Deborah Hutton

The media personality, spokesmodel and designer shares highlights and insights on her multifaceted creative journey, including a new foray into hat design...

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Deborah wears the Bedarra UFP50+ hat, $180, part of the new Canopy Bay by Deborah Hutton collection.

I’ve lived a pretty nomadic life. I was born in England, then we moved to Sydney, Brisbane, Port Moresby, Stanthorpe [in Queensland’s Southern Downs region], back to Brisbane, and finally, Sydney when I was 11. As an adult, I lived in the US and Europe for a while, before finally settling in Sydney. I think being on the move so much helped me become at ease meeting new people or walking alone into a crowded room.

I’m always up for new challenges – I suppose that’s why I’ve enjoyed such a diverse career. I modelled for magazines such as Cosmopolitan; became the ‘face’ of Grace Bros/Myer and, later, Qantas and Holden; hosted numerous lifestyle shows on Channel 9 and Foxtel; and was an editor at The Australian Women’s Weekly (AWW). I launched two homewares collections – Living with Deborah Hutton in 2005 and Home with Deborah Hutton for MyHouse in 2021. After being diagnosed with skin cancer for the second time in 2020 and undergoing significant facial surgery to treat it, I became a spokesperson for The Skin Hospital to help promote the importance of regular skin checks.

My latest venture, the Canopy Bay collection, came about after an