It all started in Adelaide, a city known for its calm charm but not necessarily for shaping luxury design prodigies. Yet, for Adrian Condina, the roots of his career were planted in the heart of his family’s home-building project. Growing up with a father who was a builder and a mother deeply involved in crafting her dream home, Condina was never going to be anything other than an interior designer.
Contemplating how he came to be the designer he is today, Condina talks nostalgically about days spent after school watching architectural plans come to life “I was seeing firsthand how an interior designer works without even realising it, he says. ”This childhood fascination with spaces, plans, and details naturally guided Condina toward the world of design. And while Adelaide is where Condina began, it was London that transformed his career, offering a pivotal opportunity that would shift his trajectory entirely.
In 2014, Condina’s leap of faith took him to London, a decision that was less of a planned move and more of a lucky twist. A sourcing trip to Spain for a residential project turned into an impromptu visit to London, where he set up coffee meetings with some of the design studios he admired. To his surprise, nearly all of them responded, opening doors to a world he had only admired from afar. Before he knew it, he was in London, working for David Collins Studio, where his first project involved developing a concept for a luxury bespoke footwear brand in New York.
What followed were four and a half years of immersion in the world of luxury design. Condina worked on high-end projects for fashion maisons and celebrity chefs. He was also involved in aspects of the redevelopment of Harrods. His time at David Collins Studio was an intensive masterclass in luxury, refining every facet of design and cementing his passion for high-end spaces.
Condina’s time in London was not just about design but about deep learning. His next move was to Sybarite, an architecture practice known for its boundary-pushing projects. Here, Condina worked on global projects that stretched from the Dubai Mall to SKP department stores.
One of the highlights of this period was working with Ferrari, transitioning the brand from a car manufacturer into a lifestyle fashion house. “To fuse three of my passions — fashion, food, and Ferrari — was a dream,” he recalls. Over three years, Condina and his team shaped Ferrari’s stores and VIP areas, developing their retail concepts to stand alongside their automotive heritage. The project was an exercise in precision, storytelling and authenticity.
Another career-defining experience was working within Harrods, where he immersed himself in the archives of this iconic department store. “Harrods’ history was our starting point, and trawling through the archives was pure design inspiration,” Condina says. His work with Harrods taught him the importance of understanding brand history and exclusivity, lessons that would carry over into his later projects.
The pandemic was an unexpected turn for everyone, but for Condina, it brought him back to Adelaide. After months of working remotely from a London apartment, he and his family decided it was time to return home. “We realised if we can design projects for Miami from a London apartment, we could do the same from Australia,” he explains.
Returning to Adelaide wasn’t just a logistical shift. It allowed Condina to reflect on how much the Australian design scene had changed in his absence. “When I first moved to London, Europeans didn’t know much about Australian design, but that’s no longer the case,” he notes. Australian design, with its calm palettes and integration of nature, now has global influence.
Condina’s design philosophy, refined through his international experience, is grounded in storytelling. Whether it’s a residential project or a luxury retail space, he believes in the power of research and authenticity. His commitment to curating spaces that are both thoughtful and unique is as much a part of his design DNA as his Adelaide roots.
Since his return, Condina has worked on a growing number of luxury residential and retail projects across the country. In Melbourne, Condina’s incredible eye for material and form, and his ability to juxtapose high and low, masculine and feminine, hard and soft to strike the perfect balance finds full expression at ChloeMonique atelier.
Located on High Street Armadale, amidst iconic Australian fashion brands, this former Pilates studio, which overlooks the bustling street below, has been completely transformed. Entering through a rich ruby-red door and ascending a staircase draped in a lush wine-red coloured corded wool — a colour the supplier hadn’t sold in over three years, yet was the perfect match for ChloeMonique’s brand — you know you’re about to enter a very special space.
Condina, in close collaboration with his client Chloe McCormack, the design visionary behind the brand, has crafted a blend of historical elegance and modern innovation, mirroring the bespoke nature of the brand. The design is a dynamic, ever-changing canvas that allows ChloeMonique’s tailor-made women’s wear collections to shine.
Condina’s vision for the atelier was rooted in a dialogue between the curves and fluidity of fabric and the movement of the female form. “When we started on this journey, Adrian and I talked at length about how everything I do in my job revolves around sculpting garments to my clients’ own forms,” McCormack recalls. “I wanted to have this line of sculpture running through the interior.”
Central to the space is a 30-metre-long floor-to-ceiling soft champagne PVC curtain, which serves as both a dramatic backdrop and a subtle nod to industrial materials. “I wanted something crazy like a PVC or a latex curtain,” Condina says. “I like using materials that are affordable in a really high-end setting. It’s not about what the backdrop is made of, it’s about how you make it look cool.” And it does look cool. Very cool. The curtain’s gloss finish refracts light, giving the space a luxurious, theatrical quality while ensuring that the colour of each garment on display remains true.
Another cool and clever intervention is the 12-metre-long continuous rail that follows the undulating curve of the PVC curtain behind. The extreme length of the rail encourages clients to explore the collection while guiding them through the different zones of the store. Metaphorically and literally, McCormack and her clients go on a journey facilitated by design.
The fitting room, painted in ChloeMonique’s signature sky blue, is designed more like a grand salon than a typical fitting room. Plush silk carpets, velvet ottomans and sculptural brass details create an atmosphere of luxury and intimacy, offering clients a truly bespoke experience. The floor-to-ceiling mirror, perfectly lit, also provides the perfect situation for clients to take photos of themselves in each piece.
As much as Condina may be influenced by luxury European brands, he is also passionate about celebrating Australian product designers and makers. “Everyone I specify, more often than not, is a young designer because I like the fact that they’re getting a chance to showcase their pieces,” Condina says. As a result, custom pieces from Australian female designers, including Nicole Lawrence and Rachel Donath, complete the space. “The atelier is about much more than just selling clothes,” Condina says. “It’s about creating a narrative and a unique, memorable experience.”
Condina’s return to Adelaide has been anything but a retreat. He continues to work on global projects, all while contributing to Australia’s evolving design scene. “Each project has a story, and it’s my job to tell that story through design,” he reflects.
With an infectious energy and passion for his craft, Condina remains committed to the principles that have guided his career —authenticity, craftsmanship, and creating spaces that offer more than meets the eye. Whether designing for fashion houses, luxury residences, or reimagining heritage brands, Condina’s work will no doubt continue to shape the design landscape both in Australia and abroad.
Lead image: Louise Leeman boutique, Madison Avenue, New York. Photography: Adrian Wilson.
This article originally appeared in issue 120 of inside magazine. Grab your copy here