Collette Dinnigan on sustainable design and writing her first children's book
Collette Dinnigan, OAM, is a design force to be reckoned with. She was the first Australian to show a collection at Paris Fashion Week in the ‘90s, and from there she built an extraordinary namesake label specialising in romantic bridal dresses and lingerie.
Now, she is in the midst of her second career as an interior designer. Collette renovated her country home on the New South Wales south coast to perfection, has consulted on several high profile property developments (including Bannisters and the Golf House apartments), and even guest edited Vogue Living’s Italian issue.
The fireplace nook in the living room of Collette’s South Coast home features banquette seating and polished floorboards. Photograph by Hugh Stewart.
In her interior design practice, Collette has taken steps towards sustainability. “It’s really about the way you look at design and about disengaging from being too much of a slave to trends,” she says. “The Scandinavians have been pioneering the shift to sustainable manufacturing for a while now, for example, flooring companies like Bolon and Mater.”
On the topic of fast fashion and furniture, Collette is impassioned. “It’s about not buying something just for the sake of it, which takes a huge toll on the planet,” she says. “Disposable furniture should not even be considered. Well-designed furniture lasts a lifetime and a lot of people are now into upcycling and recycling beautifully made classic pieces to give them a new life.”
The dining area in Collette’s South Coast home. Photograph by Hugh Stewart.
It was Collette’s young son, Hunter, who inspired this turn towards a more eco-friendly way of life. “He is constantly questioning why adults don’t pick up rubbish,” says Collette. “That, combined with his vivid imagination and love of animals and the sea got me thinking that [a book] would be a really lovely way to share an important message with children.” So she wrote one (pictured below). It’s called Louie and Snippy Save the Sea and its main message is that our planet is composed of sensitive and fragile ecosystems that we need to take care of.
“Louie and Snippy Save the Sea is about how birdlife and fish are our barometers of the terrible pollution that is occurring in our oceans,” says Collette. “Often solutions seem overwhelming, however, the message is that we can all do a little and that little bit makes a huge difference.”
Collette signing a copy of her new children’s book, Louie and Snippy Save the Sea.
Collette is making an effort to do her bit, making environmentally friendly decisions in her interior design business, but also on a personal, household level. She avoids using her car, buys in-season fresh produce from local markets, and has stopped eating red meat. She’s also committed to returning food waste to the earth: “I compost as much as I can and use it on the garden,” she says. “Even in our apartment in Rome, we have a rooftop vegetable patch!”
She also believes in reading the ingredient lists on food and beauty products to ensure they don’t use palm oil or sulphates, and is waging her own private war on plastic. Collette doesn’t buy bottled water or use plastic bags – and she always complains about the excessive use of single-use plastic on aircraft. “We need to speak up!” she says.
Collette with her family and friend, Julie Bishop, at the opening of her exhibition (titled ‘Collette Dinnigan: Unlaced’) at the Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences in 2015. Photography by Mark Metcalfe for Getty Images.
A trip to an eco-friendly resort in Nihi Sumba Island, not far from Bali, was a recent source of inspiration for her. “They are setting an example of how a sustainable operation can co-exist in perfect harmony with its environment and the Sumbanese people,” says Collette. “They have used natural building materials and grow most of the resort’s food in their own organic gardens, as well as having a comprehensive composting and water recycling system.”
Having wowed the fashion industry for 25 years with her talent and energy, Collette is now shining her considerable light on the environment – both built and natural. “We can all play our part,” she says.
Purchase Collette Dinnigan’s children’s book, Louie and Snippy Save the Sea, from Booktopia.
Click Here: Real bape hoodie