- The Guardian,
- Friday April 14 2000
Once upon a time, you knew where you were with Australians. Big rucksack, huge alcohol tolerance, good-natured. Then they started getting all sophisticated on us. First of all it turned out that Oz isn't actually anything like Ramsay Street but is in fact all passion fruit smoothies and power yoga and postmodern architecture. Then Cate Blanchett and Nicole Kidman started swanning around with the kind of sleek-haired, whip-thin elegance that makes everyone else feel like Wombles by comparison. And now, Australian designer Collette Dinnigan is bringing a slice of Sydney chic to the Northern hemisphere, with the opening of her Chelsea store, the first outside of down under.
Dinnigan was born in New Zealand, but moved to Sydney in her late teens to launch a career in fashion, working for the costume department of the Australian Broadcasting Commission. In 1990 she left to set up her own-name label, but the influence of the time spent working on period costumes can be seen in her highly embroidered, colourful, romantic clothes. Since 1995, Dinnigan has held a coveted spot on the Paris fashion week schedule with collections snapped up by the smartest department stores, including Harvey Nichols in London and Barney's in New York.
The new store, which opened yesterday, has boudoir-pink walls, chandeliers, and flouncy curtains - pretty, but not nearly as pretty as the spring/summer collection currently in stock. Dinnigan's trademark style (see below) is girlish and embellished in a style reminiscent of our very own Elspeth Gibson - you may find you have to fight off the likes of Cameron Diaz, Sandra Bullock and Jerry Hall for the summer frocks with muted tea-dress prints, ruffle-edge pink skirts and dresses, and lace-edged camisoles in sky blue satin. Just don't expect hats with corks on.
• Collette Dinnigan is at 26 Cale St, SW3 (0171-589 8897).
