LOUISE: What was the first piece of significant clothing you bought?
BELINDA: The one that really sticks in my mind, because I never got to wear it, was when I was in London & rubber was the height of fashion. I bought this really expensive skin-tight rubber dress with a gold leopard print. Apparently it’d been designed for Tina Turner. I was invited to a red carpet event, but couldn’t end up going and never got a chance to wear the dress. A couple of years later, I went through my wardrobe and found it had deflated like a balloon, and had pretty much disintegrated.
LOUISE: I know for some designers they can’t wear their own designs, because they’re just over it by the time it hits the shop floor. So, who do you buy your clothing from ?
BELINDA: Well, that’s actually not the case for me. I quite often design things I’d like to wear. I treat each piece a little like a child. I pretty much wear Once Was most of the time. I do also have the luxury of wearing the pieces before they come onto the retail market, which I like. And I do also love Zimmerman, or Bec & Bridge for a night out that’s a little bit fun.
LOUISE: What’s one thing people may not know about you?
BELINDA: When I meet people for the first time, they can hear a slight accent, but can’t quite pick where’s it’s from. They don’t realise I’m from South Africa. I’ve been in Australia for many years now, in addition to living in London for a while too, but I really consider Australia home.
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