Life lessons: Trelise Cooper

Trelise Cooper with Victorian Opera Company costumes. Photo / Supplied

I have been adopted by Australia as an Aussie designer (much like Crowded House, pavlova etc have been adopted) and David Jones' tongue-in-cheek advertising calls me Australian.

I keep my M.A.C lipstick in my bra. It's the only solution if I'm not near my handbag and I need to freshen up.
I wish I'd never stopped singing lessons. My childhood ambition was to be a rock star. I was always giving concerts standing on the heater with the hairbrush microphone. Or I wanted to be the next Kiri Te Kanawa.

My motto is everything happens for my highest good. (Even if it doesn't look like it at the time).

Some time back I had therapy and I found it totally helpful - to know yourself gives a sense of personal empowerment. Therapy helps you take responsibility for all the outcomes in your life. You get emotional clarity.

The last time I belly laughed was while trying on a much-too-small sample with my design team. We were working late, it was 2am and we were tired and stupid. I was very stuck and we had tears of laughter rolling down our faces and were close to wet pants. I remained stuck for way too long but we couldn't stop laughing to get me out of the garment.

Laughter and graceful surrender to the loss of youth are the keys to getting older.

I have been known to fix the hem of my trousers with my chewed chewing gum.

A smile will make any outfit look great. That's my golden rule of dressing.

Trelise Cooper has designed the costumes for Victorian Opera Company's new production, Xerxes, which opens in Melbourne on August 13 and is a collaboration with NZ Opera.