Collette Dinnigan’s world

The Australian designer tells us what’s on her mind

 

Dinnigan

 

Fashion, like any other art, can be a by-product of what’s going on in the world. Collette Dinnigan, who has long been Paris’ only Australian designer to show during Fashion Week, says that her spring collection will have a much more utilitarian, military uniform kind of feel to it. It will be completely different from her romantic Russia-inspired show from last season. The designer, whose fans include Halle Berry and Naomi Watts, breaks down the parts of her environment that directly or indirectly colored her spring 2009 work.
 

1. The trends “Certain parts of my collection are the antithesis of the light and airy thing. But then the other half is very floaty with florals. There’s a masculine/feminine thing going on. I think a lot of designers come up with ideas at the same time. And then you see it and adjust to it and then take it somewhere else. What’s important is to do something different and fresh.”
2.  The economy “I’ve heard a lot of people say that for some people with money, the recession doesn’t matter, but it does. Prices for our suppliers go up and that trickles down to us and to the customers. It’s very frightening. But I can remember around Sept. 11, 2001, when people stopped buying dresses for six weeks. But they still had bat mitzvahs and weddings and other special occasions that they needed something to wear for. I don’t know what will happen in stores this season, but at retail, it’s still very healthy for us.”
3. Her commute from Australia to Paris “I love Paris, it’s my favorite city in the world. But I also love having my vegetable garden by the beach in Australia, having my friends over for dinner and eating the organic food that comes from my yard. Staying in Australia gives a certain freshness to my brand. So I take my nanny and my daughter and go to Paris every three months.”
4. Her friends “I don’t necessarily set out to design my collection with people in mind. But there are times when I will design and think, ‘This will look great on Naomi Watts on the red carpet.’”