All In at All Buttons

With Lucy Godoroja, longtime Newtown local and owner of All Buttons Great and Small

When Lucy Godoroja opened All Buttons Great and Small back in 1989, she was looking for more than just a place to run a business. Fresh from four years living in Amsterdam, she found in Newtown the same spirit she loved; creativity, acceptance, and a genuine sense of community.

All Buttons quickly became more than a shop. It became a meeting point for artists, makers and dreamers of all kinds. “Creative types from all the arts have entered,” Lucy says. “We have had amazing conversations about art, craftsmanship, making and playing. It shapes everything I bring into the store.” Those conversations still guide her choices today, giving the shop its wonderfully eclectic, lovingly curated feel.

Newtown’s strength, Lucy says, lies in its unity. In her early days, neighbouring businesses rallied around her, offering support and camaraderie that made all the difference. “The more invested you are in Newtown, the more the community gives back to you,” she says. It is a lesson she has carried through decades of change.

The shop itself feels like a living treasure chest. From everyday haberdashery to rare vintage finds, every shelf is packed with stories. Among the most special pieces? A high-domed black lacquer button, originally made for Jean Paul Gaultier with layers of polished lacquer, tiny gilded drill holes and crystals glittering beneath the surface. Lucy still keeps one for posterity.

More than just a retailer, Lucy sees All Buttons as a quiet reflection of the neighbourhood itself: quirky, intelligent, kind and proudly creative.

“My hope is that we remain as true, as creative, and as kind as the neighbourhood in which we work, live and play.”

Just like Newtown, All Buttons is a place where everyone is welcome, and where the smallest things - even a single button - can carry a world of meaning.