Meet The Designer
By
noelle faulkner | she/they
noellefaulkner.com | @noelleflamingo
+61 402 301 835
Collezione Santina Couture
Hailing from a long multi-generational line of Italian textile professionals and dressmakers, Collezione Santina Couture has been dressing and creating bespoke designs for women since 1987. Based on Gadigal Land and headed up by couturière and fashion designer Santina Porpiglia and her nonagenarian mother, Iolanda, whose legacy as a dressmaker and beloved local fashion identity spans more than seven decades, the boutique couture house prides itself on its use of exquisite fabrics—including the finest silks, laces and tulles sourced from around the globe—sustainable practices and traditional techniques.
Specialising in bridal and evening wear, though the house also releases ready-to-wear capsule collections under the label Ms Santina, Collezione Santina Couture practices the long and traditional legacy of couture in the truest sense. Every garment is designed and handmade for each individual customer, with respect, passion and craftsmanship in its seams; and like her customers, no two designs are ever the same. As the antithesis of fast fashion and mass manufacturing, Collezione Santina Couture is one of only a handful of small couture houses of its kind in Sydney.
Through Santina’s passion for beautiful and high-quality textiles—including hand-beading and other traditional textile crafts—often, the fabric dictates what the final creation will be, resulting in a beautiful, bespoke creation that speaks to the heart of her clients. It’s for this reason that this high-end fashion atelier has become a beloved inner Sydney institute for those seeking sustainable, luxurious, handmade and original creations for all occasions.
As a self-confessed ‘rag trade baby’, who grew up alongside some of Australia’s most respected fashion designers, before starting her own boutique couture house, Santina’s creations have garnered a ‘if you know, you know’ reputation among those within the arts and wider creative industries. The atelier’s award-winning designs can be found in the most prestigious fashion and bridal magazines, as well as on red carpets around the world, from the Golden Globes to the AACTA Awards, Logies and even various contemporary art Biennales. In 2019, the play 'Made to Measure' written by Alana Valentine, came to life on stage with Collezione Santina Couture gowns taking centre stage and affirming Santina’s dedication to and celebration of self-expression, inner glamour, elevated craftsmanship and individuality.
Beyond her work as a couturière and fashion designer, Santina is also passionate about elevating and giving back to her local community, including creating networking and new opportunities for small businesses, creative voices and the wider LGBTQI+ community she passionately supports. Santina works to raise funds for various charitable foundations, including Tour De Cure where she is a key fundraising identity, and regularly offers up her atelier as a small event space to host small gatherings and community events in celebration of the achievements of her creative and diverse clientele.
Collezione Santina Couture is based on Gadigal land at 1/167 Regent St, Redfern NSW 2016.
Website: https://www.collezionesantina.com.au
Instagram: @collezionesantinacouture