On the weekend you’ll find me… working at Iceworks in Paddington. The best advice I was ever given was… the big cliché: to be yourself, and also learning to be happy by yourself. My Favourite food… in the savoury category, duck, and in the sweet category, Crème Brûlée.
1. Where are you originally from?
Brisbane – born and bred!
2. Where do you get your inspiration from for your designs?
History mainly. I love the 40s and 50s. Most of my inspiration comes from the history of clothing and art – often the two correlate closely.
3. What’s your collection about?
My collection ‘Dancer in the Night’ is based on the Maasai tribes and ballet. I went to Africa when I was in Grade 12 and it really changed something in me. While I was there, I bought heaps of printed fabric and Maasai collars, so this gave me the opportunity to incorporate some of those pieces into a complete collection. For this collection I had the fabrics reprinted in Autumn/Winter tones – greys, blacks and navy. As a side project, I made big, Maasai jewellery pieces based on the things I bought in Africa. The ballet aspect inspired the silhouette and fabrics – I used lots of silk, tulle and organza.
4. Any advice for future designers?
Keep doing what you like and keep an eye on fashion, but don’t compromise what you think is cool just because somebody else doesn’t like it. Sometimes the consumer doesn’t realise how great something is until they’re shown it.
5. Who would you love to dress?
Dead or Alive? Dead, Isabella Blow. She would be great – she was such a babe. Alive, I’d say Daphne Guinness. I love them both.