Trail blazing Australian designer Collette Dinnigan has revealed the inner workings of her creative process in an exhibition entitled ‘Unlaced’, on display at the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences, Sydney, until 28 August 2016. FIB visited the exhibit and took a pilgrimage through the multi-media display, absorbing the visual delicacies and rare, personal samplings from the designer’s own studio.
Showcasing a selection of Dinnigan’s best designs alongside inspiration boards, fabrics, patterns and a number of interactive accompaniments, curator Glynis Jones took us on a journey through the designer’s masterful mind and left us thirsting to be adorned in a Collette Dinnigan treasure.
Dinnigan began designing clothing over twenty-five years ago and continues a monumental career that has included creating pieces for the likes of Nicole Kidman, Taylor Swift and Dita Von Teese, to name a few. She is a seasoned designer to the stars, with celebrities all dying to be spotted in her signature lace, sequin, bead and mirror-embroidered garments on their red carpet rendezvous. Pop mega-star Taylor Swift has personally worn a Dinnigan design to several Hollywood events, with the infamous spike-studded, spandex dress taking centre-stage in a room of Dinnigan’s glitzier pieces. The dress was worn by Swift at the 2010 American Music Awards in Los Angeles.
Right: Taylor Swift Wearing Collette Dinnigan At 2010 American Music Awards. Image Credit: Chris Pizzello/AP.
Not just a red carpet knock-out designer, Dinnigan has applied her talents across a range of markets, including children’s-wear, lingerie, evening-wear and wedding gowns. Her artistry radiates from every bolt of fabric that has brushed through her hands, with each creation effervescent with the signature ‘Dinnigan’ style. She describes her wedding dresses as “…quite ornate…while dreamy and traditional with a vintage feel.” Trains embellished with Swarovski crystals, luxurious lace fabrics and clusters of tulle are some examples typical of her wedding gown designs. Three of the most striking gowns from her bridal collection can be viewed up-close at the exhibition.
Right: Swarovski Crystal-Embellished Train On One Of The Displayed Wedding Gowns.
Speaking to museum curator Glynis Jones in an interview, Dinnigan revealed some of the background that has shaped her unique and inspired approach to her design process.
“I have always been creative and I guess I never considered doing anything administrative, so from a very early age it was clear I had only two directions to follow: art or animals. I wanted to be a vet or marine biologist and being impatient I took the shortest degree! I think my own label happened as I was too stubborn to work for anyone; I didn’t agree with most fashion companies and how they copied international designers. So in a nutshell I went out on my own.”
Growing up in South Africa, surrounded by a myriad of animals through visits to a relative’s game reserve, the influence of her exposure to the exotic is evident in many of her designs. Her upbringing nurtured the kind of ingenuity responsible for establishing oneself as a truly out-of-the-box creative. Dinnigan says that she is inspired by, “…colour, art, flowers, landscapes and details from vintage clothes or antique bric-a-brac,” and that “…traveling has always been a great influence too.”
Behind a natural flair for the arts, however, an even stronger desire to succeed is what separates the ‘thinkers’ from the ‘doers’.
“I was always very impatient to succeed. It used to annoy me to hear people talk about doing things, instead of just doing them. I always thought you don’t need to tell the world. Just go out and do it. If you fail, you fail, but at least you will have learnt something.”
The exhibition boasts many more insights from Dinnigan that can be viewed alongside the bountiful visual delights. Her personal tenacity and individuality teamed with the exquisiteness of her designs are qualities that make her already ‘to-die-for’ clothing even more desirable. FIB deems that the after seeing what goes on behind the scenes at ‘Unlaced’, we love Collette Dinnigan even more.