Fashion Journal 193

ISSUE 193 / 2019

F R E E

Rise and Shine

SHOP 24/7 SKECHERS.COM.AU @skechersaustralia

/skechersaustralia

CONTENTS

Homecoming

08

12

14

22

28

34

38

40

44

The Scoop Fashion News Feels Like Home Feature Where Are You From?

Feature Force for Change with Kristy Lee Peters Afterglow Editorial Paradise Found Editorial Made Easy Christmas Gift Guide Spotlight On Designer Profiles New Light Hair & Beauty

PUBLISHER

BENEE WEARS ACNE STUDIOS RIBBED POLO NECK SWEATER $490, STAMMBAUM FISHING VEST $655 FROM INCU, METAL COUTURE RINGS POA Full interview on page 24

From the Team Hi friends and welcome to our Christmas issue!

It really is a wonderful time of year. Summer is no longer a pipe dream, holidays are so close we can almost taste the Sunnyboys (vale) and whether by design or circumstance, we are surrounded by loved ones. As many of us flock back ‘home’ for the season, it’s interesting to think about how we define the concept.

So that’s our theme for this issue. Inside, we speak to four creative women about the people, places and spaces they call home (page 12). We dive into photographic project, Where Are You From?, exploring the experiences of Australians made to feel they don’t belong in their own country (page 14). We also speak with Kiwi pop

Furst Media Pty Ltd. Mycelium Studios Factory 1/10-12 Moreland Road Brunswick East VIC furstmedia.com.au MANAGING EDITOR Giulia Brugliera giulia@furstmedia.com.au

darling, Benee, about her continuing love of her homeland, even with booming international success (page 24).

More than a time of homecoming, Christmas is a time of giving. As we’re increasingly aware of our environmental impact, we’re limiting our wish list this year with fewer, more thoughtful selections (page 20). We’re also playing our Christmas shopping safe, rounding up 12 gifts that are sure-fire crowd-pleasers (page 38).

There’s plenty more inside, so make like a kid at the pool on the first day of summer and dive in.

Until next year, The FJ team xx

SUB-EDITOR Kate Streader DIGITAL EDITOR Sasha Gattermayr sasha@furstmedia.com.au SALES & CREATIVE CAMPAIGNS Sophie Hodges sophie@furstmedia.com.au EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS Maeve Kerr-Crowley, Ruby Staley ADVERTISING Giulia Brugliera giulia@furstmedia.com.au Sasha Gattermayr sasha@furstmedia.com.au Sophie Hodges sophie@furstmedia.com.au DESIGN & DIGITAL LEAD Ruby Furst ruby@furstmedia.com.au DISTRIBUTION distribution@furstmedia.com.au

COVER

PENNY SAGE PALOMA TOP (WORN OVER) $295 HANSEN & GRETEL CORFU TOP (WORN UNDER) $209

Photographer – Agnieszka Chabros at People Agency Model – Ava at People Agency Full shoot credits on page 34

EDITORIAL INTERNS W

FASHIONJOURNAL.COM.AU @FASHIONJOURNALMAGAZINE /FASHIONJOURNALMAG

Christina Karras, Anthony Graetz, Tess Macallan, Indah Dwyer, Mariah Papadopoulos, Jasmine Wallis, Maki Morita

© 2019 FURST MEDIA PTY LTD. No part may be reproduced without the consent of the copyright holder.

06

NEWS

The Scoop

Nicole Jaymes This summer sees an evolution of local accessories label, Nicole Jaymes. Expanding on the brand’s contemporary staples, a new season drop experiments with colour, prints and textiles. Totes and shoppers now come in printed canvas, including our personal favourite, a hot pink houndstooth style.

For the more adventurous among us, a soft cow-hide leather has been delivered in bold yellow and textured silver colourways. The entire vibrant collection is now available to shop online.

NICOLEJAYMES.COM

Degoey Planet

Frank & Dollys

Denada

Brains behind Degoey Planet, Alexandria De Goey Omundsen, has released a new range, perfectly fitting for the sunny days ahead. Titled She Sells, the collection of jewellery and vessels is inspired by the sea. Each item has been hand formed from stoneware clay in organic colours to mimic seashells, and jewellery pieces are finished with freshwater pearls. Every item from She Sells is handmade to order in Queensland, with a lead time of about three weeks. Shop the collection online now.

Local label Frank & Dollys is launching its first artist collaboration with a new collection called Where We’ve Been. Founders Joel and Rachel Cooper teamed up with multidisciplinary artist Andrea Shaw for the range, combining Shaw’s bold prints with a muted palette in sizes XS to XXL. Importantly, the brand has a strong focus on transparency. Joel and Rachel have made a point of travelling around the world to personally meet every maker in the manufacturing process. More information about the Frank & Dollys supply chain and the collection can be found online.

We didn’t think it was possible to make ice-cream better, but Denada has changed our minds with its game-changing approach to cold, sweet treats.

The Australian, women-led startup has created a series of all-natural recipes that are 99 per cent sugar-free, diabetic- and keto-friendly, and low in carbs. But don’t worry, they’re still just as creamy and delicious as ‘real’ ice-cream. Four classic flavours – vanilla, double choc, mint chip and peanut butter – can be picked up at Coles, independent groceries and health food stores.

DEGOEYPLANET.COM

FRANKANDDOLLYS.COM

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DENADACO.COM

NEWS

Wrangler Wrangler is celebrating its American roots with a campaign shot along the iconic Route 66. Following real-life couples, it showcases the brand’s summer collection of timeless jeans, cut-offs and overalls against the dusty, desert backdrop. The images feature Monument Valley, small Arizona towns, national parks and retro diners, presumably to get us all excited about the competition Wrangler is currently running, offering you the chance to cruise Route 66 for two weeks. Visit the Wrangler website to enter.

WRANGLER.COM.AU

Princess Highway

Status Anxiety

MUJI

Princess Highway is celebrating summer with the exact combination of breezy silhouettes and cheer-inducing textiles that summer days call for. Alongside a burst of floral prints incorporating milk thistles, camellias and gum leaves, you’ll find fabrics covered in strawberries, llamas and spots. The new collection includes lightweight culottes, boxy graphic tees and vibrant swimwear, as well as an expanded range of easy summer dresses. This huge range is now available to shop online and in stores.

Status Anxiety has a range of summer releases to suit all kinds this Christmas, whether your loved ones carry essentials in their pockets or always like to be prepared. You’ll find minimalist clutches, compartmentalised zip purses, cross-body bags, a handbag-tote hybrid and even a bum bag. For the festive season, the label’s ethically-sourced leather comes in a crowd-pleasing palette. Choose from classics black, tan and navy, or opt for brighter pops of pastel pink, sky blue and khaki.

PRINCESSHIGHWAY.COM.AU

STATUSANXIETY.COM.AU

While we all love shopping at MUJI for ourselves, its range also makes for easy yet thoughtful gifts.

The Japanese retailer is stepping up its offering for this giving season, too. Its Acacia wood and Japanese white porcelain homeware ranges are a simple way to dress up your Christmas table, while MUJI’s bestselling aroma diffusers have been spruced up with festive packaging.

Both MUJI Chadstone and The Galeries are also hosting an exclusive in-store embroidery service for personalising gifts, and all locations have MUJI-designed gift wrapping to boot.

MUJI.COM/AU

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FRAME YOUR SUMMER

Enjoy an endless summer with Bailey Nelson and frame it with our new sun styles.

FEATURE

Feels Like Home IMAGES BY TED MIN WORDS BY RUBY STALEY

Home is not just where the heart is. It’s a place, a person or a memory that makes you feel safe and welcome, that will shift as you move through life but will always be present. It can be as big as a country or as small as a suitcase, but always with a common thread of love and belonging. Here, we visit four creative women in the places they call home.

JASMIN AMMA: Model and social worker @JASMIN.AMMA

J: Growing up, I moved a lot and I always loved it. So home, for me, is so many different spaces.

It’s wherever my loved ones are; my friends, my family, my partner. It’s back in the country with all my girlfriends. It’s here in this tiny, cozy old apartment that we love. It’s where I feel most comfortable, where I’m my most vulnerable self, and where I can be my most honest version of me.

Even when I think about home in terms of countries, my dad’s from Ghana so whenever I go back there, that feels like home. I believe you don’t have to have been [to a place] many times for it to feel like it’s home.

I work as a social worker with kids who have had really difficult lives. It’s made me appreciate home. It’s not about what you have and don’t have, but my work has definitely opened my eyes to what my parents have done for me in creating a stable and predictable environment for me to flourish. Not everyone gets that.

12

BEATRICE LEWIS: Musician @HAIKUHANDS

B: My sense of home has shifted from an external, physical place to the internal in the last 10 years, while I’ve been touring so much. I’ve had to build up a peaceful place inside myself that is safe. It’s somewhere that I can be alone, feeling comfortable in silence and comfortable with the mess inside.

Now, with my new house in Melbourne, I think my sense of home is coming back to the external. After not having had a permanent home for five years, I feel as if my house is like a sanctuary. It can be as simple as being able to leave a mess, a place where you can completely let go.

Aside from the physical and the internal, trying to find peace and home in your relationships and in whatever work you do is important. It all comes back to finding that home inside, finding that peaceful place. If everyone felt a little more at home inside themselves, we would probably have a bit more peace in society.

FATUMA AND LAURINDA NDENZAKO: Designers @COLLECTIVECLOSETS

L: The place I feel the most at home is with my sisters, my best friend or my family. We could be anywhere, if I’m with them and I’m in my comfort zone and we are just together, I feel so good. So, I can’t give you a space. Outside of the shop, for me, home is created by the people that I am with. We grew up in a community where Mum would want us to know who our next-door neighbour was.

F: I think having a good space where familiarity is there, that’s home. When you’re around a community of people — especially with a child, and you know that if you were to walk off, someone’s got him — it’s a very comforting feeling. I never have to feel a level of danger.

L: Home is also our store. The North Melbourne community is quite strong and very loyal. We wanted to have a space where we could welcome people with open arms. Where, for anyone walking through the doors, it wasn’t about having to buy something. Creating a memorable experience for them, where they feel really good when they leave, that, for us, is home.

JASMIN AMMA IN HER APARTMENT IN HAWTHORN

FATUMA AND LAURINDA NDENZAKO IN THE COLLECTIVE CLOSETS STORE IN MELBOURNE

BEATRICE LEWIS IN HER SHARE HOUSE IN BRUNSWICK WEST

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FEATURE

Where Are You From?

IMAGES BY JESS BROHIER CURATED BY SABINA MCKENNA INTERVIEW BY ELIZA SHOLLY

The question ‘Where are you from?’ can seem harmless but, for the recipient, it can also be loaded with connotations.

Having encountered this question many times before, writer, curator, model and activist, Sabina McKenna, had an idea. She envisioned a resource that would unpack the experience of being asked, ‘Where are you from?’ by looking at similar experiences of other people of colour.

Alongside friend, photographer and art director, Jess Brohier, she created Where Are You From?, a photojournalistic project that explores the nuances in Australian cultural identities. The following pages contain a preview, so you can see what it’s all about.

Importantly, the project aims to celebrate cultural diversity in Australia and to challenge the understanding that to be Australian is to appear Caucasian.

It also aims to stimulate conversation, which is where we begin.

How did you guys first meet?

Sabina: Jess actually shot me for Ladies of Leisure a few years ago and then, as it goes, we just started seeing each other around. One night, I told her about my idea for the project and mentioned that I thought she would be a really good addition.

Jess: It was definitely a merging of interests.

When Sabina told me about her initial ideas for WAYF I was super stoked because, as a fellow

14

person of colour, it’s so representative of things that I want to be talking about.

Can you tell me a bit about the inspiration behind WAYF, and the project as a whole?

S: The idea had actually been in my mind for a really long time. I have been asked that question for my entire life and always felt a bit weird about it. I couldn’t pinpoint why, but I knew it had to do with me looking a little bit different and standing out in a landscape like Australia. For so long, I felt crazy about why I got so upset or triggered by the question, and I think I just wanted to find context for those feelings and make sense of it through other people. I had a couple of months free in the summer of 2017/2018 and I thought I might as well see what happens.

How does it make you feel when someone asks, ‘Where are you from?’

S: Even after doing the project, it’s still disarming to hear that question. It carries the connotation that I don’t belong in the situation because of the way I appear. Often people ask it when I’m in a vulnerable situation. Like at work, when I’m there on someone else’s dime and I’m obligated to respond nicely. When it’s asked like that, there’s a definite power play at hand. Also, I think it just

raises the assumption that because of the way I appear, I must not be from here, which is just wrong on so many levels. Individually, I was born here and so were a lot of people with migrant heritage. And secondly, it also erases the whole colonial history in Australia. We are actually all settlers, and the first people here were people of colour. There is a lot of layers at play here, and I think that’s what is triggered when I’m asked that question.

J: When I was younger, I used to feel pretty uncomfortable about it. I grew up in a predominantly white area and my whole way through primary school, I was just very aware about the fact that I was not white. Now I’m pretty proud of it. In my experience, people have become a lot more sensitive with their delivery. For example, they might ask me what my background is, in which case I’ll just answer because it’s something I am really proud of. I’m proud to be a niche now, whereas I used to feel as if I was being put in some box that meant I didn’t belong in this community.

What have been your personal highlights of the project so far?

S: Definitely the first exhibition. We’ve had three so far, and they were all really unique in terms of

FLAVIA

BLU JAY

how they turned out and how people responded.

At the first one, I think we had about three or four hundred people turn up. There was so much emotion in the room; people were crying.

J: Honestly, just being the visual component on the side of this has been incredible. I’m stoked to be a part of something that has such a good vision.

Why do you think activism like this is so necessary in a place like Australia, particularly?

J: Mostly because people of colour need accurate visual representation in the media. There just isn’t enough of it. I travel a lot and, more than once, have had people from other countries ask me if I’m an Aboriginal person, just because they don’t know we have multiculturalism in Australia. The more visibility we get celebrating the diversity and beauty of Australian people of colour, the better.

S: Representation is really important. We need to celebrate the diversity that’s here because it’s been like this for far too long. There’s a culture in Australia I recognise as a backward way of thinking that, I guess, is rooted in our complex history. While we have a long way to go, I think mediums like this (and art visibility in general) for people of colour in Australia will open up conversations that need to be had.

What do you think is the biggest issue facing young people right now?

J: I would say there is a definite culture of needing to project happiness and perfection all the time.

The social media generation has cultivated a pressure to always appear like you have everything together, which, as we know, is not always the case.

S: The climate crisis. There is so much resistance from people in power, who are predominantly white and of the older generation.

They are not the people who are going to suffer.

People of colour are the ones who will be impacted.

The ones who are living in developing nations are greatly affected by the decisions of the Western world. They are the ones who will experience the greatest environmental catastrophes.

CIARA STELLA

JOSHUA

TOBI

Where would you like to see the WAYF project take you?

S: I’d love to teach cultural awareness in communities where there is a white predominance.

Anywhere in the world where that might be. I’d also love to take it into different formats and contexts. The photos and stories worked really well, but there are so many other mediums that we could be using to tell that story and share that conversation.

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FEATURE

MATISSE

How it feels to be asked, ‘Where are you from?’

SHEZAANA

“At the end of the day (or the start of the conversation) for PoC, being asked, ‘Where are you from?’ serves as a constant, ‘Just in case you forgot, you aren’t white. Do you care to comment?’ The question, most of the time, is immediately alienating and is a power play.

It makes me wonder why it matters. Does it matter? This country is in a state of flux and yet, is completely unable to grasp what will unite us.

Dealing with these microaggressions only makes me think twice before I use my voice – just to preserve myself.”

STELLA

“I try to emphasise that someone’s background doesn’t always determine who they are and to where they belong. I can appreciate people’s interest in my ethnicity, and most people are probably unaware of the way they can make me feel by asking about it... It’s very confronting to have someone comment on your appearance that way, especially when it’s brought up midconversation or, even more so, when it is the thing that starts the conversation.”

FLAVIA

“[The conversation] always starts with a compliment! And is followed by questions like, ‘What foundation do you use?’ and, ‘It must be so difficult to find one!’; ‘Were you born here?’. Then I usually say something like: ‘Nah, I came here as a nine-year-old’. Then... it’s, ‘Oh really, your English is so good!’

How does it make you feel?

“Pretty shit; very uncomfortable. It feels like I’m not supposed to be here, for some reason.”

ROSA

“The last time I was asked, ‘Where are you from?’ was at my local milk bar. It was one of those crazy-hot summer days. When I got there, the lady serving me behind the counter was admiring my hair. She asked me where I was from. I told her I was from Ethiopia.

“It’s a question I get a lot, and one that I am not fazed by these days. I was happy to feed her curiosity. She told me how some 30 years ago, she had a perm and would rock the big hair... She was funny and I felt comfortable having a dialogue about my hair with her.”

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Being told you are a ‘unique combination’ makes you feel like a dish at a fusion restaurant, not a human being. The colour of my skin and the curls in my hair are not invitation for you to comment, touch or play a guessing game. These parts of my identity should not be the things you are focusing on. I am so much more.”

TOBI

“We’ll say Bendigo and [they] will ask, ‘Where are you really from?’ We’ll say that we were partially raised in Singapore and [they] will ask, ‘Where are you really from?’ [They] will continue to pursue this line of enquiry like an insensitive and involuntary ancestry.com until [they] get the answer to the question [they] really mean to ask which is, ‘Why are you black?’. Clearly [they] haven’t seen Mean Girls.”

CIARA

“‘Where are you from?’ is a red flag. A warning sign. It prepares me for a conversation I would rather not have. It tells me that white is the default. It tells me that I’m not Australian. It tells me that my presence requires an explanation.”

ROSA

BLU JAY

“The last time someone asked me where I was from, I was at work... A middle-aged man approached me while I was behind the bar and, as any employee would, I asked the regular, ‘Hi, how are you? Would you like a drink?’ He replied by asking for a beer. Our small talk extended to the day’s activities, followed by an abrupt eagerness to know, ‘Where are you from?’

“I usually don’t mind the question... but the way this man kept insisting even after I told him, was unacceptable.

“I told him, ‘Here, Australia?’ He replied with, ‘No! But really, where?’. I stated this three times to his face and he still searched for more, as if it was his sole agenda for the night – the pursuit of knowing the true origins of a stranger, without knowing their name, who they are, what they like/dislike, what they’re like. I must be my blackness?”

WAYF’s inaugural Melbourne Series was first exhibited at Blak Dot Gallery in 2018.

The Sydney Series launched earlier this year at Chippendale’s Goodspace Gallery before travelling to The Other Art Fair in Melbourne.

WHEREAREYOUFRM.COM @WHEREAREYOUFROM__

MATISSE

SABINA MCKENNA @ART_WORKR

“When someone asks, ‘Where are you from?’, they of course have probably never been asked.

JESS BROHIER @JESSBROHIER

SHEZAANA

I N E R T I A W A T C H $ 17 9 . 9 5 |

P L U N D E R B A G $ 16 9 . 9 5

Thoughtful Kind PHOTOGRAPHER – SEUNG-ROK AT NETWORK AGENCY PHOTOGRAPHER'S ASSISTANT – NICK TURNER STYLIST – STAVROULA HORTIS AT NETWORK AGENCY

Our wish list is a little shorter this year, with a focus on brands minimising their environmental impact. Alongside slower labels, stylist Stavroula Hortis has styled these images with waste washed up on Australian beaches. It’s your gentle reminder to shop thoughtfully this Christmas.

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WISH LIST

Left to right AUÓR FRANCA IN HONEY TORT $300, AUÓR VALENTINA IN FRENCH BLUE $310

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WISH LIST

Clockwise from top left SIMÉTRIE M CRESCENT MOON BAG IN NATURAL $369, DINOSAUR DESIGNS RESIN SPIRAL BOWL IN PETAL SWIRL $150 DINOSAUR DESIGNS PEARL CLUSTER PENDANT ON LEATHER $190

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WISH LIST

Left to right DINOSAUR DESIGNS RESIN OVAL DROP HOOP EARRINGS IN MELON SWIRL $180, VEJA CONDOR IN GRENAT DAHLIA $200

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FEATURE

PHOTOGRAPHER – KHIERA NICOLE / STYLIST – JADE LEUNG HAIR AND MAKEUP – KAREN BURTON / TALENT – KRISTY LEE PETERS WORDS BY AUGUSTUS WELBY / MADE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH NIKE

Sydney songwriter, producer and DJ Kristy Lee Peters – better known as KLP – is an active force for change within the music industry. On International Women’s Day 2018, she launched her company Ricochet and has been raising a groundswell since.

The company was born out of Peters’ desire to provide support to women and non-binary artists in the music and broader creative industries. After a prolonged period of questioning what could be done to make her industry better for women, she hit a frustration point.

“I thought, ‘Well, I’m kind of done talking about it and I want to start actually creating that space, and being part of a solution,’” she says.

For Peters, that solution was to create a safe space for artists and songwriters; one that extends beyond the songwriting room.

She hasn’t gone it alone. Soon after Ricochet’s inception, Nike supported the initiative as part of its mission to raise up Australians helping their local communities.

Ricochet uses music to unite people from different creative industries to create a strong and supportive community. Through the program, artists have access to mentorships, group activities and workshops, spanning a wide range of subject matters including health, food, beauty and passion.

Peters has now hosted three installments of Ricochet SONGS, a holistic songwriting camp that takes a ‘healthy body, healthy mind’ approach to creativity. The latest camp brought together such famous names as Eilish Gilligan, Odette, Alice Ivy, Imbi the Girl and The Preatures’ Isabella Manfredi.

“It started with 15 to 16 artists,” notes Peters. “But they then take that energy, and that

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confidence and empowerment, and they pass it onto others.”

Simultaneously, Peters has been working on her debut album, Giver, which launched in November of this year. She’s now out on a national tour for the remainder of 2019 and also recently became a mum.

“I just have to really prioritise my time,” she says. “I make sure I’m only putting my energy into those things that I’m really passionate about, like Ricochet or my own music. It’s definitely a challenge but, if it makes you more selfless and more aware of other people, then I think that’s a good thing.”

Identifying a shared ethos, Nike approached Peters last year with the intention to bolster her community endeavours. “Nike has been so supportive with everything that I’ve done. It’s been so natural and so genuine,” says Peters.

Nike’s latest sneaker silhouette, the Air Force 1 Shadow, is paying homage to women like Peters, who are setting an example for the next generation by being forces of change in their community. It’s designed to reflect the game-changing strength and confidence of these women through bigger, better features like double the Swoosh, double the height and double the force.

Today, Ricochet’s latest project with Nike has brought Peters to Melbourne to work with the RYMS community. Real Youth Music Studios

NIKE AIR FORCE 1 SHADOW $180, NIKE SOCKS (PACK OF TWO) $25

Force for Change

facilitates music and dance programs for people between the ages of eight and 13 living in the Collingwood and Fitzroy area.

“Basically, there’s a whole bunch of amazing young people and they come pretty much every week. They turn up of their own accord and they write music, and they dance, and they all support each other.”

Peters, who has a history of running similar programs, notes she always comes out of these youth workshops a better person.

“At the end of it, I feel I learnt a lot from them as well. They just say it like it is and it’s really refreshing.”

This is the second time Nike has partnered with Peters to be a force for change in the local community. In 2018, Nike paired Peters with Australian MC Tkay Maidza who, together, mentored young women at a ‘Force is Female’ songwriting workshop. Two emerging artists were specially selected to perform with Tkay on stage.

On enacting change within the community, Peters notes, “It can feel like you don’t have any control to make change when you look at the bigger picture. But when you break it down, you realise that you can start to make change within your reach, in your community and through the people around you.”

W

NIKE.COM/AU @NIKEWOMEN /NIKEWOMEN

NIKE INDY ICON CLASH LIGHT SUPPORT SPORTS BRA IN BLACK $50 NIKE SPORTSWEAR SYNTHETIC FILL ICON CLASH JACKET IN BLACK $160 NIKE SPORTSWEAR ICON CLASH CROP TOP HOODIE IN WHITE $75 (WORN AROUND WAIST), NIKE SHORTS $85 NIKE AF1 TRIPLE WHITE $150 NIKE SOCKS (PACK OF TWO) $25

MUSIC

Stellar Evolution Get to know Benee, if you know what’s good for you.

PHOTOGRAPHER – KRISTINA VALDEZ / STYLIST – EMMA BOSELEY HAIR AND MAKEUP – LILY SWAN AT DUVAL AGENCY / TALENT – BENEE WORDS BY ELIZA SHOLLY

A few minutes into Benee’s first EP, Fire on Marzz, she opens a song with the lyrics, “My tongue is sealed within my mouth / These certain words they can’t come out.” While it’s certainly a poetic glimpse into the 19-year-old’s inner musings, it feels like a laughable paradox when speaking to her.

In fact, the only time she feels mildly lost for words during our 20-minute interview is when I ask her to choose her favourite James Blake song.

“You can’t do this to me. I’m panicking right now.

They’re all my favourites, okay!?”

Born Stella Bennett in Grey Lynn, Auckland (a town recognised mostly for its November music and arts festival), Benee is New Zealand’s answer to the new-wave, bedroom pop sound with which Generation X is becoming synonymous.

Her career began in a not too dissimilar fashion to many of her contemporaries. Girl discovers immense singing prowess, girl records covers and turns to the Internet to upload them, girl gets picked up by an established producer looking for their next big talent.

“It’s nuts there are now teams in record labels who just spend days on SoundCloud looking up new talent,” she says. “I had no idea.”

The producer in question, Josh Fountain, spotted Bennett’s talent early. It was potentially the same breed of talent he saw in fellow New Zealand teenager Ella Yelich-O’Connor a few years earlier. Yelich-O’Connor, of course, became Lorde. And in the same Golden Age Studio where Fountain co-wrote and recorded her famous debut, Pure Heroine, Benee’s first EP was born.

Fire on Marzz feels way more sophisticated than your average debut.

“A lot of the songs I had been sitting on for ages,” says Bennett. “I called them ‘my little babies’ that I protected. It’s always kind of hard to know what’s going to happen to your music once you’ve released it, because you’re the only one that’s been listening to it. And then bam, it’s out for the world to hear.”

Bennett has since released her sophomore EP, Stella & Steve. The five-track project truly encompasses all that is good about Benee: mature in sound, yes, but whimsical, playful and assured all at the same time.

Like many of her musical peers, vulnerability in songwriting is one of Bennett’s strengths.

Though, unlike most of those peers, Bennett has

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ACNE STUDIOS RIBBED POLO NECK SWEATER $490, STAMMBAUM FISHING VEST $655 FROM INCU, METAL COUTURE RINGS POA

SANDY LIANG DEAN FLEECE SWEAR $850 FROM INCU, ACNE STUDIOS RIBBED POLO NECK SWEATER $490

dyslexia. A condition that, she says, means much of her music just “doesn’t make sense”.

“Often things I put out just aren’t grammatically correct, but songwriting is something where I don’t actually have to be right,” she explains. “I think there’s a lot of songs out there with verses that don’t make any sense, but they have a cool meaning. So I have a lot of fun playing around with that.”

Gone are the days when music was a space for flexing aspects of your newfound status or wealth. Young artists like Bennett are proving that success can well and truly come when layers of your personality are exposed through your songwriting.

“I get a lot out of being able to vent and put my vulnerabilities on a track,” she says.

“Maybe a week before it gets released, I have a moment where I think, ‘Oh shit, people are going to hear these lyrics, and this is a deep song written during a complex time.’ But I guess that’s all part of it.”

Another part of ‘it’, as she so wholesomely refers, are the milestones that come with industry success. When I ask her to reflect on

the big moments so far, what’s interesting is that the majority of them are adjacent to her home country.

One followed the March Christchurch terror attacks, after which Bennett was asked to perform at the You Are Us/Aroha Nui Charity Concert (“I’m a cry baby anyway, but that just tipped me over the edge”). Another was the opportunity to record a te reo Māori version of her song ‘Soaked’ (“that was an emotional experience”) and the third, was meeting Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern (“I definitely embarrassed myself, but it was okay”).

“I sound so cheesy, but I just love New Zealand so much,” she explains. “When I go to places like LA and stuff, it’s just crazy. There are so many people. And while it’s definitely cool in its own way, I love that I have this place to come home to that is just so chill. This nice little isolated island at the bottom of the earth, that’s home.”

Stella & Steve is out now. Catch Benee at St Jerome’s Laneway Festival later this summer.

BENEEMUSIC.COM

GOODS

With Care Say hello to your new haircare routine, sans all the regular packaging waste. Bar None is a zero-waste haircare company bent on improving your tresses without damaging the environment. Alongside its innovative conditioner and shampoo bars, a liquid range has just been released in infinitely recyclable aluminium bottles. The line spans coconut, argan and aloe variations, for everyday use through to damaged hair formulas.

PHOTOGRAPHER – JESPER HEDE STYLIST – JAM BAYLON MADE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH BAR NONE

Left to right BAR NONE HYDRATING CONDITIONER BAR $12, BAR NONE HYDRATING SHAMPOO BAR $12, BAR NONE CLEAN FORMULA REPAIRING SHAMPOO IN COCONUT $20, BAR NONE CLEAN FORMULA HYDRATING SHAMPOO IN ARGAN $20 BAR NONE CLEAN FORMULA EVERYDAY SHAMPOO IN ALOE $20 ALL PRODUCTS AVAILABLE FROM WOOLWORTHS

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Afterglow

PHOTOGRAPHER – TASHA TYLEE STYLIST – JAM BAYLON HAIR AND MAKEUP – ROSE LETHO MODEL – VENNY AT CHADWICK MODELS

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ARNSDORF INA SLIP DRESS $550 ST AGNI INES SANDAL $289 TOILE STUDIOS RED TIGHTS POA

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OH SEVEN DAYS MONDAY RUFF BLOUSE $177 COS NAVY LATEX LOOK COAT $250, TOILE STUDIOS BELT POA

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Paradise Found PHOTOGRAPHER – AGNIESZKA CHABROS AT PEOPLE AGENCY STYLIST – SINEAD HARGREAVES AT PEOPLE AGENCY HAIR AND MAKEUP – ROB POVEY USING MAC COSMETICS AND DAVINES MODEL – AVA AT PEOPLE AGENCY

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OPPOSITE PAGE ANNA QUAN SHIRT $300, STYLIST’S OWN TURTLENECK, ARNSDORF CALDER JEANS $380, VALET GEO HAIR CLIPS $55, MODEL’S OWN BOOTS

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XMAS GIFT GUIDE

Made Easy

For the yogi Nagnata

For the coffee lover Minor Figures

For the creative Dinosaur Designs

Nagnata designs premium lounge and activewear for movement and studio-to-street style. One of the label’s signature houndstooth pieces, be it a crop top, pair of leggings or figure-hugging dress, would be the perfect gift for anyone with an active lifestyle. Textiles have been carefully developed to increase each garment’s longevity, with each piece made using renewable fibres and with a focus on sustainability in design.

The baristas behind Minor Figures make quality coffee accessible. Made for coffee lovers, each product is brewed in East London by a small, passionate team. Mix it up this Christmas season and give a set of iced coffee cans, including Nitro cold brew, mocha and latte flavours, liquid chai mixture or Minor Figures’ iconic oat milk. And when you’re finished, the beautifully illustrated packaging will make you think twice about throwing out the empties.

Whether it be homewares or a jewellery piece, a Dinosaur Designs gift will please the creative in your life with unquestionable taste. Each piece truly is a work of art. Taking vibrant resins and moulding them into organic shapes, the brand uses sustainable production methods to achieve its signature designs. Browse the huge selection of bowls, vases, cups, jewellery and more to find a gift that will be a sure winner.

NAGNATA.COM

DINOSAURDESIGNS.COM.AU

MINORFIGURES.COM.AU

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For the peanut Byron Bay Peanut Butter

For the no frills Fluff

For fancy tastes Byredo

Well, don’t we have the ideal gift. For the one who loves peanut butter as much as they love you, Byron Bay Peanut Butter is an easy pick. It sits apart for its quality ingredients, as BBPB works with local farmers to source the finest Australian-grown peanuts and sea salt. To go one better, its Byron Bay store carries a full range of peanut butter, satay sauces and snack packs, as well as a rotating collection of peanut butter-related products.

Australian cosmetics company, Fluff, believes the world doesn’t need more beauty products, just better ones. The current offering consists of only a few multi-use products, including a pure jojoba face oil, bronzing powder and kabuki brush.

Everything in the Fluff line is cruelty-free, vegan and free of nasties like palm oil and talc. The idea is to make finding quality makeup and skincare easier, as well as Christmas presents.

For a fragrance that is both widely-beloved and whose design will sit beautifully on your loved one’s vanity, this is it. Byredo’s range of luxury European scents is sure to charm even the most elevated of tastes this giving season. Choose from cult favourites Gypsy Water and Unnamed, play it safe with one of Byredo’s gift sets or discover something new, with over 120 Byredo products now available at Mecca.

BYRONBAYPEANUTBUTTER.COM.AU

ITSALLFLUFF.COM

MECCA.COM.AU

XMAS GIFT GUIDE

Even our most carefully selected gifts can be met with quizzical looks, forced smiles and pleading claims of, ‘I love it’. So, take a load off this year and give a crowd-pleaser your giftee will really use and appreciate. All you need to do is close your eyes and pick one.

For everyone else Michael Hill

For the purist Grown Alchemist

For the soulful Nelson Made

We don’t have to tell you that jewellery makes for a foolproof gift. There’s something particularly sentimental about a ring or earrings made from precious metals and gemstones, plus it’s something your loved ones can wear every day. Michael Hill’s range includes pieces to suit everyone on your list — whether it’s a sterling silver set to fit within your Secret Santa budget, a bracelet and earring gift set for Mum, or diamond stacking rings for your special someone.

Grown Alchemist strips back skincare, making it an easy option for the low-fuss person in your life. With a focus on advanced natural formulas, the brand builds on an understanding of cellular renewal to improve the health of skin cells, not just the appearance of skin. The line has products to target every corner of your beauty cabinet (and most of your Christmas list), including exfoliants, serums, hand washes, haircare and, now, targeted beauty supplements.

Nelson Made’s Resort collection sold out almost immediately, so if there is a gift that couldn’t possibly flop, this is it. The line includes a variety of summer slides, mules and barely-there strappy sandals in both flat and heeled options (with block heels, of course). Each Nelson Made style is handmade by artisans in Australia and China, and the brand proudly supports small-batch and ethical production, making it a winner.

MICHAELHILL.COM.AU

GROWNALCHEMIST.COM

For the gin enthusiast Four Pillars Christmas Gin

For the fast-paced The Salt Box

For the sweet tooth Hey Tiger

Each year, Four Pillars crafts its very own Christmas gin to celebrate the holiday season.

Using their mother’s own tried-and-true recipe, the gin is first distilled in traditional Christmas pudding. After ageing for a year in Muscat barrels, it reaches a rich, sweet and well-rounded taste.

Put simply, it smells like gin and tastes like Christmas. Sip it neat, with ginger ale or mix it into a cocktail.

On everyone’s list, there’s at least one person who loves a good bath. Wrap up relaxation for them with a gift from The Salt Box. Choose between restorative magnesium salts or three varieties of bath salts that have all been blended with essential oils. With various health benefits, bath salts are known to reduce stress, improve sleep and settle inflamed skin, and The Salt Box has some of the best, and cutest, available.

The ethical chocolate producers at Hey Tiger make each bar locally in Melbourne by hand to ensure the result is perfect every time. Offering a range of mix-ins and chocolate types, from white to super dark and vegan, there’s something every palate will savour. Not only is the packaging delightful, new Christmas flavours like dulcey and gingerbread, rum-soaked currants, and mulled wine jelly mean the only problem you’ll have will be choosing.

FOURPILLARSGIN.COM.AU

THESALTBOX.COM.AU

HEYTIGER.COM.AU

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DESIGNER PROFILES

Spotlight On

Købn

Perple

Købn is known for its lightweight towels made from sustainable BCI cotton, which is known to be better for farmers, the environment and the textile industry. Each of Købn’s Turkish-made towels are designed with a terry textile on one side and plain weave on the other, with raw fringing at each end. The muted colour palette features nature-inspired hues, alongside faded pastels, hot pink and olive, taking cues from Mexican architect Luis Barragán.

Metallic details also feature, designed to mimic sunlight hitting the ocean’s surface. For its new Summer collection, the brand is introducing chunkyweave bath mats, too.

The essence of Perple’s designs lies in a combination of sharp cuts and considered lines with somewhat humorous details: an unexpected cutout here, a sleeve-glove hybrid there. Drawing on 10 years’ combined experience in fashion, graphic design and costuming, designer Huiliana Chandra-Curry launched Perple in October this year. It’s for women who know what they want. Each striking design is made to order in the brand’s Melbourne studio, with the garment pattern-made, cut and sewn once the order is placed. The intention is to cut down on environmentally-harmful waste and encourage more thoughtful consumption.

KOBN.COM.AU

PERPLEWOMEN.COM

Lylou Incoming Melbourne label Lylou has just launched its debut collection, a summer offering dubbed Terra. The brand’s garments are 100 per cent plastic-free, vegan and biodegradable, and take inspiration from French bohemianism. Soft, draping textiles like linen, Tencel and bamboo are used across jumpsuits, maxi dresses, highwaisted pants and tops. For the colour palette, Lylou has taken cues from nature and the ocean, highlighting shades of sand, moonstone, forest green and terracotta throughout the collection.

LYLOUTHELABEL.COM

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DESIGNER PROFILES

Lovin’ Summer

Tanu Vasu

Sun protection is vital when you’re hitting the beach, particularly if you live in Australia. Lovin’ Summer makes the essentials for your day on the sand, including round towels and its signature beach tent. The tent provides full shade for multiple people while also allowing for plenty of air flow. Assembly is easy – the whole kit only weighs about 4kg – and there’s a variety of setup options to suit your position on the beach and the height of the sun. It also comes with both sand and grass pegs, making it suited to your summer picnics, too.

Sydney-born, New York-based designer Tanu Vasu uses clothing to explore a personal fascination with the evolving relationship between technology and traditional craftsmanship. Her work combines artisanal practice with innovation in fabric. For recent collections, she’s used compelling materials – biodegradable filaments, volcanic magma, peace silk and recycled copper pigment – to reflect on the fragility of textiles. “My work is a cyclical reflection on over-consumption,” explains Tanu. “It’s from the viewpoint that technology and fashion must intersect to promote more conscious consumption in the future.”

LOVINSUMMER.COM

TANUVASU.COM

Toffee Many people consider their laptop to be their most important possession. Toffee prides itself on making bags to protect these precious pieces of tech, including the deceptively spacious Lincoln Briefcase. Made from naturally milled leather, the 13” or 15” case features a slimline design and multiple compartments for your laptop, iPad and papers. Its sides are padded for extra protection, and its base, handles and stitching are reinforced.

The Lincoln is available in two colourways – tan or black leather – which both feature a non-crease pinstripe lining, sturdy zip and detachable shoulder strap. Score 20 per cent off with code LINCOLN20.

TOFFEECASES.COM

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denadaco.com

HAIR & BEAUTY

New Light PHOTOGRAPHER – AMELIA DOWD / STYLIST – THALEA MICHOS-VELLIS HAIR & MAKEUP – GEORGIA GAILLARD / TALENT – HOPE AT VIVIEN'S MODELS MADE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH BAR NONE

Here comes the sun and, with it, the damage UV can cause to your hair. To treat and preserve your strands this summer, it’s worth finding a hydrating product suitable for use after every swim. Bar None has released three new shampoo and conditioners designed to be your perfect fit — aloe for everyday use, argan for dry hair and coconut for damaged hair. It joins an existing lineup of waste-free products now available to purchase at Woolworths.

W

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BAR-NONE.CO

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GANNI DRESS POA BAR NONE BIODEGRADABLE SCRUNCHIE $6 FROM WOOLWORTHS

ARNSDORFÂ INEZ SHIRT IN TAN STRIPE $340

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ARNSDORF AMANDA DRESS IN POWDER BLUE $420 BAR NONEÂ CLEAN FORMULA SHAMPOO IN COCONUT $20 FROM WOOLWORTHS

REVIEWS

Look & Listen WITH SASHA GATTERMAYR AND ELIZA SHOLLY

Beauty

Grand Union

She Said

BRI LEE

ZADIE SMITH

JODI KANTOR AND MEGAN TWOHEY

When physical conditions amount as the result of psychological trauma, we call them psychosomatic injuries. The connection Bri Lee makes between the sexual violence she experienced as a child and the eating disorder she developed as an adult in her bestselling debut memoir, Eggshell Skull, therefore warranted a follow-up. The result is Beauty, a meditation on the presence and effects of beauty ideals on young people today, and the trauma they can both elicit and represent. What is most compelling about Lee’s work is that she seems to be writing from within and outside her experience simultaneously. You can feel the tension of her physical exhaustion and compulsive calorie-counting, all while she is on the promotion circuit of a book that argues to protect the human body. Where admissions of her eating disorder in Eggshell Skull seemed to indicate a resolution, Beauty shows the journey is far from over.

Suck On Light

I will preface this by saying I wish I was as good as Zadie Smith. I connect with her earnestness rather than feel alienated by it, but I like her fiction more than her essays. Her novels provide more place for complexity and irresolution, and her prose is unexpected. But the sophistication with which Smith usually slides through her community epics exploring gender, race, sex, music and class is lost in this collection of short stories. It’s sad she has abandoned her native London (which has proved the best backdrop for her humour and politics) and migrated to America, where her usual wit feels heavy and laboured. Smith fails to see past Trumpian politics and the shadow of Brexit and her writing suffers for it. She sacrifices her characters and linguistic sharpness to make obvious political allusions – a choice, I imagine, she will probably regret.

Over It SUMMER WALKER

BOY & BEAR

It’s been a while since Boy & Bear has made headlines. You may have read frontman Dave Hosking’s name in relation to his chronic illness and subsequent fecal transplants (I’ll let you look that one up yourself), however, musically, it’s been a four-year hiatus for Australia’s favourite contemporary rock/folk quintet. The 2011 masterpiece Moonfire was one of the genre’s best and I’d place Suck On Light in the same triumphant category. Put simply, this record sounds how an oil painting looks. It does an excellent job of toeing wholesome, without leaning too far into the dreaded ‘kumbaya’ category. Melodically, Boy & Bear’s trademark layered instrumentals are clearly present. On a side note, if there’s a more soothing Australian voice than Hosking’s, I want to hear it. This man could narrate the Centrelink hold instructions and I would listen and take notes.

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The tantalising promise of a behind-the-scenes drama will never lose its allure. To witness the tooth-and-nail details of an event you’ve watched unfold from the outside is too intriguing to resist but, all too often, it’s anticlimactic. That’s not the case with She Said. The book, written by the two New York Times journalists who broke the Harvey Weinstein story in 2017, is more a thriller than a piece of nonfiction. All-nighters, codenames, private espionage and nail-biting editorial decisions all build to a known – yet still exciting – crescendo. Not only does it map the challenges and roadblocks the investigative journalists faced as reporters, but also as women. It’s more than scandal and celebrity gossip, it’s about how hard these stories are to get right, the culture of silence that pervades sexual harassment and supports misogyny, and the network of men who wield so much power, they hold this culture up.

Jesus Is King KANYE WEST

Whether or not you’ve listened to, or even heard of, Over It doesn’t really matter. The Instagram stories of Kendall Jenner, Usher, Hailey Bieber, SZA and so many more has turned this album into a new form of bragging right. Sharing your praises of Walker immediately translates to clout – your musical tastes so underground yet so ofthe-moment. The album in question, Over It, truly is a perfect storm. It encapsulates an era when nostalgic RnB jams are at the top of everyone’s Spotify playlists, tactically combining those beats with contemporary lyrics about 21st century relationships. While a little repetitive in parts, it’s the type of easy, excitable listening that makes you want to tell someone about it. A beautiful example of Instagram being the standard to which we measure 2019 popular musical culture – from a Hot Girl Summer, straight into Summer Walker.

To the naked ear, Jesus Is King might not sound as conceptual as Kanye’s previous releases. For the stans among us, however, explaining the significance of this project would take time I simply don’t have here. Since the death of his mother Donda in 2007, Kanye’s music, while objectively brilliant, has been reflective of his long-standing anger and resounding trauma. Only now, nine albums into his discography, does it feel as if he has finally found melodic and lyrical peace. Following bouts of mental instability and questionable acts of presidential support, 2019 saw Kanye publicly lean further into his faith. A Chicago-native, the Sunday Service Choir became his tangible link to both his past and future musical self. To dissect each gospelheavy, Christian-centred track feels irrelevant, because even if you don’t like Kanye, JIK truly is so much bigger than one or two songs.

SOCIAL

Out & About UTS Fashion Graduates Runway Show The end of the year means something exciting for university students around the country: graduation. University of Technology Sydney held its fashion graduate showcase earlier this month, assigning Honours students the theme of ‘change’. This prompt led to collections centred around sustainability, culture and integrity, representing the individual passions and priorities of each designer.

Two students were also sponsored by Liberty London, working with the iconic textile specialists across their graduate collections.

UTS.EDU.AU

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