Denise Satterley’s AMIA boutique gives luxury fashion a second, sustainable life

Denise Satterley adores designer fashion. Her wardrobe inside the spectacular, recently renovated Peppermint Grove mansion she shares with her property developer husband Nigel is a beautiful mix of high-end brands, including some “forever pieces” such as vintage Lanvin jewellery, dresses by Michelle Jank and Jean Paul Gaultier and a Chanel Perfume Bottle Minaudiere. But in recent years she has had to reconcile this passion with her growing awareness of, and concern about, climate change — and the fashion industry’s role as a major polluter. “The fashion industry sadly accounts for 10 per cent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions,” she says. “Shockingly the global fashion industry produces more emissions than the aviation industry.” “Schools have been educating kids about climate change from pre-primary age for some time now, so we have new generations of consumers that are much more aware about the environment and our need to protect it.” Enter AMIA, Mrs Satterley’s Subiaco store which sells high-end, pre-loved clothes, with the profits going to charity. The business was launched four years ago, when Mrs Satterley recognised the opportunity to combine three of her passions; fashion, philanthropy and environmental sustainability. In COVID times, and with sustainability now the new black, the venture has taken on a new relevance. As a result, AMIA has been inundated with stock. Recent arrivals include a Chanel limited-edition black patchwork jumbo bag, a Gucci Tom Ford monogram horse-bit chain clutch, Chanel silver quilted shoulder bag and Louis Vuitton Damier Ebene Pochette bag. “I think the close link between our health and our environment has meant that COVID-19 has really focused people’s attention on how vulnerable the world is and how we need to protect the planet to protect our health,” Mrs Satterley says. “People are becoming increasingly more aware of environmental issues including global warming and the need to reduce landfill. AMIA customers want to buy something that is stylish and high quality that they know is going to last a long time. They can feel good knowing they are helping the environment and helping good causes.” Mrs Satterley has welcomed the growing sustainable fashion movement and believes consumers are starting to ask questions about where and how their clothes are made. “They want to know where the fabric came from, is it organic, were plant-based dyes used, were fair wages paid to the people making the garments?” she says. It’s a movement being championed from the top echelons of fashion, with celebrities now committing what was once the ultimate fashion faux pas — wearing an outfit more than once. It has become Kate Middleton’s MO, while in the past fortnight Angelina Jolie’s daughters Zahara and Shiloh both wore (slightly modified) dresses the Oscar winner wore to red carpet events in 2019. “It’s been great to see people in the media like Kate Middleton, Gwyneth Paltrow and Rosario Dawson putting the spotlight on sustainable fashion and making sustainable fashion fashionable,” Mrs Satterley says. “So many people I speak to have beautiful clothes sitting in cupboards and boxes in their homes that they don’t wear. Research shows that Australian women only wear a new garment an average of seven times before they dispose of it. We all have those items in our wardrobe that we’ve only worn once.” AMIA has donated money to the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Dry July Foundation, All Stars for Autism, the Cancer Council of Western Australia, Ronald McDonald House Charities and Lung Foundation Australia. Mrs Satterley was given a further insight into the work some of these organisations do when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015. After undergoing an operation and radiotherapy she has been cancer free since 2016. “An experience like that really puts everything into perspective and focuses you on what’s important in your life, and for me, that’s family,” she says. “I am also much more conscious of not sweating the small stuff.” Mrs Satterley and her husband, whose Satterley Property Group is one of WA’s biggest land developers, have also been involved with Telethon since 1973 — including more than 40 charity home auctions. “Nigel and I have always been very community minded. It is at the heart of everything Satterley does so it’s natural that we would give back,” Mrs Satterley says. “There are so many deserving charities doing amazing work. There is nothing more rewarding than being able to help Australian families.” Mrs Satterley is also working on an upcoming private fashion parade at the couple’s riverside home Chiritta, one of WA’s most historic and prestigious homes. Mrs Satterley and Perth stylist Teagan Sewell are curating a runway show featuring fashions from AMIA to promote the pre-loved fashion movement. It will be the first event the couple has held at their home since they bought it in 2013, reportedly for $17.5 million, and moved in nine months ago following a major, multi-million-dollar renovation which took several years. The home was built and first occupied by Augustus Roe, the son of Perth’s first surveyor-general John Septimus Roe. Sydney-based architect Michael Suttor, who is experienced in prestigious residences, was given the brief for the extension and the couple are thrilled with the result. “Nina Dempster of Ozbyrd Design has done a fantastic job of styling our home’s interior and exterior spaces. Nina was integral to the build process, working in collaboration with Michael Suttor, Denise and our personal representative, Rob Parker,” Mr Satterley said. Mr Parker and Mrs Satterley worked with high-profile Australian landscape designer Paul Bangay on the landscape architecture and design. The home design gave Mrs Satterley another chance to use her creative flair, something she is known for when it comes to her outfit choices at the A-list events the couple attend. “Over the years I have become more confident in my styling choices and knowing what suits me. I really enjoy compiling an outfit for an occasion,” she says. “I purchase garments that make me happy and that I know when they reach AMIA there will be other people who can also enjoy them.” Styling: Teagan Sewell. Hair & make-up: Hendra Widjaja.

Denise Satterley’s AMIA boutique gives luxury fashion a second, sustainable life

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