As origin stories go, Silvana Azzi Heras has a pretty good one. She was in her final year of her Bachelor of Design at the University of Western Sydney, as it was then known, when her lecturer contacted her about some work with a relatively new designer, Catherine Martin.

It was the mid-1990s and Martin and her husband, Baz Luhrmann, had enjoyed considerable success with his directorial debut film, Strictly Ballroom (including awards for best costume design and best production design), and the couple was about to start the publicity tour for his next offering, Romeo+Juliet . It was clear their stars were on the rise – and that Martin needed more help.

So, she called the university and asked for recommendations for a couple of the best students in the course. Azzi Heras’ name was put

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