My 10 favourite things: Doris de Pont

The Pacific provides rich inspiration for designer Doris de Pont. Picture / Babiche Martens

Like her collections, fashion designer Doris de Pont's home displays her passion for art and colour. The exterior of her Auckland villa is painted hot pink with green trim and inside the white walls are adorned with original artwork.

De Pont lives in Grey Lynn with her husband Tejo and their children Micky, 17, and Ana, 13.

Each season she works with an artist to create the distinctive fabrics that form the basis of her collections. Her latest range was inspired by the work of Auckland photographer Sally Tagg.

"The clean floral shapes of the succulents in Sally's recent work has become the signature of the La Di Da collections," says de Pont, who has been designing clothes for more than 20 years. "It has a very 60s feel with simple easy shapes, with real and abstract floral motifs."

While black is the staple of most fashionable wardrobes, de Pont is known for her use of bold colour. Rich in reference to New Zealand's place in the South Pacific, she has created an antipodean style worn by women from 18 to 80.

"The only criteria is a confident and adventurous spirit," says de Pont, who has a degree in cultural anthropology.

Born in New Zealand but of Dutch descent, she lived in the Netherlands for several years in the 70s and 80s before returning to New Zealand in 1985. In May she moved her store to a new location in Williamson Ave, on the fringe of Ponsonby's thriving fashion and cafe scene.

MY 10 FAVOURITE THINGS

1. My new shop. It can take an age of looking to find a space that speaks the right language for your label and then suddenly there it is, a building with a bit of history, a touch of Dutch gabled roof and loads of space, light, and warmth. Perfect.

2. Kauri dining chairs. We bought eight swamp kauri chairs from a Te Kauwhata designer. They are handcrafted so each chair has its own personality. People have their favourites because each has quite a different shape. And they go perfectly with the kauri dining table we got as a wedding present.

3. My wardrobe. It is shiny and red and a thing of beauty and practicality. The formica doors remind me of a Chinese lacquer box and I love the handles, which I found at a marine supply shop. Architect Chris Fox designed it for me and it is tall enough to have two storeys of clothing - a lower rail for this season's clothes and a top rail for the rest and enough room for three rows of shoes at the bottom. The windows and garden reflect in the glossy doors, allowing me to enjoy a lovely view from my bed.

4. Chris Knox and the Nothing. The new CD taken as prescribed - play loud for best results. Works every time to enliven my soul.

5. A glass of red. My favourite is the malbec from Millton wines. A great end to a busy day is to come home and relax with a fine organic wine.

6. Reading. I love picking up a good book from our great local bookshop Dear Reader and coming home to my sunroom where I've got a daybed with lots of cushions. The sun streams in, making it the ideal place to curl up and read.

7. Ceramics. I love the form and function of ceramics and applied arts, so I collect pieces when I can from New Zealand artists. The latest acquisition is a tapa bowl by Jengis Poor. I like the synergy of applied arts and fashion so I have some Jengis pieces for sale in my store.

8. Colour. My work and home have elements of strong colour. One of my favourite accessories is a colourful floral handbag that was a gift from my brother-in-law. It's Mexican but it came from the design store at the Gemeente Museum in The Hague. The shelf it's photographed on is part of a built-in wall unit in our lounge. Most of the unit is dark and light timber but it has patches of colour, including this hot pink corner.

9. Art. The newest piece to inspire is Sally Tagg's photographic work but my house is full of artwork that I have collected over the years. I collect original pieces by New Zealand artists. What I like about art in New Zealand is that people work across disciplines which is what I do.

10. Combining art and fashion. It is a recurring theme in my work - I have just done a collection printed with the words of a poem by poet Gregory O'Brien. Another favourite is the Tui buckle jean belt from one of my earlier collections, which incorporates an artwork by Paul Hartigan.