Jolly Malanday, co-owner of Dubai’s most unique thrift store, G&G Apparel. JONATHAN YBERA/EXPAT MEDIA

Inside Dubai’s Al Dana Center, tucked away behind rows of gold and textile shops, lies a store that hums with nostalgia. Rows of vintage t-shirts, worn denim, and old-school jackets line the racks. Each piece with a story waiting to be rediscovered. This is G&G Apparel, Dubai’s hidden gem of thrift fashion. Behind the racks of G&G Apparel’s rare fashion pieces stands a woman whose story is just as inspiring as the treasures she curates. Jolly Malanday flashes a warm but quiet smile as Expat Media sits with her in her first media interview. “See those t-shirts up there?” she says, pointing to a rack of tees hanging above the counter. “Those cost over Dh1,000 each — but if you don’t know what you’re looking at, you’d think they’re just regular shirts.” Jolly, co-owner of Dubai’s most unique thrift store, G&G Apparel, tells us she is an accountant by profession, and a former beauty queen who grew up with the heart of a fighter. “I was literally one of the poorest of the poor,” she tells Expat Media. “My parents were both household workers in Saudi Arabia, and when my father had a stroke, I had to take extra care of my younger siblings. I became the parent.” Despite hardships, Jolly was determined to finish school. “I didn’t want to stop studying,” she says, eyes glistening. “Education was something I knew no one could take away from me.” To support her studies, she sold homemade goodies and joined beauty pageants to pay for her books. “In college, I joined pageants not just for fun. The prize money helped me buy accounting books. Those books were expensive!” She hustled. She sold biscuits and homemade yema candies in school. She joined beauty pageants to earn prize money for books. “I’m actually very shy,” she admits with a laugh. “But I told myself, if I let being an introvert stop me, I’ll never achieve anything.” Her courage and determination paid off. Jolly became a scholar, graduated with a degree in Accountancy, and eventually worked as an accountant in a real estate company in the Philippines. But even then, she knew she wanted something more. “I wanted to build something of my own,” she says. Her father’s entrepreneurial streak stayed with her. “He had a business before, but he also had vices that destroyed it,” she shares candidly. “I wanted to learn from that. I wanted to do it differently.” In 2018, encouraged by her mother, Jolly took a leap of faith and moved to Dubai. “Nine days after I arrived, I got my first job,” she recalls proudly. “My salary was Dh2,700. Enough to pay for my bedspace.” She started as a sales assistant and, through determination, was soon promoted to accountant. It was a modest start to what would become a remarkable entrepreneurial journey. Then came 2020,  and with it, the pandemic and an unexpected love story. Jolly met John Enrick Malanday, her cousin’s workmate who needed a place to stay. “He was supposed to stay temporarily,” she laughs. “Then the lockdown happened. He ended up not leaving, ever!” They fell in love fast, married within months, and soon had a baby. “I don’t know what drew me to him,” she says, smiling. “But I’m thankful to God for giving me such a strong partner. Every time I feel weak, I look at him and I feel thankful.” Together, they built G&G Apparel, a thrift store unlike any other in Dubai. “We didn’t want a regular thrift shop,” Jolly explains. “We wanted a store with a story; something that shows sustainability, style, and uniqueness.” Since opening in Al Dana Center last year, G&G Apparel has gained a loyal following of collectors and fashion lovers. From rare concert tees to vintage Levis, every item in their store is handpicked and authenticated. Some shirts are worth thousands, others just a few dirhams, but all are chosen with heart. “Each piece here has a story,” Jolly says. “There’s joy in finding something rare and giving it a second life. It’s sustainable fashion with soul.” For Jolly, success didn’t come overnight. It was built from countless small hustles, long nights, and unwavering faith. “I’ve learned that when you just dream but don’t act, nothing happens,” she says. “Work now, don’t wait for later.” As for what’s next, Jolly smiles with quiet confidence. “Our dream is to expand across the GCC,” she says. “We already get calls from Bahrain and Saudi Arabia asking if we have branches. Someday, we will.” PIA/Expat Media ALSO READ: Finding Dubai's best kept thrift store

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Best thrift find A Rolling Stones overall. Dream customer Taylor Swift! Fashion comeback you want to see 90s chic fashion Dream thrifting destination Los Angeles Biggest myth about thrift shopping That it’s cheap. A condensed version of this story also appears in the Expat Media Special Edition magazine. Visit G&G Apparel, Ground Floor, Al Dana Centre, Al Maktoum Road, Dubai.
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