DOM PERIGNON LOUNGE

Photo: Earl Carter

Never having worn a dress doesn’t preclude me, a male, from knowing who Collette Dinnigan is. One of the few international stars to come out of Australia, Dinnigan’s frocks have draped from the shoulders of Angelina Jolie, Halle Berry and Naomi Watts, as well as won her acclaim and a 15-year run on the catwalks of Paris. And like most of our top Aussie exports… she’s originally a New Zealander. To Dinnigan’s credit, for all her international acclaim the designer has brought attention to her roots (ahem, Australia that is) rather than trying to transcend them. Her latest collaboration has been to design the new Dom Perignon Lounge at Hemmesphere. It’s only the fourth in the world; the others designed by Marc Newson and Karl Lagerfeld — placing Dinnigan, and luxe Aussie hospitality, in good company. Having opened boutiques herself, the fashion designer is no stranger to interior design, and as one would expect paid particular attention to fabric choice. The chairs were sourced from antique dealer, The Country Trader, and covered in lilac and navy linen, while the custom-made sofas were covered in lilac velvet. Floral motifs feature in a black tulip iron feature from Chuck & Bob, who also provided circular lucite tops for the antique iron table bases, the wall lights, and mirror and shelving behind the bar, ageing the glass to suit. The wall colour was a custom mix of Haze with black and white, created by Collette and Tory Collison with Porter’s Paints. Porter’s also covers the floorboards and urns. The feature artwork, commissioned by Dinnigan, is Redleaf II by Tim Maguire. Justin Hemmes said about the revamp, “The Dom Pérignon Lounge now has an old-fashioned, glamorous feel, yet is incred- ibly warm and inviting. I am proud that Hemmesphere has been chosen to showcase the result of two luxury brands — Dom Pérignon and Collette Dinnigan.”