Dion Lee to design Sydney Opera House uniforms

By

Benjamin Fitzgerald

Published
May 18, 2017

The Sydney Opera House revealed this week Australian 'it' designer Dion Lee will create a new wardrobe for Opera House staff, bringing his "architectural and sculptural aesthetic" to one of the world's most iconic entertainment venues.

Over the next 12 months, the 32-year-old Sydney-raised creative will design a range of uniforms for more than 600 employees, including front-of-house, box office and tour guide staff, said the Sydney Opera House in a press release.

“Dion is one of Australia’s brightest fashion stars whose work draws so beautifully on the sculptural elegance of Utzon’s masterpiece," said Sydney Opera House CEO, Louise Herron. "It will be wonderful to work with him to create a new uniform collection for the people who bring the place to life.”

The collaboration coincides with Lee’s opening show for this year’s Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Australia staged at the Opera House on Sunday. The drawcard Resort 2018 show was Lee's fourth at the Opera House, and saw the Australia 2010 Woolmark Designer Award winner debut his first men's capsule collection.

“Meeting the needs of the Opera House’s very diverse workforce and making sure the clothes combine elegance and utility, inspiration and practicality is critical," said Lee, in a statement. "It is important that a cultural icon such as the Opera House projects an image that parallels the architecture of the building.”

Design and manufacturing of the collection is expected to take approximately 12 months, with Opera House staff "closely involved throughout the process."