renegade
game changers | thought leaders | rule breakers | style makers
COLLECTIVE issue 3
the man behind
tEd
25 WAYS TO
EWAN MCGREGOR
WHAT MAKES HIS HEART BEAT FASTER?
grassroots to global
UNLOCK YOUR CREATIVITY
WORKING FOR THE
WHITEHOUSE jbrand oracle fox
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other innovators
LAYNE & KIRK LOVE. RESPECT. SIMPLICITY. #collectivehub renegadecollective.com
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EVENTS & COMPETITIONS p.007 -- Sydney Cover Girl Event p.018 -- Citizens of the World (Letter to the Editor) p.031 -- Sydney Reader Dinner at Sokyo p.088 -- Melbourne Art Tour at The Olsen Hotel p.110 -- The Special Delivery Company Social Media Comp p.138 -- Brisbane QPAC Freeze Frame Event
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ed letter issue three kicked off with a bang YOUR SAY collective letter box SNAPSHOT our favourite people, places and products thought leader Brad Sugars sets the scene
THE COLLECTIVE 024 JBRAND $120M turnover per year 026 RICHARD WURMAN the founder of TED 028 DR. BRENE BROWN the power of vulnerability 032 AIRBNB on legalities in NYC 034 salesforce working for the whitehouse the new class 036 Jason Silva making the future less scary 038 Serpent and the swan children of the night 040 Aaron Bakalar king collaborator disruptors 042 Joshua Silver giving sight to 1 billion people 044 Matt tomaszewski finding the humanity in nature 045 clive palmer billionaire politician 046 dominique lyonE david and goliath 048 Heather swan grandma base jumper 052 Cathie Reid medicine woman 057 woo board the power of compliments 058 Lisa messenger risk taker 060 THE transparency of charity modern philanthropy 063 entrepreneur in the jungle the business of animal welfare 065 Birdhat graffiti living two lives cover story 066 layne beachley + kirk pengilly the simple life giving back 078 ewan mcgregor his true love 082 THE school of life shaping young minds 084 the power of community good neighbours HABITAT 087 pony rider on inspiring spaces 089 Blender gallery the allure of nostalgia 092 koskela fashionable furniture 094 feng Shui for your business 096 eco products we love 097 backyard room flat pack offices 098 penny farthing perveyors of beauty 102 woolmark Company grassroots to global
CONTENTS: ISSUE 3
STYLE MAKERS 107 oracle fox fashion influencer 113 Elisabeth de feydeu sweet smell of success 114 gail elliott little joe woman 117 emerging designers the ones to watch 120 hunky dory the rock star aesthetic 122 style for men the versatile gent show us how 124 collective covet bohemian rhapsody 128 eric daman costume designing icons creators 130 ps I made this from craft club to fashion line 132 Peter Collie behind the lens 134 25 ways to unlock your creativity 135 creative products we love 136 jonathan pease the democracy of creativity 137 willard wigan the love of small things
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InsIghts 139 Paul lyons on personal branding 140 luci trinco baby bag boom 141 Melissa Browne how to be efficient 142 Jerry Madden prison reformer 143 Sally Anderson a new me 146 dirt girl flower child 147 roadrunner tyres starting fresh 148 uniforms breaking the dress code TECH FEED 150 Cloud computing the sky’s the limit 152 go go gadget product reviews 154 paul morris revenue extensions 155 MUSIC + STYLE we love NOMAD 156 TRAVEL LIGHT the essentials 159 off the beaten track come on an adventure 164 how to live well healthy and happy 166 fly in fly out the suitcase life 168 Cannes conferences beyond hollywood 170 172 176
bENNY’S SPACE the world of guide dogging MOST TRENDING around the world EXIT LEFT when to sell
024 We are so happy to include Layne Beachley in the growing line-up of Collective Cover Girls, and to welcome our first ever Cover Boy (hopefully not the last), Kirk Pengilly, into the fold. Individually, they stand for authenticity and creativity. Together, they are true renegade trailblazers and perfect ambassadors for The Collective philosophy. We think Jack Kerouac summed them up faultlessly when he said, “The only people for me are the mad ones. The ones who are mad to love, mad to talk, mad to be saved; the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars.” We hope you enjoy these pages as much as we have enjoyed putting them together for you. COVER Photographer: Peter Collie petercollie.com Stylist: Lydia-Jane Saunders lydiajanesaunders.com Assistant Stylist: Cheyenne McCaffrey Hair and Makeup: Tatum Dunwoody Assistants: Kim Rattenbury and Kimberley Waters Glow Salon + Wink Hair Layne wears: NEXT dress | OLGA BERG bolero Kirk wears: HAN shirt
KEEP CALM + STAY COLLECTIVE @COLLECTIVEHUB #COLLECTIVEHUB FOR ONE MINUTE, WALK OUTSIDE, STAND THERE, IN SILENCE, LOOK UP AT THE SKY, AND CONTEMPLATE HOW AMAZING LIFE IS.
e v e n t s l i st J U LY- SE P TE M B E R
COLLECTIVE collective presents COVER GIRL EVENT september 6 Join us for The Collective Cover Girl Event with Lorna Jane Clarkson, Mia Freedman, Layne Beachley and Editor-inChief, Lisa Messenger. Watch our pages come to life, giving you the chance to see our cover girls present their story live and uncensored. Places are strictly limited and our events sell out fast so make you get in early! Find out more on page 7.
THE STAR EVENT
ART SERIES EVENT
Freeze frame
september 10
september 11
september 21
The Collective and The Star have partnered with Sokyo to co-host an intimate evening where the buzz of Tokyo meets a Sydney beat. Allow yourself to be lost in the world of Chef Chase Kojima and his impeccable union of traditional craftsmanship, with an innovative take on contemporary flavour. Co-hosted by Lisa, the night will be one to remember. Find out more on page 31.
Join Lisa for a night to get up close and personal with the work of one of Australia’s greatest living artists, John Olsen. Be greeted with a welcome drink on arrival at the Spoonbill Restaurant and Bar followed by an art tour with in house curator, Jane O’Neill, Director of Art Aficionado Tours. Canapés and drinks will follow in the John Olsen Penthouse to conclude this incredible evening. Each guest will also receive one of The Collective’s famous goodie bags! Find out more on page 88.
The Collective and QPAC invite you to experience Brisbane Festival’s World Premiere of Freeze Frame.
to book contact: rachel@themessengergroup.com.au
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Freeze Frame is written, directed and choreographed by three-time Emmy awardwinning choreographer Debbie Allen, who is famous for her role in Fame and the star studded clients she’s worked with, including Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston. Freeze Frame will blow audiences away with an incredible score that bounces between hip-hop, soul, gospel and R&B, and the untold true story of how art, dance and music can transform lives. Find out more on page 138. Visit qpac.com.au or brisbanefestival.com.au
@collectivehub #collectivehub
DON’T C H A SE P E O P LE . B E A N E X A M P LE . ATT R AC T T H E M . WO R K H A R D A N D B E YO U R SEL F. T H E P E O P LE W H O B ELO N G IN YO U R LI F E W ILL C O M E F IN D YO U A N D STAY. J U ST D O YO U R T H IN G .
COLLECTIVE
They are the artists, the creators, the fearless, the bold. The story-tellers, the experts, the young and the old. Some starting their journeys, others nearing their dreams. They’re the risk takers, the believers‌ entrepreneurial fiends. From the Manhattan skyline to the African plains, the technological, the philanthropic, we bring you the names. The celebration of talent and skill our directive. Starting from NOW we showcase THE COLLECTIVE. 050 renegadecollective.com
sheer jeanius
Nine years ago, Jeff Rudes dreamt of creating the perfect pair of skinnyleg dark denim jeans. Today he is CEO of JBrand, a company he built and which boasts net sales over $120 million per year.
Images courtesy of J Brand
WORDS: JESSICA MONTAGUE
Jeff Rudes (pronounced Roo-des) is a man who practises what he preaches. In Australia for the Bespoke luxury business and fashion summit at the Sydney Opera House, he is completely on brand wearing a perfectly cut pair of J Brand jeans and a crisp, white T-shirt. It’s a look, he says, that is very Steve McQueen – classic, sophisticated, stylish and comfortable. It was with these elements in mind (plus a focus on fit) that Jeff started J Brand in the first place. With over 30 years of fashion experience to his name, Jeff set out in 2004 to create an understated denim line that was chic, sophisticated and above all else, clean. That meant no ostentatious labels or lookat-me detailing. He succeeded. Today, J Brand jeans are sold in over 2000 retailers and luxury boutiques across 20-plus countries. His net yearly sales were last measured at over $120 million and his designs have be seen on the derrierès of A-list celebrities (Angelina Jolie, Victoria Beckham), rock stars (Mick Jagger, Madonna, Rihanna), the fashion elite (Anna Wintour, Kate Moss, Claudia Schiffer), and even royalty (Princess Kate). The most recent notch on Jeff ’s stylish belt, however, is the partial sale of the company – 80.1 per cent in fact to Japanese fashion giant Fast Retailing (who also own Uniqlo and Helmut Lang) for a reported $290 million. As with all of Jeff ’s choices, it has been a well-thought out and considered decision (case in point: it took him seven years to develop the first ready-towear line). The main reason behind the sale, he says, was their wealth of strategic resources, particularly considering he is yet to conquer much of the Asian market. “If we go into a marketplace where [Fast Retailing] is mature, then everything we need to deal with – be it legal, personnel, landlords – is already in place. There’s nothing to be blindsided by and we have their full support,” he says. “For example, they’re deep in China, so they can help us in entering the market and understanding the lay of the land. They are also building some great contemporary businesses and they like what we do.
In only six months it’s been an incredible partnership.” Design-wise, the brand is going from strength to strength. They’ve enjoyed collaborations with other luxury designers like Christopher Kane and Proenza Schouler. More than anything, they’ve also kept loyal to their ethos that a great pair of jeans is the canvas on which to build a fabulous outfit, and have continued supplying loyal shoppers with styles that exude a certain je ne sais quoi. None so more than their new “Grayson” skinny leg cargo pant. The follow-up to hugely successful “Houlihan” (which sold over 300,000 units in 10 months), the Grayson is a savvy modern take on a style Jeff already knows his customers love. But why create something new? Why not just keep selling the original? Jeff likens it to a professional athlete retiring: “It all has to do with the right moment. Sometimes athletes were the best, but kept going for a season too long and they didn’t leave on the high note,” he explains. “And it’s not like we were cutting off supply and saying, ‘Bye, that’s it.’ We filled the space with something interesting and new. And our customers always want new.” Touching on future plans, Jeff hides his excitement well but it’s clearly there. As well as the brand-new ready-to-wear women’s line, they are developing a men’s version and have hopes to open J Brand’s first flagship stores in the next 18 months or so. First off is New York, then Los Angeles, then probably London, followed by other global fashion capitals. Success, it seems, is now simply part of J Brand’s DNA. If only it were that simple, counters Jeff. “Our success is in large part due to distribution, in particular the integrity of it; who we’ve chosen to partner with around the world,” he continues. “But it’s also going beyond your local territory. Twenty years ago, people in our business did not look beyond the US. So it’s going after a global environment and taking the same model of what we were building inside the States and just selling more; buying deeper and selling deeper. That’s how we got to this level.”
j brand: a timeline 2004: The J Brand concept is born from Jeff Rudes’s desire for cleancut, chic denim. 2005: J Brand is launched exclusively at the Ron Herman Melrose Denim Bar in Los Angeles, creating a buzz. The store, says Jeff, “is the best launch pad for denim in America”. 2008: Men’s denim is introduced, reflecting modern classics with a masculine sensibility. Brad Pitt, Ben Affleck, Jake Gyllenhaal and Bradley Cooper become fans. 2010: J Brand crafts a non-denim skinny cargo pant known as the Houlihan. They sell over 300,000 pairs worldwide in only 10 months. 2012: A carefully edited women’s ready-to-wear line is launched, featuring luxurious contrasting fabrics that echo the brand’s simplistic attention to detail. (Note: this range has just been released in Australia.) 2015: Plans for men’s ready-to-wear to be launched.
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THE NEW CLASS VIRAL IDEAS
Two years ago, filmmaker and “performance philosopher� Jason Silva started repackaging academic theories into short videos to share what inspired him. The clips play like movie trailers to ideas, and made concepts about philosophy, futurism and technology go viral.
Words: Edwina Storie
LEFT: Courtesy of The Imaginary Foundation imaginaryfoundation.com BELOW: COURTESY OF DIRECTOR MICHAAEL MARANTZ
Some dreams and ideal careers
don’t have a specific goal. Some simply begin as a passion that develops until it reaches that marker of success where you’re paid to do what you would for free. Jason Silva’s career is like this. He essentially created his own occupation as a performance philosopher to be able to use media to spread philosophical theories. Jason explains his work as combining “academic ideas with the power of sexy packaging.” Being fascinated by philosophical ideas about humanity, technology, and the future, he began to translate these concepts into short videos to show how they can be invigorating and inspiring, rather than complicated and boring. Sharing the clips online with mainstream audiences, they rapidly went viral. In his video The Biological Advantage of Being Awestruck, he rhapsodises to the camera explaining how an experience of awe forces us to expand our mental capacity just to be able to take in the wonder, while in To Understand is to Perceive Patterns, he shows the audience how the man-made world mimics the natural world, with the internet’s intermingled structure matching that of the human brain. “I think my responsibility is to make the future less scary,” he says. “Big ideas need to be presented in a way so that their bigness doesn’t become terrifying, but that it actually reflects their grandeur.” Despite having only started making the videos in 2011, Jason says they’ve been viewed more than two million times. Within just two years he has been invited to present at international seminars such as TED Global, to speak on innovation at Google and Microsoft, and most recently, to host the National Geographic’s highest-rating premiere program Brain Games. In between these major projects he presents keynote talks on technology and creativity for corporate events. His captivating content paired with his natural charisma and strong social media presence has been integral in building his profile. His work, his words, and his personality have all become his business. VideoS for iPad Radical Openness for TED Global 2012 The Biological Advantages of Being Awestruck To Understand is to Perceive Patterns
“Ultimately my brand is authenticity,” he explains. “So my only orientation is asking, ‘Am I being truthful? Am I being authentic?’ I’ve relied mostly on instinct and my keen observations about how ideas travel and shape reality.” Jason’s success is proof of our desire in this age of information to engage with well-packaged ideas. His videos quench the same thirst for curated knowledge and entertaining information that has seen the popularity of educational platforms like TED explode. “I like to think I traffic on the currency of inspiration,” he says. He explains that he began making these videos to capture the fleeting feelings of inspiration he had when contemplating philosophical ideas such as the theory of singularity which argues technology could make us immortal within decades. “The wonder I felt when contemplating these concepts is what I wanted to encode [in my videos and] in the very delivery of the ideas themselves,” he reveals. This fascination with “being immersed in an idea” began while he was studying philosophers and futurists in college. An opportunity to present for Al Gore’s progressive channel Current TV suddenly saw him interviewing the academic experts he idolised, and developing his passion for technology and media. “I had some savings after I left Current and basically just cut down on my expenses and focused on creating independent short-form content. Technology has made cameras and editing equipment infinitely more affordable, and production costs have dropped. So I was able to invest in my own content and gamble on serendipity when it came to promoting that content online. Once I saw the traction the videos were making, I knew I was onto something.”
“[The process of finding exposure for my work] felt very organic. No publicists and no money – just a desire to share inspiration.” He reached out to like-minded people and leveraged off relationships with bloggers and podcasters to share his work through social media. Creating and interacting with his viewers online soon lead to ticking numbers on his Vimeo account, growing followers on Twitter, and invitations to present at international events. Yet sometimes it’s hard to keep up with your own achievements. “Trying to recreate the ‘virality’ of one video can be humbling. To see one quickly reach half a million views and another barely hit 50,000 can be a bit of a setback,” he says. “But [it’s] also a creative challenge.” Jason is proof that inspiration can go viral, and that a yearning to share your ideas can lead to reaching your personal definition of success. “Success is living the best version of yourself,” he says. “It’s writing the script of your life and then getting caught up in a universe that is working with you instead of against you.”
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IMAGE COURTESY OF LG.
ewan
Ewan McGregor is using his success and celebrity status to fight for kids in poverty, and it’s not going to stop any time soon, the Trainspotting actor says. WORDS: MEL CARSWELL interview: Lisa messenger
HABITAT
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renegadecollective.com
Images courtesy of Pony Rider
TECH FEED
pony rider Founder and designer Kelly Searl finds inspiration amongst chaos and delivers one of our all-time favourite collections. WORDS: laura wilson
Here at Collective HQ, it’s not uncommon to find a few staffers engaged in serious discussion about homewares. Pony Rider has been on our radar – and on our couch – for quite some time now. So when we finally scored the chance to meet the creative brain behind the brand, Kelly Searl, we weren’t surprised she was just as grounded as the products she creates. Kelly draws inspiration from everyday life, from the streets of New York to industrial and old-fashioned signage, which comes together to create her unique collections. With a background in textile design and development, Kelly has worked with the likes of One Teaspoon and Sass & Bide. But her new venture was born out of a collaboration with friend and fellow designer, Jacqui Lewis. Not too long after, Kelly and Jacqui went their separate ways but they continue to remain great friends. Throughout the process of building the brand, Kelly has managed to stay true to herself. “There’s been times when we could have taken the brand in a new direction and be three times as big as we are now but it wouldn’t be what I want it to be,” says Kelly. Pony Rider HQ is based in the Northern suburbs of Sydney, and as Kelly tells us, it’s quite an unusual set up. “We generally hear the twang of metal on metal most days mixed in with a bit of ACDC and smell of burning rubber.” (Yep, based among the mechanics.) “An inspiring space is whatever works for you. Most days I like to have my headphones on with blaring music so I can block out the bustle in the office. The perfect work space requires music, room to make a mess and inspirational mood boards all around you.” Amen to that.
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STYLE MAKERS
Image courtesy of Oracle Fox. Read her story.... next.
origins of ORACLE FOX
Meet Mandy, style photographer, artist, illustrator, speaker, fashion influencer and curator of all things beautiful. She is also the face behind (and in front of) the striking Oracle Fox blog. WORDS: Natasha Guterres
1,400 posts 52 posts per month 275,200 page views 53,000 unique visitors in the last month 11 visitors in the last minute “Star struck” doesn’t begin to describe how I felt when I found out I would be interviewing Mandy Shadforth of Oracle Fox. It’s certainly not unusual to hear the terms “Oracle” and “Fox” thrown around by such style icons as Pamela Love, Jenni Kayne and Zanita Morgan. Basically, she’s the bee’s knees of blogging. And why not? Her sleek, modern site is a mixed bag of inspirational images, personal styling and beautiful photography; the catalyst for myriad projects and collaborations. But let’s rewind… In the beginning, Oracle Fox was simply somewhere for Mandy to explore her creativity and unique skill set. “It started as a place to store inspiration images for my new style of paintings,” says Mandy. “I was experimenting with super-realism, and photography, rather than my usual contemporary styles.” When Mandy felt her work as a visual artist becoming too commercial, she took shelter in this new creative haven. It wasn’t long before opportunity came a-knocking. “Business started to just land in my inbox. Companies and PR firms were contacting me to sample goods, and to collaborate with them,” Mandy recalls. >
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