collaborate with local artisans, ensuring that all designs are created in the Dubai Design District and manufactured locally in the UAE.
What are the key elements of your role?
Given that the company is still relatively new and small, I am involved in every aspect of the
business. However, my primary focus lies in design, fabric sourcing, sampling, and overseeing
production management.
Talk us through your daily routine.
Every day is totally different, I wake up around 8am, shower, get ready for the day, make breakfast and a matcha. Then normally I would get the working day started by checking emails, making sure the timelines for sampling and production are on track. After this I normally have my meetings, whether it be with the sampling studio or with the production factory. In the afternoon, I usually fit in a personal training session, Pilates, or a game of padel. Following that, I return home to catch up on any remaining work, prepare dinner, and unwind
before heading to bed by around 10 pm.
What advice do you have for anyone looking to follow in the same footsteps?
My advice would be to begin with a well-structured business plan and focus on identifying your
niche. Given the highly competitive nature of today’s market, it is essential to offer a unique,
high-quality product or service that fulfils a clear demand and stands out to consumers.
Tell us more about the products/services?
By ALL’E products were created to celebrate individuality, confidence, femininity and self-expression through fashion. Our mission is to create high quality pieces that can be worn to lunches, brunches, dinner dates, holidays and special events, at an affordable price point. Each piece has been carefully designed around the female form, as we want to accentuate the female body with our designs. Currently most our collections consist of woman’s dresses, and matching top and skirt sets. Being based in Dubai, we are also able to offer local orders on demand. We offer free same day delivery in Dubai, if you order by 5pm. Free next day delivery within the UAE when you order by 1pm, and we also offer free express worldwide delivery with DHL.
What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?
The most valuable advice I’ve received is that if you truly want something, you can achieve it—but you have to be willing to put in the hard work and remain committed. Success does not come easily, but with dedication and perseverance, anything is possible.
And what is the worst?
I try to disregard negative feedback, as I tend to take criticism personally, especially when it
pertains to the business. I recognize that this is something I need to manage better, ensuring
that I do not allow such negativity to impact my mindset or decisions.
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What’s the biggest challenge you have had to overcome?
There has definitely been a lot of challenges with having the business, but one challenge that is particularly hard to navigate and manage is the cash flow. Creating collections is expensive, with costs for fabric, sampling, production. It can be difficult to balance revenue projections with expenses, especially when you’re working on future collections. Managing that cash flow and ensuring financial stability month-to-month is definitely a challenge, but it’s something I’ve had to continuously learn and adapt to.
What’s lies ahead for the brand?
We have some exciting plans ahead for the brand. This month, we’re launching our evening collection, which we’re really looking forward to. For the new year, we aim to see By ALL’E stocked in more retail stores, both in the UAE and internationally, expanding our customer base globally. One of our long-term goals is to have our own showroom or retail space in Dubai. Overall, I’m excited to see the brand continue evolving and growing. Additionally, I do plan to release collections more frequently and broaden our size range to include petite and curve options, ensuring that we can cater to all women.
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Images: Supplied & Feature Image: Instagram @byalleofficial
