Style & Substance: One Luv

This is Dina {with her handsome husband Leslie}, a woman of considerable style and substance! Dina is one smart cookie {she holds degrees in Commerce, Law, and Teaching}, has a passion for children and education, and is a lifetime fashion lover. She began designing her amazing jewellery line One Luv back in 2004, selling her pieces in the markets around her home-town Sydney. Today her baubles are stocked in over 50 stores across Australia and beyond. It’s no wonder the line has been so successful; the designs are cool and fashion forward, but they also feel sweetly personal. In 2008 Dina’s sister got involved with the label, allowing Dina to follow her dream of keeping up the creative side of the business while exploring the world and pitching in along the way. After teaching in the United Arab Emirates Dina and her husband travelled throughout Africa. They eventually settled in Rwanda where they worked on a variety of projects, including a Junior Youth Empowerment program in local schools. Recently Dina and Leslie moved back to Australia - this time to Perth. Dina leads a seriously adventurous and inspired life, and I can’t wait to see what she gets up to next!

Q: What inspires you lately?

A: The resilience of hard working people to rise above the calamity and destruction that befalls them. First the Queensland floods, then the Christchurch earthquake and more recently in Japan, you see people from all over the world coming together in the most critical juncture. A time when the true nobility of the human condition can be witnessed, where neighbours, friends and family all come together to help one another and love without distinction their fellow humanity.

Q: What’s the most recent thing you made?

A: Fortune Cookies with Baha’í Naw-Ruz (New Years) Resolutions in them.

Q: What item in your closet are you loving most this season?

A: My little red cloche hat, I fear people are starting to think it’s a permanent fixture.

Q: What is your ideal meal?

A: Anything from Billy Kwong’s restaurant, she has an amazing talent for creating mouth watering dishes. I’d say my ideal meal would have to be her signature Duck with citrus sauce, the Crispy-Skin Free Range Chicken and the Lychee Pork Belly.

Q: How do you keep looking and feeling your best?

A: I think the question is posed better the other way around. I find when I feel good, people often comment that I look good and feeling good comes from such a wide array of things. I love running outdoors, eating delicious foods (in moderation), and spending time with my three most favourate people in the world – Leslie, Saba and Laila.

Q: What are your go-to beauty products?

A: I have two go-to beauty products no woman should live without; Sunscreen and a Man that thinks you’re beautiful first thing in the morning before you apply any product.

Q: What are your favourite local haunts?

A: Wow, SO many places where to start. I guess I am still a Sydney Sider at heart so I will start with food in Sydney: Obviously, as already mentioned I LOVE Billy Kwong for amazing Chinese organic and sustainable foods. For breakfast, I would have to say Bills, Le Petit Crème in Darlinghurst and Flo in Surry Hills. As for shopping, I love the markets….Kiribilli, Bondi and Glebe are my favs! I would have to say my favourite place for Shopping in Perth is Leederville – places like Atlas Divine, Urban Records and Varga Girl. I love Green and Co, for a good cake & coffee. I also just came back from a trip to Brisbane and I LOVED the Fortitude Valley. Violent Green recently opened a store there with a great vibe.