KISS MY ACE: INSIDE HAUS OF DIZZY

In 2015, Kristy Dickinson started a jewellery brand on the floor of her apartment in Newtown. Today, Haus of Dizzy is one of Australia's most recognised jewellery brands celebrating First Nations culture.
October 20, 2026
Bella Allen

“I often get told that when somebody puts in their Aboriginal Flag earrings, their back straightens, they put their head up and feel like they can take on the world. That’s so important to me. It’s why we created Haus of Dizzy.”

Capturing Kristy Dickinson in written form feels like a near impossible task. Her energy, humour, shield of bling and sneaker charms come alive when you’re standing in the room with her.

Kristy, a proud Wiradjuri woman, is the creator of Haus of Dizzy, a Naarm-based jewellery brand that celebrates and honours First Nations culture.

“People often say, Haus of Dizzy is basically me spewed up in earring form,” she said. “It’s everything that I believe in, it’s everything that I want in the world, it’s everything that I stand for.”

Assortment of First Nations pride stickers by Haus of Dizzy
by
Bella Allen

Being Seen + Heard through Creativity

As I walked from the front of the store into her studio, a timeline began to unfold. A faux-fur coat from a past collaboration with Naarm-based brand Tibbs and Bones hung from a rack. Tennis ball earrings reading “Kiss My Ace” from Australian Open summers lined the walls, and bedazzled Barbies posed in their sealed boxes.

“We don’t often follow trends,” Kristy continued. “I’m always inspired by what’s happening around the world or even in our own backyard. I love to share what’s most important to us through fashion and jewellery, particularly social justice.” These pieces are an extension of that, they’re conversation starters, built to be “educational, but also fun and bright and bold.”

“Some of my things are a little bit, you know, “f*** you”” Kirsty smiled, “but in a fun way.”
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“I do have some little earrings here,” she said as we wandered over to a nearby stand. “They’re called my Gentle Reminders.” One read Respect Women, another Love is Love and Be Brave. Whether it’s on earrings, a bumper sticker, a backpack or a badge, “it’s all about getting messages out there and conversations being started about important things that are happening in the world,” she said. “When you first meet somebody, the first place you look is their face,” she said. “It tells you so much about them.” These statement pieces are exactly that - statements. They encourage “Mob” to express their pride and allies to listen, learn and celebrate First Nations cultures.

One read 'Respect Women', another 'Love is Love' and 'Be Brave'. Whether it’s on earrings, a bumper sticker, a backpack or a badge, “it’s all about getting messages out there and conversations being started about important things that are happening in the world,” she said.

Standing in the studio, Kristy tugged the tabletop draws to reveal fragments of earrings. “We use many First Nations symbols in our pieces. There’s the meeting place,” pointing towards the symbols cupped in her hands, “and this symbol means woman.”

“These are little characters that we created called the Dizzy Chicks,” she continued. “I wanted to have representation for those little brown girls out there. There’s nothing I love more than when they come into the store and they’re like, ‘that looks like me’.”

As we continued the tour, sitting in the back of the studio was a well-loved couch, a watchtower for the rest of the studio where many designs had been drawn, made and tested. “This is Ziggy’s boys’ lounge,” Kristy told me.

“It’s been 2 years now that we’ve launched House of Ziggy Lee. It’s a brand that I created with my son,” pointing to a rack of brightly coloured T’s. “Everything that I teach Ziggy is everything that I want him to be, and I’m so proud of who he is. The kids are our future, and I want them to be amazing, and they are amazing.”

'Women Power', 'Stop Violence Against Women', 'Difficult' and 'Respect Women' Earrings by Haus of Dizzy
by
Bella Allen

Alongside running the store, Kristy offers a number of community events, partnerships and workshops to communities beyond Naarm. “I’ll often head out of the city to teach kids under 12 how to make jewellery,” she mentioned. “We’ve been working with Blackbird Foundation to offer workshops for Mob which has been so exciting and so rewarding. I recently had one student that was so inspired and now she’s making her own jewellery range.”

What struck us most about Kristy was how she uses her brand as a creative force for driving cultural change. “By 2030, we will have empowered a generation of First Nations youth to embrace their creativity, cultural pride, and self-expression,” she writes. For Kristy, the work goes beyond jewellery-making, creating “lasting pathways into the creative industries and stronger, more connected communities.”

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In 2026, Kristy’s ‘Free Creative Workshops for First Nations Youth’ are proudly supported by Believers, our grant program for organisations working to unleash creativity in young people.

Visit Haus of Dizzy in-store: 93 George St, Fitzroy VIC 3065

hausofdizzy.com

written by
Bella Allen
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Exploring New Creative Frontiers: Into the Metaverse with Ivan Medrano


We talk all things metaverse, diversity in art, creativity and digital fashion with two-time Protostar alumni, Ivan Medrano
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The first issue of Ivan's digital magazine: The Independent Variable
interview with ivan merino
by Theia Gabatan

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“I’m really excited about how we can use the metaverse to challenge ethnographic practices within the art world. Within our institutions, there are so many instances in which people of colour have been put into narrative boxes.”

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The first issue of Ivan's digital magazine: The Independent Variable
interview with ivan merino
by Theia Gabatan

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“I’m really excited about how we can use the metaverse to challenge ethnographic practices within the art world. Within our institutions, there are so many instances in which people of colour have been put into narrative boxes.”

‍

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