Australian fashion designer Collette Dinnigan Canberra - Arab Today The Australian fashion designer is to close her eveningwear and bridal stores and business, but will keep her kids' label running alongside diffusion line Collette by Collette Dinnigan. One of the biggest names in Aussie fashion, Collette Dinnigan has decided, after 24 years in the world of design, to focus on her family life and to shutter her main fashion line as well as her popular bridal line. In 1995 the brand made history as the first Australian label to show ready-to-wear in Paris, but after recently giving birth to her second child, Dinnigan has chosen to wind down her label. Her Spring 2014 line, which was shown in Paris just last month will be her last. The brand's Sydney, Melbourne and London boutiques will close early next year, although the Collette by Collette Dinnigan and Collette Dinnigan Enfant lines (stocked by David Jones, Neiman Marcus, Net-a-porter and Matches) are set to carry on. The Collette Dinnigan line of eyewear sold in Australia will also continue. "I have sacrificed a lot of family time in building and maintaining my business, now I want balance back in my life with my husband, nine-year-old daughter and baby boy. I have met and worked with some of the world's most talented people, as well as realizing my own creativity while driving a financially viable, profitable business," Dinnigan explained to WWD. A few other Australian brands have closed up shop in 2013. First to go was Sydney-based designer Lisa Ho, who shut her label and her three stores in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane due to the financial collapse of the business this June. Then Melbourne fashion legend Alannah Hill parted ways with her longstanding label in August, although the brand will live on under the auspices of department store David Jones. The US and UK didn't escape either. Sadly, 32-year-old New York based designer Jen Kao was forced to shut her six-year-old label this month due to ill health, while Robbie Williams has also filed bankruptcy for his menswear fashion label, Farrell, which he founded in September 2011, with former Burberry design director Ben Dickens as creative director. Source: Relaxnews