dinosaur designs laureate
Credit: Instagram/@dinosaur_designs
Local jewellery and homewares stalwart Dinosaur Designs took out the top prize on Tuesday at the 2020 Australian Fashion Laureate awards. Husband and wife design duo Louise Olsen and Stephen Ormandy were honoured with the Lifetime Achievement award, joining the likes of Nicky Zimmermann and Colette Dinnigan, for their contributions to the Australian fashion industry.
Known for their eponymous resin accessories in languid shapes, Olsen and Ormandy have been in business since they were fresh-faced art school students in 1985 – fittingly, their sculptural pieces are akin to wearable artwork.
GRAZIA spoke to the designers in the wake of their win.
dinosaur designs laureate
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – DECEMBER 01: The 2020 Winners of the Australian Fashion Laureate Awards, Dinosaur Designs designers Louise Olsen and Stephen Ormandy attend the 2020 Australian Fashion Laureate Awards on December 01, 2020 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Hanna Lassen/WireImage)
GRAZIA: Congratulations! You said in your acceptance speech, “Being an accessories label, you never feel like the main meal”. How does it feel being the main stars of the awards?
We feel so honoured to be recognised in this way after 35 years of creating and making.
GRAZIA: What has kept you both motivated for so many years?

It has been a long journey, but it’s also been incredibly rewarding to see the company grow to where we are now – with stores across Australia, London, New York and stockists around the world such as Matches Fashion, Liberty London and Bergdorf Goodman in New York.

Our motivation comes from a love and passion for art and design. The business has always kept us on our toes and we never taken what we have create for granted.

GRAZIA: How have the events of this year changed Dinosaur Designs? And what might you do differently once we come out the other side?
Working in such an uncertain time forces you to re-evaluate, regroup and rethink what you do, and why. You have to remain creative to find solutions to the issues you face, and this year has made us even more resilient.