Camden designer Denisse M Vera’s work featured in Thor: Love and Thunder

Aussie actor Chris Hemsworth bares all in the latest Thor film, but he’s not the only talent on display with a southwest Sydney fashion designer’s work sharing the spotlight. Take a look at her creations.

From fittings on a billionaire’s yacht to dressing Australian stars, a southwest Sydney fashion designer can now add a blockbuster Marvel film to her list of credits.

Anyone who has seen the latest Thor film, or even just the trailer, just might remember the standout scene where Chris Hemsworth’s character has all of his clothing blown off and is left standing naked.

But, it is not just an Aussie actor on show in the scene.

Denisse Marianela Vera runs a self-titled business and personally created the macramé dresses worn by the four Greek goddesses who flank Russell Crowe’s Zeus in Omnipotence City.

“I was in touch with Madeline Turner who is the assistant costume designer to Mayes C Rubeo who is the main designer for Thor,” she said.

Snapshot of the scene where the four Greek goddesses who flank Russell Crowe’s Zeus are wearing macramé dresses personally created by Camden designer Denisse M Vera.

“Madeline was in the year above me at uni and she reached out because she had followed my work since I graduated.

“She showed my work to Mayes and then they wanted to speak with me. We had a Zoom call which was really special because Mayes is Latin American as well so we connected on that level.”

The designers showed her some imagery of a character they wanted Ms Vera to design for, but did not reveal which film they were working on.

Right on the spot, Ms Vera designed some sketches which they were interested in.

“Then the character was written out of the sketch but I was excited that I had been involved at all,” she said. “Then four weeks later, I got an order via the website for four pieces.”

Ms Vera said the order for the Thor film was a blessing in the time of Covid, and it takes her breath away to know her work and a piece of Macarthur is showcased in the blockbuster.

“I organised a screening with friends and family and to share that moment with my very close-knit support network was so special because they’ve each played a special role over the years from the moment I planted the Denisse M Vera seed nine years ago,” she said.

“My mentor Tania Libdy who I’ve learnt from over the years also attended the screening. She has been by my side through it all and I still call on her when I feel stuck on a construction or design obstacle.”

Ms Vera started her business out of Campbelltown nearly 10 years ago, and has dressed the likes of Aussie personality Rebecca Judd.

She is now based in Camden and has found her father’s belief that “if you are good at what you do people will travel the world to come to you” to be true.

And if they don’t come to Ms Vera, they fly her out to them.

“I have people who would come out from Europe to my hometown for fittings which feels really special,” she said.

“The night before my Camden studio flooded, I was actually working late on a garment that I had to deliver by flying to Miami.

“I had a billionaire client that paid for me to hand deliver the garment in time for a birthday that they ordered three outfits from and I did the fitting from a 100-metre yacht.”

Camden fashion designer Denisse M Vera with her designs that were featured on four characters in the latest Thor film.

Ms Vera grew up in housing commission in Ambarvale and since the age of 10, she has been fascinated with creative arts and learnt how to sew from her father. She soon set her heart on the goal to study a Bachelor of Design in Fashion and Textiles with Honours at UTS.

She made it into the course and in her final year of study she decided to go backpacking through “my motherland Chile” and it was there she learnt the technique of macramé from an artisan.

“I fell in love with the craft and then later after my mother died I did some digging into my heritage and found out that weaving is very linked to my heritage,” she said. “I was not aware that I was of native lineage from the Mapuche people and weaving is very intertwined in the Mapuche culture.

“When I learnt, straight away I wanted to create shapes and be creative and that is what leaving is like in the Mapuche style culture. It’s very intricate shapes and that is what I started to incorporate without even knowing my lineage so now I feel an even deeper connection my work.

“I followed my heart towards the ancient textile and experimented to find my own ways to tell stories through the lines and shapes.

“I was the first to combine knotted cords and metal tubes in this way so I feel so proud to see my unique vision, which was born in the rumpus room of my childhood home in Ambarvale on a platform like Thor ... literally on Zeus’ platform.”

The goddesses are wearing designs created personally by Denisse M Vera.

Running her own fashion designer business is not without its challenges, the 2022 floods in Camden are the latest example after they flooded Ms Vera’s studio forcing her to set up shop in her home.

But, there have been milestones along the way that Ms Vera is incredibly satisfied with but she is most proud of taking the journey at her own pace.

“For example there was an investor who was looking to put a lot of money into the business because they really believed in it,” she said.

“I was excited but I decided not to because I wasn’t ready to take such a big step and hand a part of it over.

“I am really glad that I didn’t because it allowed me to take things at my own pace and be as present as I could be for things like when my mum was sick, I was able to care for her full time.”

Denisse M Vera is a Macarthur fashion designer who recently had four of her designs showcased in the latest Thor film. Picture: Annie Lewis

Ms Vera said working on designs for Thor was “nothing less than an honour”.

“I remember as a little girl reading the newspaper about people doing incredible things around the world and then coming home to share it,” she said.

“I remember feeling so inspired by them and wanting to take my gift and share it with the world. It feels special to know that I am doing what I wanted to do as a little girl.”

To find out more about Ms Vera’s business, click here.