DEBrief with Deborah Hutton
What happens when two powerhouse women who’ve never met before get together for an intimate tête-à-tête in front of 120 other strangers? – Moving moments, laughter and some hot gossip!
On Thursday October 17th, Australian media personality Deborah Hutton was joined by Australian innovator Danielle Statham to share their stories of resilience and success.
Chatting together over glasses of champagne, Danielle guided Deborah in sharing incredible details of her career which has spanned four decades: from the tender age of 16 when she first appeared on the cover of Australian Cosmopolitan magazine, to capturing the hearts of the nation as the Editor of Australia’s number one selling magazine, The Australian Women’s Weekly for over a decade, and brand ambassador for Aussie icons like Myer, Qantas, Holden and as the face of L’Oreal’s Olay Regenerist range. As a trusted, respected and relatable voice in the Australian media landscape, Deborah also hosted multiple lifestyle programs for the Nine Network and Foxtel and even authoring two cookbooks and launching her own range of homewares.
Chatting away with Danielle, Deborah took us not only on the highlights of her life and career but into the trauma of being diagnosed with facial skin cancer in 2010, and again later in 2020, and how becoming an advocate, committed to skin cancer awareness and education on a national scale with life-saving national campaigns and developing a range of sun protective hats, Canopy Bay by Deborah Hutton, also helped her to heal.
Danielle Statham is the co-owner of the Sundown Pastoral Company, one of the world’s most renowned sustainable agricultural enterprises along with her husband David and they have four sons. She worked in textiles and design from a young age and built a career as a couture milliner for 25+ years, owning her own wholesale fashion showroom in Sydney and dipping her toe in to designing and owning her own denim label.
Due to her love for the fashion industry Danielle was also acutely aware of the social, environmental, and ethical issues that the fashion industry was facing. Recognising that today’s environmentally conscious consumers are demanding change, Danielle saw the opportunity to close the loop between her family’s agriculture enterprise and sustainable fashion growth. Furthermore, Danielle recognised the vast commercial opportunity for their agricultural enterprise through the ownership and control of the value-add cotton supply chain, from “seed to shelf”.
Danielle’s foresight and ability to execute complex supply chain technology has led to the launch of FibreTrace ™, a supply chain traceability technology platform that allows for real time verification of textile fibres at every stage of the production process. FibreTrace ™ has joined some of the brightest like-minded people globally in the fashion supply chain. Danielle also established and is growing the brand Good Earth Cotton, which started with Sundown Pastoral company’s very own brand of carbon positive (carbon friendly), sustainable and traceable cotton. Her vision for sustainable textiles, in particular climate friendly, regenerative and ethically produced cotton is now having an impact on the entire global cotton supply chain.
Good Earth Cotton is expanding rapidly to other growers globally who demonstrate similar environmental stewardship to that of the Sundown Pastoral Company Cotton enterprise and Danielle now often presents at events and trade shows in her role as a thought leader and disruptor within the global fashion supply chain.
David and Danielle shared her vision of where they would like to see the future generation of agricultural enterprises to play a part in their individual supply chains. They both believe technology plays a huge role in the retention of the brightest minds to continue the evolution of sustainable agriculture. They are large investors in technology and research and development both on, and off their farms.
And what about all the hot gossip?? Well, as the old unwritten agreement goes, what’s shared in the MTC Champagne Bar stays in the MTC Champagne Bar!
*Photo credits to Matt Beaver of Matt Beaver Photography
