‘The Southern Highlands are a sanctuary for me.’
Feature by Marley Ng
Acclaimed Aussie fashion designer Collette Dinnigan travels to experience the ‘patina of life,’ choosing to immerse herself in rich, authentic experiences that allow her to satiate her endless curiosity for the world.
This outlook was instilled in her by way of an adventurous childhood, first exploring her original home of South Africa, followed by sailing across the globe onboard a yacht her father built in their back garden. Then, when entering the global fashion stage with her eponymous label, Collette regularly touched down in New York, Los Angeles, Paris and London. In more recent years, the Order of Australia recipient has savored the creative flow inspired by destinations like China, India, and most recently, Italy. Much like her philosophy for travel, Collette’s approach to life, work and creativity is similarly textured — the lauded aesthete may be synonymous with Australian fashion, but Collette has also launched homewares, fragrances, ceramics and children’s books. Currently based amidst the raw beauty of regional Australia, Collette chats with us about travel, having the courage to explore new ideas, and spots she recommends in her Southern Highlands Travel Playbook.
On starting your adventure young
I’ve been traveling since I was eight, probably even earlier. I was born in South Africa. My father was Irish and my mother was half-Irish, half-English. They decided to leave because they were very anti-apartheid, so my father built a yacht in our back garden and we sailed around the world. We were one of the first families to circumnavigate the South Pole.
On sailing to remote islands
Along the way we stopped at islands — I think Île Amsterdam and Saint-Paul — where the charts showed jetties and mooring facilities. But the charts were from the 50s, 60s and there were no jetties. Instead they were French marine biology stations and we couldn’t land. It was quite amazing because we’d been at sea for six weeks. We only had one crew member — he was a surfer, so we took the surfboard out and the seals were swimming over the top, and you could see the crays at the bottom of the ocean. It was so clean and clear. Then we spent some time going around Australia, and ended up in New Zealand on our way to Canada. I did my schooling in New Zealand and after that, I moved back to Australia.
On traveling the globe for fashion
I worked in film and television first, and then I started my brand. With that, I started traveling the globe, from all the most fabulous international cities in the world to some of the poorest countries. I spent a lot of time in some of the provinces in China, traveled all over India, parts of Indonesia, parts of Europe. Cities revisited frequently would be Paris three times a year for my collections; I had a store in London; New York and LA were more PR or trunk shows. I spent a lot of time in India — not just working with the craftspeople there, but it was also a fabulous creative time for me, especially going to places like Rajasthan for color. It was very invigorating.
On what motivates you to travel
There are a lot of countries and cities, especially in Europe and Asia, that specialize in certain crafts. I love the artisanal side of traveling and finding places where fabrics are woven, or ceramics are made — it’s very much specific to that area or culture. I went to the Maldives for my honeymoon, and after about 15 minutes I was like, ‘OK, is there a plane to Sri Lanka?’ You either want to lie on a beach and drink a cocktail, or you’re just inquisitive and want to learn about the culture. Maybe you start to think differently about people and cultures. Preconceived ideas of places are very different from the actual experience.
On exploring the unknown
One of the reasons we spent the last few years in Italy was because it was unknown to us. That’s what I love the most: you never know where you’re going to end up and whose table you’re sitting at. I’m very curious, and I love the idea that you don’t actually know where you’ll end up. When I was in Paris, it was very much a working place, so you had the comfort zone of work. Everything was a more controlled environment. Whereas taking an adventure to Italy wasn’t necessarily about having the structure or the comfort of a working environment. It was very much about exploring and not knowing what tomorrow will bring, and who you’ll meet and where it might change the direction of your life. When you’re young, you think you know everything; as you get older, you [realize you] know nothing.
‘I love the artisanal side of traveling and finding places where fabrics are woven, or ceramics are made — it’s very much specific to that area or culture.’
On capturing the scents of Italy
I’m about to launch my new home fragrance collection inspired by Italy. I was in Italy and I thought, ‘You know what, there are so many amazing scents here. I might as well use this time to develop the collection,’ which I did. Italy is so seasonal and it’s very much about smell. You go to Sicily and you remember the Sicilian lemons, or in Positano it’s the roses or the pine forests. So I started working on candles and launched a very small collection last year. Now we’re about to do diffusers, hand wash, body wash, room sprays, everything. And it’s all natural. It’s exciting because it’s all manufactured in Australia, and everything was inspired by Italy. It’s become busier than fashion.
On the patina of life
You know when you get a gloss photograph and it’s been framed, it’s slightly crinkled on the ends because it wasn’t taken care of. I always look at that and think, ‘That’s what life’s about.’ Things become more important sometimes as we change the medium that we work with. I wish I hadn’t thrown all my old patterns out. The ends were scraggly and dog-eared because they’d been used so much — you could tell which was the bestseller dress because the pattern was crumpled. Whereas now it’s so digital; it’s so linear and flat — you don’t get the patina of life. That’s what I love about Italy: everything is patina. There are layers and layers. The other thing about travel is that you get to see that patina. When it’s only visual or in film, it’s flat; it’s technical; it’s not for touch.
On being drawn to the Southern Highlands
For me, being in the Highlands feels very real. There’s a lot of real country life — it’s not pseudo hobby farms. Also because of the climate, it’s much more English or European. It’s really raw, and it seasons — there really is a strong spring; it’s not just a hint of it. I love winter here: it’s all gray and there’s a bleakness that is beautiful. I love being close to nature, which is why, in essence, we moved here. There’s also a lot of very creative and entrepreneurial people down here. But it’s not necessarily a very social set — everyone sticks to their home. It’s much more about home life and being more seasonal. For me, that’s inspirational.
‘[With travel] you start to think differently about people and cultures. Preconceived ideas of places are very different from the actual experience.’
On town-hopping around the region
When we first moved here, I had to use Google Maps to work out which way was Bowral or Moss Vale. If you don’t know the area, it really is a triangle with about 10 little towns, and each one is specifically different. I love Robertson, and I think it’s often left aside because it’s that extra 10 minutes out. Robertson now has an amazing cheese and wine shop called Pecora. The owners have a sheep farm, so everything’s biodynamic — not just organic. They make all their own cheeses from their sheep. And it’s a wine bar. It’s a great little place to go. It also has The Robertson Hotel. A few films have just recently been made there. They have some great Italian food, and I think it’s another place that’s often passed by. Berrima has got Josh’s, which is a great little café. There’s also a great pub, as well as a Pugliese family who’ve got the bakery there — they do fantastic Italian, Pugliese bread. There’s a great art gallery in Berrima too. It feels so haunted and it’s a quintessentially perfect film-set Australian town. Burrawang has a great pub and general store. That’s much more country. So each one is very different, and each town is about 20 minutes apart.
On where to see world-class art
There are a lot of artists down here. Ngununggula Gallery is open now. This would probably be one of my favorite galleries in the world, not just in the Southern Highlands. It’s such a great initiative. Each exhibition is important, but very different. And that’s a testament to the curators as well. It’s also in one of the most historic buildings in the area, in an old dairy that’s been converted. So it has a real contemporary feel, but it feels solid and has a lot of strength in it. Ben Quilty — he’s an outstanding Australian artist and very strong in our community — has been hugely inspiring behind the gallery and has done a lot of work. John Olsen and John Alexander were also involved — I’ve seen John Olsen’s exhibition here, which was a highlight for me. We have a lot of high-profile people that have joined forces to make it happen. It feels world-class and international, yet it’s very community-driven, which I love. I think you couldn’t get a better mix. It’s very much about representing Australian art, and it has an intimacy that makes it accessible and unintimidating for most people. And it has a great café. I mean, if you’re not going to come for the art, you can come for the food, but both together is a win-win.
On a cozy restaurant in the winter
Harry’s [on Green Lane] is one of those places in the Southern Highlands that I tell everybody to go to, especially in winter. You feel the cold of the Highlands — that bitter wind, four degrees going down to three in the evening — and you couldn’t think of anything better than a fireplace and a glass of mulled wine. It’s really just the coziness of the restaurant that I love, and the hospitality. The hosts, Chris and Maureen, are always very charming and generous. It’s a place of beauty — it’s enchanting and beautiful.
‘When you’re young, you think you know everything; as you get older, you [realize you] know nothing.’
On a hidden gem
There are some good markets down here, and good flower growers’ gardens. One near Sutton Forest is called Red Cow Farm. It doesn’t get a lot of attention; it’s kind of under the radar. Red Cow Farm for me is a sensory overload. It’s incredibly beautiful. It’s joyful. It’s a place that brings me back to the fashion world when I used to design my prints, especially for my floral summer seasons. It’s been a labor of love for Wayne and Ali for over 30 years. They have the most incredible five-acre English garden. When in season it’s spectacular, with all the rhododendrons and azaleas and tulips.
On music in the region
There are a lot of reasonably good wineries, and with those, there are a lot of people that do classical concerts. The Centennial had Tim Finn play not so long ago. Mark Burrows has classical concerts twice a year at the Kangaloon Hall — that’s another little pocket people don’t know about unless you do the tourist drive. Artemis hosts a lot of acoustic musicians. There’s also a jazz festival that happened recently that doesn’t get a lot of publicity, which is a shame, because a lot of very good jazz musicians came out. The Fold is a really good Instagram account to follow and they post what’s happening locally.
On a hidden bushwalk
There are a few very good bushwalks that we take our dogs on. One is called the Box Vale Walk. It’s one of the old walks through the caves, which all end up at different waterfalls — whether it’s here or Robertson or Fitzroy Falls. The Box Vale Walk is the old coal train route, where they used to take the coal out to meet the train line. You can still pick up pieces of coal when you’re walking along the route, which is quite amazing. These pieces of coal are over 200 years old. A lot of the bushwalks are very interesting and exciting, especially if you come down on a nice day.
On rating the viticulture
I do love my wine. I like a lot of New Zealand pinots and French Burgundies and Italian Barolos. But the Centennial Vineyards are really well set up, and there are a lot of events there. Some of the wines are good. Artemis has a very good reserve pinot noir, actually. A lot of people do rate the wines down here. It’s very good for wines that like the cooler climate.
On a song that represents the Southern Highlands for you
It’d definitely be a great piece of classical music, because it’s loud and strong; it’s confident and sensitive; and it’s fragile — the Southern Highlands have all of those things. It would be an amazing piece of classical music that would give you strength and also embrace your sensitive soul if you’re feeling down and out.
‘The other thing about travel is that you get to see that patina. When it’s only visual or in film, it’s flat; it’s technical; it’s not for touch.’
On a window or aisle seat
I vacillate. I’ve always been a window person, but then sometimes it depends on the aircraft, because there’s nothing worse than being stuck next to someone you don’t want to be on a small plane with, by the window. So then I’m an aisle. But if I’m lucky enough to travel in comfort, I like the window. I like to see where I’m coming and going.
On the Southern Highlands in one word
Community.
It gives me a lot of clarity — the fresh air, the altitude, the space, the wind. Coming back here, I’ve solved my business problems; I know where I’m going to live and where I’m going to travel. Then when I get back into Sydney, I’m so confused. It’s interesting — having space means you don’t feel confined. The Southern Highlands are a sanctuary for me from the city. It’s hard to give it one word. It’s great that a lot of families have realized that you can get a one-acre or half-an-acre block, instead of living in a unit in Sydney, for the same price. And the schools are great; the hospital; all the services are very good. It’s very personal — you can be a recluse, you can be social, or you can be part of the community. And it’s a great community.
