ISSUE 110

NOV/DEC 2022
AUS: $12.95 INC GST
NZ: $13.95 INC GST
9 780645 369137

06
 issue 110 talented contributors

photographic
louise coghill, bec haycraft, cecile huynh, sophie joyce, allie daisy king,
charlie kinross, maite pons, phoebe powell, sarah ruhullah, lukasz wierzbowski,
kalindy williams, stephanie rose wood

editorial
serena coady, caro cooper, deirdre fidge, eilish gilligan, fraser harvey, leta keens,
tara kenny, bridget mcarthur, giselle au-nhien nguyen, kirsty petrides, james shackell,
michael sun, suzi taylor, elizabeth whitehead

illustration
lydia ellen design, izzy lawrence, sophie mcpike, ashley ronning,
editor
grace taylor, monica tran, cass urquhart
emma do
[email protected] poster artist
assistant editor emily taylor
& digital editor
cover artist
shannon jenkins
eleonora arosio
[email protected]
senior designer
alice buda
[email protected]
advertise in frankie
designer
caitlyn bendall partnerships manager
[email protected] molly condon
proofreader [email protected]
mel campbell partnerships manager
marketing co-ordinator claire mullins
iris mcpherson [email protected]
[email protected] production coordinator
digital marketing manager lizzie dynon
kelsey caruana [email protected]
[email protected]
branded content director
emily naismith
[email protected] contact us

general manager general enquiries

gaye murray [email protected]
[email protected]
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frankie.com.au/subscribe
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1300 361 146
managing director
arek widawski retail orders
[email protected]
general manager –
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carole jones visit frankie.com.au/find

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services manager are direct
jonathan bishop

submissions: frankie accepts freelance art, photo and story submissions, however we cannot reply
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ISSN 14497794 frankie magazine is proudly published 6 times a year by frankie press, a division of nextmedia pty ltd,
2 craine street, south melbourne vic 3205
We acknowledge the Traditional
views expressed by authors are not necessarily those of the publisher. copyright is reserved, which means you can’t
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frankie.com.au
 first thought

the way to our hearts?

why, it's through our
stomachs of course.
While making this issue, we found ourselves reflecting on how the
simple act of sharing good nosh can make our day. Take, for example,
the colleague who splits their stash of emergency chocolate with us
(legendary behaviour); the neighbour who offers up an entire bucket of
home-grown mandarins; or the chum who swings by with a plate of food
during a tough week. Where would we be without these excellent humans
and their little acts of care? (In a state of permanent hanger, no doubt.)

You too, might feel a little peckish and sentimental as you flip through
the ‘final meals’ five artists dreamed up on page 18. Page 28 might then
inspire you to start crop swapping, while page 108 will definitely have you
questioning your dining etiquette. Having stuffed lots of food for thought
into the intervening pages, we hope you’ll leave well fed and contented.
(If not, it’s time to whip up the carrot cupcakes on page 68.)

Bon appétit,

Emma and the frankie team

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110

46

64

88

48

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contents

what’s inside

how to be a tourist last meal

in your city: on earth:
PAGE 72 PAGE 18
Reacquaint yourself Five artists and what
with the place you they’d eat before
call home. checking out.

caught out: sweet supplies:

PAGE 100 PAGE 78
Writers share their Goodies for your
greatest fibs. stationery drawer.

the history first nations

of the pigeon: fashion:
PAGE 86 PAGE 110
From beloved pet Spring looks from
to flying rat. Indigenous labels.

008 letters 068 carrot cupcakes

010 frank bits 070 muna
018 last meal on earth 072 tourist in your city
024 julia jacklin 076 miah madden
026 a new power 078 sweet stationery
028 crop swapping 084 i love my shop
030 the bauhaus ballet 086 history of the pigeon
032 the printmakers 088 homebodies
042 30 days 094 how to make a candle
044 on the job 096 fun finds
046 cher fan club 100 writers’ piece
048 out of the blue 104 glitter and gore
054 rainbow history 108 the great debate
056 deadly denim 110 first nations fashion
058 botanical bliss 118 cats and mums
060 how to be a muso 120 everybody has a story
062 a kind of magic 122 cool collages
064 school photo day 128 boot scootin’ baby

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 your say

Photo Mariah Krafft Oelr

dear frankie anxiety and gives me something to do! When I get surgery later
this year, I just know frankie magazine will be so rewarding to have
in hospital. Thank you for creating this amazing magazine! Stella <3
PIPE UP, PETALS. TELL US WHAT YOU THINK.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
[email protected]

Dear frankie, After a long day of caring for four sick people at home, it
was time to curl up with some good reads. I was in the middle of Kate
Dear frankie, As a Dane who has spent 3.5 years in Australia (yes, I fell for Stanton’s piece about the fear of turning into her dad, when suddenly
one of your beautiful men), frankie is now my way to stay in touch with my four-year-old girl appeared at my bedside and asked, “Mummy,
the Australian way of life that I adore and miss from the other side of the can you read me a story?” She pointed to issue 108 that lay open on
world. My father-in-law posted me issue 108 and the feel-good issue and my bulging belly and said, “I want THAT story.” I didn’t have the energy
I am now cherishing every page. I have tried various tactics to not read to construct sentences in a way a four-year-old would understand, so
through both issues in one day, but it’s an act of self-control that is almost I read aloud each and every adult sentence. She listened attentively
impossible. Tak for dig (translation: thanks for you). Love, Andrea as if she understood everything I said. This may be a coincidence,
but she woke up the next day with a diminished fever and asked for
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . “just one more story, Mummy”. When she’s on her own with a book,
she sometimes smiles to herself. I wonder if perhaps she learnt this
Dear frankie, I don’t think I have felt more touched reading while watching me with frankie. Love from Kuala Lumpur, Maryam
something than when I read Giselle’s story in issue 109 about music
from her childhood. After blinking back tears, I was soon consumed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
with thoughts about what music my parents and I had listened to
when I was younger. You inspired me to find songs that brought THE LETTER OF THE ISSUE WINS A PALI MEDIUM CHECKERBOARD
back many memories and continue to resonate with me. Thank BAG, RRP $55, FROM PALIBASKETS.COM
you for reconnecting me with my childhood! Love, Stella
Dear frankie, I’ve just made the leap from a
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . corporate tech-sales career to hospitality and
was really insecure about the whole thing. That
Dear frankie, I’m 14 and from Auckland, New Zealand. I recently got is until I read the stories in feel-good vol 2 of
diagnosed with thoracolumbar scoliosis (basically the abnormal wonderful humans doing something similar.
curve of the spine) and this has been very physically and mentally It’s so hard to find stories of people leaving
draining for me, but your issues have helped me so much. Even just corporate to go into service roles – I was starting
reading a couple of pages in a radiology waiting room has been so to think I was the only one. Thank you for making
positive – it takes my mind off negative thoughts, decompresses me feel less alone. Much love, Candice xx

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REAL NICE LEATHER GOODS
 frank bits

first times, last times with… how bookish elk

lizzy hoo The mark of a good novel It’s time to rip off your
is when you look up and winter boots and let the
First time you wrote a joke? I was four years old. My family realise it’s well past breeze tickle your tootsies!
still torments me about it: “Knock knock.” “Who’s there?” your bedtime. You know And what better way to do so
“Smoke.” “Smoke who?” “Smoke eat.” It makes zero sense you should call it a night, than by sliding into a lovely
and everyone laughed at me, not with me. Last time you yet the bookworm inside pair of sandals. These are
got a bad haircut? In the early 2000s I had some horrific you pleads (just as this called Milja, and they go for
haircuts (though they were great at the time). I’m glad bookmark by Make Heads $179 at au.elkthelabel.com.
there’s no digital evidence of my pixie-fringe phase. Turn does): one. More. To score one of two pairs
First time you went to a comedy show? It was in 2016. Chapter. Around $14 for nix, simply pop by
I went to a local pub gig and loved it. During the break, from makeheadsturn.lt frankie.com.au/win
one of the staff came in with a mop and bucket because
someone was so drunk that they peed themselves in the
back row. Last time you ate something extravagant?
I ordered a drink in Bali that arrived in its own small
cupboard with a key, and when you opened it all this
smoke billowed out. The drink didn’t live up to the hype.
First time you met one of your idols? Sharon Stone liked
one of my Instagram posts – does that count? Last time
you had stage fright? There’s some level of nervousness
for every gig I do. The nerves are high when I’m doing a
new show or when there are cameras around. First time
you realised you could do comedy as a career? I didn’t
see comedy at the careers fair. I only quit my full-time
job last year after doing comedy for five years, and I feel
very lucky to have been able to do that. Last time you
learnt something new? Yesterday. I made a new sambal
that I had when I was in Bali.

the fine print

Does the name Tara Whalley
ring a bell? Aside from
being a super-talented the tea collective
print designer and clothing
maker, Tara is a former Good For many tea-loving folks, sipping on a cosy cuppa
Stuff award winner. Since is a sacred ritual. So why not treat it as such?
taking home the fashion Allow us to introduce you to The Tea Collective –
gong in 2019, Tara’s been local purveyors of luxury brews like gingerbread
cooking up dee-lightful chai, toasted coconut and blueberry sencha. Our
summery threads – the likes tastebuds are tingling already. You’ll find these
of which you can see over flavours (and more) available in swish refillable
at tarawhalley.com jars at theteacollective.com.au

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the cat in
life on tour with… beatrice the cup
lewis and claire nakazawa it's a wrap
Swedish ceramic artist
from haiku hands Eleonor Boström’s main Calling all frequent
sources of happiness flyers, midday nappers
Any pre-show rituals? Beatrice Lewis: I do weird include moggies and and desk dozers! There’s
vocal warm-ups and sound like a kid trying to race pups (relatable, much?). a thing called the
motorbikes. I also like to lie down in a park, stretch As such, you’ll find Infinity Pillow ($55 from
my body and listen to Rihanna. Claire Nakazawa: plenty of eccentric pet- infinitypillow.co), and
I jump up and down and make guttural sounds like themed objects you never it was created to help
a monkey. Sometimes we have a group huddle or knew you needed over you comfortably catch
high five. What’s on your rider? BL: Awesome things at eleonorbostrom.se, some zzzs in awkward
like disposable cameras, scratchies, berries and soda from matchstick and places. Like a puffy
water. Wildest tour experience? BL: My favourite show toothpick holders to scarf, it loops around
this year was at Gaytimes Festival in Victoria. They had chopstick rests and your neck for optimum
clubs set up in scout halls, and my friend and I set up jewellery dishes. If noggin support, or
a kissing booth. CN: We once had a run of three shows you dig it, this special can be unfurled and
in different states. We travelled from Panama to a lush handmade cup can be used as a plush back
forest village festival in Tasmania, to dusty dystopian yours for around $143. cushion. Rad, hey?
Pitch Festival in Victoria. Our flights were delayed
so we arrived later than our set time. Thankfully we
still played, then partied after our set. Best thing
about touring together? CN: The motivation, shared
experiences and camaraderie that come from spending
day and night together for weeks. It’s a weird kind
of intimacy you don’t usually have with people other
than your partner or family. BL: Everyone respects
rest, shares vitamins and makes tea or iced matchas
for each other. Dream musician or band to tour with?
BL: Portishead. I’d also love to tour with Rihanna (who
wouldn’t?). CN: Björk. I think her audience would be
musically open-minded and it would be unexpected.
Or Cardi B – that would be so much fun.

weatherproof wear
just peachy Are you searching for a raincoat that won’t
cramp your style? We reckon the Elements
We can all agree that commenting on someone’s body is a no-no, but maybe we jacket from Amble Outdoors, with its serene
should make an exception just this one time, because, well, this Maisey & Oscar print by Bidjara artist Sheri Skele, is a pretty
bath mat has a point. Our behinds are GREAT – why not let an inanimate object good contender. It’s rainproof, windproof and
state the obvious (while also drying our feet)? This cheeky thing is available for made from recycled fabric to boot. $199 from
$65 at maiseyandoscar.com. We're also giving away three at frankie.com.au/win ambleoutdoors.com.au

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settle, petal
Would you look at these
dinosaur
blooming beauties! The designs
delphinium earrings, $72
from thegalleryj.com, are It’s rare to see a milk
the work of Joanna Hiu, a jug take pride of place
meet ngaio parr, the artist local maker who plucks the on a coffee table these
behind the 2023 frankie diary freshest flowers and turns
them into jewellery and
days – except perhaps
at your nan’s house
art. It’s giving summers – but Dinosaur Designs
Tell us a bit about yourself. Hi! My name is Ngaio (you say in an idyllic country has us second-guessing
it nigh-oh) and I’m a creative director, artist and author cottage, berry picking our décor decisions. The
living and working in Laurel Canyon, Los Angeles. I run by day and cross stitching brand’s Pearl milk jugs,
my own independent studio where I work on publications, by night. (One can dream.) $135 each, are so fun
branding and identity, gallery projects and spaces. I also and playful we’d gladly
write a fortnightly recommendations newsletter called Some serve up an afternoon
Things, and I wrote and illustrated a deck to help people cuppa with their help.
through grief called the The Grief Companion. I love: hanging dinosaurdesigns.com.au
out with my husband and our blind Boston terrier, Iggy Pup;
finding treasures at estate sales; throwing dinner parties
in our backyard. The 2023 frankie diary is themed around
Australia’s seasons. What’s your favourite season? Summer,
hands down! I’m a real beach baby. All the best fruits and
veggies are in season then, there are thunderstorms in the
afternoon and fun holidays built in. I miss the Australian
summer! What’s your favourite illustration or pattern from
the diary? They are all my favourites! If I had to choose,
I think the boots pattern is my true fave – mostly because
I wish I owned those cowboy boots. How do you like to stay
organised? I am a true believer in lists. If I don’t have it
on one of my many lists, it’s not going to happen. The list
always starts out neat and ordered, then the page ends up
looking like an abstract artwork with all my notes. What’s
your best tip for staying organised? Have all your lists, but
prioritise only two or three tasks each day. Limiting your
focus keeps you organised and able to get things done.

town camp designs

a lightbulb moment
At Town Camp Designs, you’ll find artist-made clothing
Wondering why you’re suddenly grinning? and homewares from three Central Australian
It may have something to do with French art centres: Ewyenper Atwatye, Tangentyere Artists
ceramicist Florence Ladevèze’s oh-so and Yarrenyty Arltere Artists, known respectively for
adorable homewares. Or, perhaps, because their vibrant textiles, paintings and soft sculptures.
humans are hardwired to react to faces on Profits go directly to the artists, who live across the
inanimate objects (hence why putting googly ‘town camps’ of Alice Springs, the name for the local
eyes on anything makes us giggle). Peruse Aboriginal housing associations. This Always Was
Florence’s portfolio at sianou-creations.com Always Will Be hoodie by Grace Robinya is $80 at
and your brain is guaranteed to light up. towncampdesigns.org.au

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sleek as
We suddenly feel
self-conscious about
our toothbrush
holder (read: an ice, ice, baby
old cup that we
definitely don’t Spring chickens: move onto the next
clean enough). The article. Fellow olds: let us introduce
pari pari culprit? Virginia you to this very cool HuBee ice-cube
Sin’s incredibly tray that: 1) has a lid, making it
Mumbai-based designer Parigna Desai is a bit of dab sleek, twisted loop stackable and space-saving; 2) is
hand when it comes to patterned textiles. For her of ceramic, which made from silicone, which makes
brand Pari Pari, Parigna makes the lushest silk and may as well be popping out ice cubes a breeze.
cotton scarves, drawing inspiration from childhood called a toothbrush Did we mention it comes in a bunch
memories of her grandma’s home, which was a throne. $62 from of pretty colours? A set of two from
treasure trove of fabric and crafts. You’ll find Parigna’s virginiasin.com wolfandbadger.com costs $65.
Nutan Kaye multi scarf (around $138) along with more
of her colourful creations, made using artisanal Indian
techniques, at nobordersshop.com

pull your socks up

mister woof You know that terrible feeling when you
take your shoes off at someone’s house and
Does your dog need a little help staying warm? Does it also have realise your big toe is right there on centre
the good fortune of looking impossibly good in horizontal stripes? stage, poking out from the hole you forgot
If you answered yes to both (or if you just need the dopamine hit to darn? Yikes. Well, here’s your reminder
of cute dog pictures) you might like to trot over to misterwoof.net, to stock up on new socks. This nice blue
where you’ll find the pastel-hued Halle knit for $60. It’s available checkerboard pair by Nancybird will only
in a range of sizes, from Chihuahua to golden retriever. cost you $14.95 at nancybird.com

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bag this
Shout out to Studio Cult for making
a hilarious physical pun out of a
top-notch accessory. This slightly
outrageous bread-tag bag is the best
thing since, well, sliced bread, and can
hello, spring! be acquired at studiocult.co. It’ll set
you back around $147 (the approximate
Forget muted colourways and ditsy florals. As the mercury climbs, we’re cost of an actual loaf in 2023).
following Obus’s lead by donning psychedelic paisley prints, colour-block
boots and energising hues like mauve, grassy-green and sunshine-yellow.
The Melbourne label’s spring collection is playful and a little bit romantic:
exactly what our hearts desire as we emerge from our puffer jackets. As can
be expected from Obus, there are loads of feminine-but-practical silhouettes
and bold hues aplenty. Consider swinging past obus.com.au if you’re attending
any outdoor discos or ’60s-themed soirées in the near future.

two tickets,
please
Haven’t you heard?
Cinemas are making
a comeback, baby. clear as mug
Celebrate the return
of theatrical releases If clean lines, soothing hues
(and the splendour of and durable materials make flower feet
licking choc-tops while your heart sing, then familiarise
watching the previews) yourself with these gorgeous L’Atelier de Charlotte is a Spanish footwear
by adorning your green mugs by Sydney brand brand run by a mother–daughter duo, and the
lobes with Kelly Vize’s House of Nunu ($79.99 for a pair ‘Josephine’ is their signature shoe: flower-
kitschy dangles made at houseofnunu.com.au). They keep heeled mules that, for around $322 a pair, make
of polymer popcorn and your bev nice and hot thanks to a nifty you feel as though you’re walking on sunshine
movie-tickets. Around double wall of borosilicate glass and, (when in fact, you’re walking on daisies). Like
$34 for a pair over at luckily for you, we’ve got three sets what you see? Start saving those pennies,
kellyvize.felt.co.nz up for grabs at frankie.com.au/win then head to latelierdecharlotteshop.com

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hanging out with… hans pucket

here comes the sunne
Where’d you write your new album, No Drama? Oli Devlin: On my
bed, with an acoustic guitar. The band took the folky songs and Stoff Studios was onto something when
made them rock ’n’ roll. What’s the worst kind of drama? Jono it designed its Sunne print. Equal parts
Nott: The kind that unfolds unexpectedly on the street between whimsical and coastal, the design
people who don’t understand each other. OD: Family drama can brings breezy, magical vibes to any
cut you deep, even if it’s not about something serious. At the end abode (especially when illuminated via
of a long tour, my brother and I had an argument about a chicken a lovely linen lampshade). Around $119
wrap that almost broke up the band. Describe each band member from stoffstudios.com
in one word. Callum Devlin: Oli is handsome, Jono is tidy, Callum
Passells is witty and I’m hungry! What’s the secret ingredient in
a Hans Pucket song? OD: Variety. We try to write something that
sounds different to anything we’ve written before, which makes
for a real hodgepodge of tunes. What kind of stuff do you write
about? OD: Not being able to communicate, and the scary parts of
being in love. I’m always trying to write lyrics that say something
honest, or at least funny. Where do you like to hang out in
Wellington? CD: The Embassy Theatre. JN: The Koru Lounge at
the airport. OD: My house. Callum Passells: I café-crawl, have
too many flat whites, speed-run to Te Papa (the Museum of New
Zealand), crash and fall asleep in the grass at Frank Kitts Park.

get your frock on

There’s never been a better time to throw on a
special frock. October marks the start of Frocktober,
the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation’s annual
campaign to raise funds for research into the
stay a while, crocodile development of a much-needed early-detection
test, which could save the lives of 14,000 Australian
Crikey! We wouldn’t much like to come across a real croc in the women over the next 10 years. Like online style icon
wild, but this plush variety by Tel Aviv-based designer Sarit Shani Hay Michelle Trebilco (aka Veteran Vamp), we’ll be donning
is more than welcome to make itself comfortable. The sleek beast is our wildest, most wonderful dresses in support of
handmade from felt, and can be admired alongside many other soft, the cause this month. To get your friends and family
life-sized animal sculptures at shanihay.com around it, head to frocktober.org.au for more info.

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a blast from the past

emotional support
Melbourne maker Madeleine Jost’s soft, elasticated handbags
invoke childhood memories of hazy summers spent at This wall hanging by US studio Secret Holiday
grandparents’ houses: darting underneath sprinklers to is a gentle reminder to let all your emotions –
stay cool, and sucking on icy poles while sprawled across old, good and bad – hang out in the open every once
plush couches. That’s probably because Madeleine crafts her in a while. You know, feel your feelings and
super-cute accessories using pre-loved and discarded textiles, all that. If you need a daily prompt, you might
like vintage terry towels and cotton velveteen. This sustainable like to stop by secretholidayco.com with
approach means that Madeleine only sells a small number of around $176 (you’ll find a dozen other helpful
each special design. If you’d like to snag one, keep an eye on her mantras in flag form while you’re there).
Instagram page @madeleinejost_ for announcements or swing
by madeleinejost.com. Prices usually sit around the $130 mark.

crayola-chic easy rider

kapow kids
Yes, this crayon bowtie is Oh, you ironed a Harley-Davidson
ridiculous. Do we care? patch onto your denim jacket? It’s true – some bubs are happy running around
No! It’s time we all start Same! Kind of. Motorcycles are cool in the nuddy all day. But dressing them in nice
wearing whatever the and all, but we like to play it a little threads – like the kind Melbourne’s KaPow Kids
heck we like, and if that safer. Art is our vehicle of choice, makes – is something they’ll come to appreciate
means tying a crayon so we honoured it by ironing this when they’re grown up and flipping through the
around our necks, embroidered four-wheeled pencil family photo album. Gee, my parents sure had
then so be it. Around ($8 from yohand.etsy.com) onto good taste, they’ll think as they look back on the
$106 from xoelle.com our jacket, instead. ditsy floral sets you picked out. kapowkids.com.au

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five minutes with… tim blunt and

ally turner from fvneral sit back, relax
What’s the story behind your band name? Tim Blunt: A bunch of our How lovely it would be to lounge in
first songs had some reference to death, dying, grief or suicide. A few a field of flowers while perched on
of us had spent a weird amount of time at funerals. We wanted to this deckchair, designed by French
draw on the imagery associated with funerals to show that despite artist Inès Gradot. Although,
their obvious sadness, they’re also super-beautiful and celebratory. we’re not sure how practical the
Favourite time of day to write music? Ally Turner: I love writing seat actually is, since we’d likely
(and playing music) late at night. I know there’s a saying about find ourselves standing up every
everything feeling worse after dark, but there’s also something five minutes to admire its print.
cathartic about feeling the depths of it all in the middle of the night, Around $162 from diyartshop.com
getting it down on paper, and waking up to a fresh day having made
progress. Favourite lazy-day meal? AT: We just got back from the
US, where pretty much every meal was a lazy-day meal. Our go-to
was an In-N-Out grilled cheese. Dream venue to play? TB: It’d be so
meaningful to play The Enmore. We spent many formative moments
there – the most distinct was the time I saw Foals. My best friend and
I must have been 14 at the time, and we’d been taken under the wing
of some older kids who were willing to shepherd us through our
first experiences of partying. I remember being totally transfixed by
the show and felt as if I’d been initiated into some secret cult! I was
grounded for a month after my parents found out (it’s not hard to
tell when a 14-year-old is off their face) but it was worth it.

collage couture
New York designer Tyler
McGillivary’s Elsa Dress is
what floral dreams are made of. twinkle twinkle
The frock is covered in dozens
of laser-cut poly-satin blooms, We’re getting all starry-eyed over these
and takes us back to the days asymmetric chrome-look coasters by Sydney
spent carefully arranging and brand McMullin & co. ($69 for a set of four).
pressing flowers between Their soft edges and metallic sheen are ever
books. It’s a tad spenno, but we so charming – they’re like the grown-up
reckon the chance to look like a version of the glow-in-the-dark ceiling decals
floral collage is worth it. Head we grew up with. If you’re sick of dealing with
to tylermcgillivary.com with watermarks, perhaps you’d like to plonk a few
around $478, if you like. of these on your table. mcmullinandco.com

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 pretty pictures

five artists illustrate the nosh

they’d most like to devour before
they check out.

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IZZY LAWRENCE
Tell us about this spread, please. Here we have an Italian- and share it all around. What fond memories do you have
inspired feast with a view. There’s pizza, pasta, salad, tiramisu of Italian food? Italian cuisine has always been a go-to
and wine. Why these dishes? I chose this as my last meal choice for celebrations. Growing up, there was a little Italian
because it’s delicious, indulgent and a perfect spread to share restaurant down the road that was the number-one choice
with loved ones. These dishes remind me of nights out with for birthday dinners in our family. izzylawrencestudio.com
friends and family – we love to order a little bit of everything @izzylawrence.studio
MONICA TRAN
What do we have here? Vietnamese savoury pancakes (bánh What are your fondest memories of the dish? Growing up, If we
xèo), which have always been my favourite childhood dish. woke up to a pot of pancake batter resting on the kitchen bench,
The best way to serve bánh xèo is hot off the skillet. Inside the it was going to be a good day. My favourite part of the dish is
pancake are onions, thinly sliced pork belly, prawns, mung bean the crispy edges. When there was no filling left, my mum would
and bean sprouts. We like to eat it wrapped in lettuce, dipped make pancakes with just the onion and batter – it was basically
in a sweet, tangy fish sauce, and topped with fresh herbs. like eating a whole pancake of crispy edges. @motr_n
GRACE TAYLOR
What are we looking at? All of my favourite dishes from Melbourne Why did you pick these dishes? I’m a very sentimental person
restaurants that have since closed down: a bean enchilada and and I get very attached to the things I love. Even though all these
Alaska iced coffee from Brother Alec, Elvis French toast from restaurants have closed (some of them years ago!) I still miss them
Sookie La La (which is French toast with banana, peanut butter and often crave my old favourite menu items, so I think it’s fitting that
and bacon) and soy noodles from Joanne’s Kitchen. I’ve also if it were my very last meal on Earth, it should be all my favourites
included the little objects that made these places extra-special. from the past. gracetaylorillustration.com @gracetaylorillustration
ASHLEY RONNING
What do we have here? This is a celebratory ‘goodbye’ cake made What’s your fondest cake-related memory? I was lucky enough
up of vanilla funfetti sponge, vanilla buttercream frosting and to be the recipient of the Dolly Varden cake (from the legendary
caramel buttercream and jam between the layers. Why a cake? Women’s Weekly cake cookbook), made by my mum and grandma.
I’m not sure what my reason for leaving the mortal plane will Gorgeous and pink, the cake forms a beautiful dress for a Barbie, who
be, but if we have the time, we may as well wrap it all up with a is stuck through the middle. We found out soon enough that Mum had
party. Let’s have some pink lemonade, party games and a boogie! to cut off her legs to fit her in. ashleyronning.com @ashleyronning
SOPHIE MCPIKE
What are we looking at? This is Fruit ‘n’ Stuff! Ta-da! It is literally all sit around it on our favourite cushions and eat together. I’m always
what it sounds like – my mum would throw it together every transported back to Fruit ‘n’ Stuff times when we have lunch at home
Thursday night after the weekly supermarket shop. Strawberries, with friends. What’s the best cracker and cheese combo? As a kid I was
oranges, watermelon, cheese, crackers, bread... Why is it close to into eating the cheese solo, taking tiny bites and pretending I was a wee
your heart? For my two brothers and I, Fruit ‘n’ Stuff was always mouse. These days, I’m definitely having strawberry, brie and a simple
such an event. Mum and Dad would fill the coffee table and we’d water cracker combo. Perfection! sophiemcpike.com @sophiemcpike
 music talks

Photo Gen Kay

julia jacklin’s playlist her. I saw Robyn perform in 2019 and it was the best show I’ve ever
seen. It genuinely changed me. I put chimes on my record because
of this and Celine’s song.
EIGHT TRACKS THE SINGER-SONGWRITER
TUNED INTO WHILE WRITING HER THIRD Hot On The Heels Of Love – Throbbing Gristle I referenced this
one on my record. It’s early electronic music but still feels incredibly
ALBUM, PRE PLEASURE. organic and earthy. As a singer-songwriter who comes from the folk
Interview Shannon Jenkins world, it’s a challenge to add extra elements to music that aren’t
just guitar, drums and bass guitar. Listening to this while making
PRE PLEASURE enabled me to add more synths, drum machines
and things that would usually make me think, “Oh no, I’m a folk
Because You Loved Me – Celine Dion I was about nine years old person. I can’t add those elements.”
when I first heard this song; it was on a Grammy-winner compilation
CD my dad had, and I always skipped to it. I reconnected with it over Linger – The Cranberries This song feels so connected to what
the last couple of years. Production-wise, it sits in this weird ’90s-pop being human feels like; melancholy but incredibly joyful at the
era and has lots of chimes. To me, it sounds like a warm bath. same time. It’s rooted in culture and sounds very Irish while also
sounding universal. It’s very tender. Tenderness is what I’m always
Miss You Love – Silverchair This song is an underrated classic. trying to achieve.
I listened to it a lot in Montreal when I was making the record.
I walked around the streets with my headphones on, which felt Jazz Police – Leonard Cohen This is on the I’m Your Man album,
like a portal to my teenage self, who was a huge Silverchair fan. which I never really listened to until I was living in an apartment that
I put it on and I’m flooded with feelings. was a 10-minute walk from where Leonard Cohen once lived. I wrote
quite a bit of my album on a keyboard that has built-in backing
Young Hearts Run Free – Candi Staton I think about this song tracks that sound super-cheesy. My friend Tamra said that’s how
a lot because it’s just genius. It’s encased in really joyful music, Leonard wrote a lot of his later music.
but lyrically it’s devastating. She’s saying, “It’s too late for me. My
relationship is terrible and I didn’t get what I wanted. Young people, Never Too Much – Luther Vandross During 2020 and 2021, this
don’t become like me; be free.” That’s a beautiful perspective and is was my most-played song. I can’t fully describe it, but it’s very life
what I’m trying to achieve with music – to approach a very human affirming to me. The sentiment is beautiful, the production is super-
situation from a slightly different angle, and make it nice to listen to. fun, and Luther does risky vocal runs. Over the last couple of years,
this was the song I put on when I was feeling overwhelmed by what
Because It’s in the Music – Robyn One of my best friends, Nick, has was going on in the world. It helped me realise that music doesn’t
been a diehard Robyn fan for a long time and told me to listen to have to be that complicated. It can just be a feeling.

024
 something to say

Photo Lukasz Wierzbowski

a newfound power I had started running for the first time in my life a few weeks before
starting Trikafta, just going on slow ‘baby runs’ where I jogged for a
minute or two and then walked for another few minutes, coughing
EMILY NAISMITH IS STILL COMING TO GRIPS my lungs out to recover. I cannot stress to you enough how much
WITH THE WAY HER BODY IS CHANGING. of a non-runner I am – my arms flail about like kangaroo paws and
the moment I take off, my lungs tell me “Please don’t”.

On my first run post-starting this new drug, I was one of those

absolute freaks who SMILE the whole time. I could just… do it?!
My legs were the ones that eventually let the team down, not
my lungs. Two months after starting Trikafta, I was polluting
I have no idea who I am anymore. Honestly, for the past three my Instagram feed with photos of myself fucking beaming after
months, I’ve woken up and said, “Who is this new bitch?” Not to running 5km non-stop. Now I’m (honestly, I cannot believe I’m
get too science fiction on you, but my body has changed how it typing these words) training to run 10km because I’m just so
works at a cellular level and I am low-key obsessed and high-key excited to see what my new body can do.
confused by it. Let me explain.
I used to have huge social anxiety about how bad my cough sounded
I have a chronic illness called cystic fibrosis, which is a progressive, around strangers (this anxiety was massively exacerbated by the
genetic disease that causes persistent lung infections (among other pandemic). But now I rarely cough, and if I do, it’s to clear my throat.
fun things). CF makes me cough all the time and causes my lungs to This is the main change I’ve really been grappling with. So much of
not work so well, so I feel tired quite a bit. There’s no cure, but there my identity is tied to my cough – it’s always been with me, hanging
is a new “miracle drug” that’s just been made available on the PBS over my shoulder like a grouchy little muppet. I grew to accept it
in Australia. It’s called Trikafta and it’s a “gene modulator” which and strangely, became attached to it. I thought it was cute when
improves the way salt and water flows through the cells of some my friends said they always knew where I was in the office or at a
people with CF. (An important fact to note is that unfortunately there shop because they could hear my coughs. Now that my cough has
are some people with CF who are unable to access this treatment vanished, it feels like a chunk of me is missing. I feel like I should
yet because of their particular genetic mutation, which sucks.) only be happy about these positive changes, but when you spend
decades of your life accepting that these qualities make you who you
Even just half an hour after taking the first dose, I started noticing are, it can feel a bit weird – sad even – when they’re suddenly gone.
a difference. Suddenly, I could breathe in so much more deeply.
It felt like I’d been driving along the freeway my whole life and So who the hell am I? I have no idea. I guess I’ll just keep trying to
just opened up the car windows, wind whipping into places I didn’t work that out as I push the boundaries of my old body with my new
even know existed. genetically enhanced one, one step at a time.

026
get 25% off frankie subscriptions

simply regist er a nd verif y your st udent st atus

w ith UNiDAYS at fran k ie. com.au /u nidays
 our project

Photo Louise Coghill

sharing is caring trees hanging over fences, rosemary and herbs on every verge and
really good soil. It made sense to try and make use of that instead
of buying it from large farms or other states.”
A NEIGHBOURHOOD TACO BAR IS TAKING
CROP SWAPPING TO A FRESH NEW LEVEL. While there are businesses that offer a takeaway coffee or muffin
in exchange for herbs and veggies, the La Cabana team wants their
Words Kirsty Petrides local green thumbs to stick around, have a meal and become part
of the family. “A lot of residents have become weekly ‘farmers’ for
us, and the produce is always so fresh,” Ben says. “I love seeing the
older residents who take pride in bringing in their flower clippings
If you’re a home gardener – rookie or expert – you’ll know the or limes. We have a chat, and then I see them bring their families
familiar feeling of having way too much produce at certain times in for a meal down the track.”
of year. Ridiculous amounts of lemons in winter, for instance, that
see you madly googling ‘lemon recipes’ in a desperate attempt to The biggest benefit of the crop-swapping scheme so far has been
use the little yellow suckers that have slowly blanketed your yard. the sense of community it’s brought to the little neighbourhood
venue. “We have this one old guy who comes in every week to
If establishing a limoncello factory in your laundry just isn’t supply us with our chillies,” Madi says. “He brings us these incredible
feasible, you might give the surplus to friends or chuck them in a varieties. He’s become so familiar with our team, he knows when
box on your front verge for passersby. But otherwise, they’ll likely our kitchen prep days are.”
end up going bad, and ultimately find their way to the bin.
What started as a way to sustainably source local produce has also
Enter La Cabana, a little taqueria in Fremantle that’s started inviting come with some surprising benefits. “We get lots of messages from
locals to swap their excess home-grown produce for restaurant people asking if we want something they’ve got an excess of,” Madi
vouchers – or ‘taco dollars’. La Cabana’s owners (and childhood says. “Often the bar or the kitchen will say, ‘We didn’t plan to get that,
friends) Ben Foss, Jarrah Stevenson-Marsh and Madi Fay have but if someone has it, we can experiment and create something new
always made an effort to source local produce. “When Ben had the with it.’ So we end up with really unique, unexpected menu items.”
idea to start using what our Freo community is already growing in
their gardens, it seemed like a natural progression,” Madi says. As the restaurant approaches the one-year anniversary of its taco-
dollars initiative, the team hope their fresh take on crop swapping
“South Fremantle and the surrounding suburbs were basically all inspires others to use what’s growing around them. “If you’ve got
market-garden plots back in the day,” Ben explains. “It has a rich something in your garden you’re not going to use, and you can hand
history of Italian and migrant families growing their own produce, it over to someone who will do something with it, why wouldn’t
and you can see it today while walking the streets – there are fruit you?” Getting free tacos and margaritas out of it is just a bonus.

028
our project

the bauhaus ballet

ARTIST LESLEY BARNES CRAFTED A LIVELY
COLLECTION OF WOODEN DANCERS.

What’s the story behind these figures? Bauhaus Ballet all started
one Christmas when I stumbled across a video of the Triadic Ballet on
YouTube. I couldn’t believe my eyes – geometric shapes and colours
danced, spun and spiralled across the screen. Inspired and excited,
I knew I wanted to share the experience with everyone, so I came up
with the idea of a pop-up book called Bauhaus Ballet. Each spread
had different mechanisms that allow the dancers on the page to spin,
leap and bend. The book was published in 2019. To celebrate the
release, my boyfriend Ross McAuley suggested that we turn some
of my illustrations into wooden figures.

What was the Triadic Ballet? The multifaceted German artist Oskar
Schlemmer created his Triadic Ballet in 1922. This ‘Bauhaus ballet’
was a far cry from the delicate tutus and choreography of traditional
ballet. The avant-garde performance consisted of three dancers,
12 movements and 18 bold, sculptural costumes. His colourful
geometric shapes explored the relationship between the body and
space by challenging and restricting how the dancers could move.

What fascinates you most about the Triadic Ballet? I think it still
feels completely new (almost futuristic!), even though it was created
100 years ago. We are constantly bombarded with visual stimulation
on our phones and computers, so it’s very rare to find something that
can make you think differently about art forms. The Triadic Ballet
is also just so fun to watch; I think it fascinates everyone, no matter
their age. It makes you want to dress up, move and make shapes!

You’re an illustrator by trade – how did you go about making these

wooden figures? The most difficult thing was getting to grips with
a new material. Neither I nor Ross had ever really worked with wood
before, so every idea we had was a challenge! We have become a
lot more confident working with wood now, and when we have an
idea, we can usually figure out a way of bringing it to life. It was
a good opportunity to play around with lots of wooden shapes
like cubes, balls and cones.

Where else has this project taken you? This summer, we were
asked to create an installation based on our figures for children
and families at the V&A museum in Dundee, Scotland. This meant
working on a much larger scale and it was a new challenge. There
are also plans for more large-scale installations in the future which
I’m very excited about.

Where can we see more? The best place to hear about when
we are releasing more figures is on Instagram at @lesley_barnes.
We also have an online shop at bauhausballet.bigcartel.com.

031
 look what we made

the
printmakers
a few folks who work with ink
the old-fashioned way.
INTERVIEWS SHANNON JENKINS

032
Photo Charlie Kinross
Photos Charlie Kinross
 look what we made

copperplate etching
is done, I remove the ground and bevel the edges of the plate.
Then I apply printing ink and wipe it off so the only areas with
ink are the etched lines. Next, I run the plate and a damp printing
KYOKO IMAZU, ARTIST paper through a printing press with enormous pressure, so that
the paper picks up the drawing from the plate. Afterwards, I add
tones using a process called aquatint.
How were you introduced to printmaking? I was introduced to
techniques like etching, monoprinting and screenprinting in 2005, What are the challenges of your medium? Understanding the
through a diploma course in Melbourne. It was like finding a missing potential variables within each process takes time to learn. I’m often
puzzle piece; the excitement I felt when an image revealed itself asked how long it takes to etch a copper plate, but that’s like asking
after peeling paper off a matrix has stayed with me after many how long a piece of string is. It all depends on what the image is
years. My first copper etching was a series depicting the Seven and how it’s drawn, how fresh the corrosive chemical is and what
Deadly Sins with animals. the temperature of the room is. Another challenge is accessing
equipment. It has taken me about 12 years to set up my own
Why did you choose to pursue copper etching over other studio with a printing press, chemical baths, and an aquatint box.
printmaking techniques? I’ve been hugely influenced by Goya’s
etching and aquatint series Los Caprichos, Albrecht Dürer’s Your prints focus on animals and nature. What draws you to
engraving Knight, Death and the Devil, and Rembrandt’s etchings. these subjects? I make it my mission to pay attention to things
Another reason is that etching is perfect for including the tiniest people normally overlook, like weeds, pebbles, tiny insects, small
details – like animal furs – that other media cannot achieve. animals and leaves. I imagine the worlds we cannot see with our
eyes. Drawing animals was also a way of communicating with my
What was copper etching originally used for? The first etchings mum, as we both loved them. I would send my drawings to her in
were used to decorate armour. Instead of engraving, etching was a Japan to show that I was OK and that I was thinking of her from
much faster way to achieve detail. After that, artists started printing Australia. This practice of drawing animals continued after she
on paper to spread information. passed – it not only gives me endless inspiration, but also comfort.

What’s involved in making a copper etching? First, I apply What are some of your creative goals? To keep expanding the idea
an acid-resistant ground (a mixture mostly made of bitumen, of prints. I’ve been working with shadow puppetry for a while and
beeswax and resin) to a copper plate, then I draw on it with an my ex-lecturer, the artist Richard Harding, told me shadows are
etching needle, like I would with a pen. The needle removes a type of print – I now see everything as prints!
the ground as I draw, exposing bare copper. Once the drawing
is complete, I submerge the plate in a corrosive chemical, which See more from Kyoko at kyokoimazu.com and on Instagram
etches what I’ve drawn into the exposed copper. When the etching at @kyokoimazu.

035
 look what we made

letterpress printing
Walk us through your printing process, please. Danika: We use
cast-iron antique printing presses. Modern letterpress printing
replaces lead and wood type with photopolymer printing plates,
DANIKA AND DOUG APLIN, OWNERS OF D&D LETTERPRESS
which are created from artwork in Adobe Illustrator and InDesign.
Doug: The artwork on the plate reacts with UV light to create a
raised relief print. Once the plates are ready, we trim the card
Tell us about the origins of letterpress. Doug: Letterpress is the stock and mix ink colours by hand. Using 10 tonnes of force,
oldest method of printing text. Prior to letterpress, monks would the inked-up printing plate is pressed into the sheet of paper,
sit at desks for days on end, handwriting manuscripts to make leaving a beautiful debossed print. It’s a labour of love.
copies. With the invention of movable type (individual printing
blocks, each carrying a single letter) and letterpress, the written Tell us about some of the machinery in your studio. Doug: D&D
word could be duplicated en masse. Johannes Gutenberg was started with ‘Wendy’, our 1920s Chandler & Price platen press. She
the first to use movable type in Europe which, combined with was rescued from a demolition site in western Sydney. Next is ‘Fritz’,
a printing press, created the letterpress printing process. our 1952 German Heidelberg Windmill. We heard a retired printer in
Brisbane was keen to pass it on, so we spent a weekend heaving the
How did you come across letterpress? Danika: While studying 1.2-tonne press out from under his Queenslander. Danika: ‘Delphine’
design at university. After uni, we lived in the UK and visited markets is another Heidelberg press, and came from French Polynesia,
around London where there was always someone selling old wood complete with French instructions and signage. From her depths,
type. When we settled back in Australia, we noticed a 1920s platen we have pulled old prints of resorts and hotels. Our youngest
press on eBay. It was love at first sight! We nurtured it back to life press is from the late ’60s – a spring chicken!
and threw ourselves into learning the art of letterpress.
What excites you about letterpress printing? Danika: Digital printing
Where did you learn your craft? Danika: We learnt about doesn’t compare to the quality you can achieve with letterpress
contemporary letterpress practices by reading books and scouring printing: the detail, the deboss, the fluffy, thick, uncoated cotton paper!
online blogs and forums. We also visited the Penrith Printing Museum
to learn from retired letterpress printers. Doug: There, we met Des, How common is letterpress today? Doug: There has been a
who had been a letterpress teacher at Sydney Technical College. resurgence in recent years. There’s a strong community of
Des would stay with us on weekends and teach us the fundamental letterpress printers worldwide who gather online. Letterpress
aspects of letterpress. printers from the heyday provide advice for the modern stationery
printers. We all love that we’re keeping this craft alive.
What do you create at D&D Letterpress? Danika: Everything from
event stationery to business cards, limited prints, greeting cards, See more from Danika and Doug at ddletterpress.com.au
swing tags and die-cut bits and pieces. or on Instagram at @ddletterpress.

036
 037
Photos Bec Haycraft
Photos Sophie Joyce
 look what we made

linocut printing
Tell us about your process. I draw up my ideas as thumbnails
first, then I sketch my design on thin paper to the size I want the
linocut to be. During this process, I use a mirror and continually
ALLIE WEBB, ARTIST reflect the image to make sure it looks correct, as it’s printed in
reverse. I place the drawing over transfer paper on top of the lino
block and use a ballpoint pen to get a sharp, clear line on the block.
From here, I use a Sharpie and a white Posca pen to make further
What is linocut in a nutshell? It’s a printmaking technique: you corrections. Now it’s ready to cut. I download a good podcast series
chisel or gouge your design onto lino, ink it and print it onto paper. or audiobook while I cut the lino. Once it’s cut and ready to print,
The uncarved areas are what show up on the page. I use a stiff brush to get rid of any loose lino dust and grit. I cut
my paper down to size, ink up the roller and press. I look at the
How did you discover linocut? I discovered it in high school. I think pressed image and, usually, self-loathing ensues. Sometimes, if I’ve
it’s one of those mediums that all art teachers get young students really fucked up an area, I’ll cut that part out and jigsaw a refined
to play with. When I took printmaking as an elective at uni, I started piece to the block. After that’s all done, I start a new drawing and
experimenting a little more. Then when I worked at Penguin as begin again, trying to make the next one a little stronger.
a book designer, I made a cover for Dee Nolan’s A Food Lover’s
Pilgrimage to France and really started to enjoy the whole process. Where do you find inspiration for your designs? I love people-
watching and going to produce markets. Restaurant table settings
Why do you love the medium? I enjoy the restrictions. You only have are also super-exciting to me. I visit museums in Italy (I love ancient
to think about the design, carving and printing. At the time I started Etruscan and Roman art). Also, vintage cookbooks – I have
working with linoleum, I was struggling with oil and gouache. With a big collection.
those mediums, you have to think about the design, colours, tone
and technique. I felt like I couldn’t express what I wanted and How common is linocut printmaking these days? There is a large
was so frustrated. Using only black ink on linoleum allows you community of printmakers out there! David Frazer in Victoria does
to have a certain freedom. It’s a challenging medium, which keeps some incredible work.
it interesting – if you accidentally carve something away, that’s it!
Your block is ruined! What are some of your goals? I’d love to keep exhibiting my work
at galleries until I die, and to have an exhibition in Europe one day.
What materials and equipment do you use? Paper for drawing, I’ve also picked up painting again, so I’d love to keep exploring and
transfer sheets, gouging tools, a mirror, silk cut lino, printing ink, growing with my oils.
a roller, cheap proofing paper, and a baren or print press. There’s
also marble or glass (to roll the ink out and transfer it to the lino), See more from Allie at alliewebb.com.au or on Instagram
and printmaking paper. at @alliewebb.

039
 look what we made

screenprinting
What aspects of screenprinting challenge you? Matt: It’s process-
based and there’s a lot of setting up involved. It slows me down,
which is a good thing. Sarah: I enjoy working with artists on editions,
MATT FEDER AND SARAH MURPHY,
as every work presents a new challenge. Every image needs to be
OWNERS OF TROPPO PRINT STUDIO
taken apart and put back together in a different way. There’s also a
perception that screenprinting is a man’s world. Australia actually
has an amazing history of female printers and collectives who
What happens at Troppo? Sarah: We are an artist-run open-access affected the political landscape.
print studio in Melbourne’s north. We hold workshops, run social
happenings and offer fine-art screenprinting services. What are your goals for Troppo? Sarah: To promote screenprinting
as a hands-on form of action and self-expression that can be put up in
Where’d you pick up your screenprinting skills? Matt: I did the streets. To be a space that allows printers to improve their skills,
screenprinting during a signwriting course in the early 2000s and share their work, and join others in the process. I’d like to host a
printed t-shirts in the backyard. I studied printmaking at university creative-in-residence and screenprint-specific exhibitions. Matt: Our
in 2013 and, after years, picked it up again. I haven’t put it back down Screen Print Social Club (SPSC) where we invite people to make
since. Sarah: I started figuring things out for myself in 2008. I printed prints together is a highlight of my month.
patches and posters as part of the DIY punk and psychobilly scene
in London. Screenprinting existed in the background of all my jobs. What’s the history behind the medium? Matt: I’ve read that it started
I did it in the evenings in the garage and eventually in other people’s in Polynesia using banana leaves, and in China using human hair for
studios. I had the chance to have fun with it at RMIT and made big, mesh. In Japan, they used silk for the mesh. Screenprinting was used
glittery screenprints of a truck. for industry in the early 1900s in America, then for art from the 1930s.
Currently, there’s a lot of interesting stuff going on in Peru with the
How does screenprinting work? Matt: You push ink through a Chicha posters. Kolkata, India, has great political and circus posters,
screen (similar to a flyscreen) with a squeegee, onto a surface. and Yogyakarta, Indonesia, has an awesome printmaking scene.
You can get really technical from there by attaching a stencil to the
screen with photosensitive emulsion, but you can also keep it basic Is the art of screenprinting flourishing or dying? Sarah: It’s flourishing
and use a paper stencil with similar results. Sarah: At Troppo, internationally and steadily making a comeback in Australia. Some
we generally use a photographic emulsion to coat the screen educational institutions view it as a dying art, but that can change.
and expose it to UV light, burning imagery into the emulsion. Screenprinting is amazing as it can be done with a small budget.
It is contextually rich with connections to protest, trade and industry.
What excites you about screenprinting? Matt: You can print on just
about anything, and in multiples. It’s a versatile medium; I bounce See more from Matt and Sarah at troppoprintstudio.com or on
from paper to textiles. Instagram at @troppo_print_studio.

040
Photos Phoebe Powell
 experience

30 days
WE FORCED CARO COOPER TO
IRON HER CLOTHES FOR A MONTH.
HERE’S WHAT SHE DISCOVERED.

There’s a certain power in wearing ironed clothes. The feeling it was the first time meeting my colleagues and I didn’t want
of starchy cotton against your skin gives you confidence; it lifts them to instantly realise I’m a giant dork – let that seep out over
you up above mediocrity and the masses in their creased duds. time. No one noticed or cared that my clothes were smooth. I did
It’s no mystery to me now that douchebags in pressed pants have feel cleaner, weirdly – less grubby and childlike and, dare I say
dominated the world since we crawled from the primordial sludge it, more mature. But then I ate 22 dumplings in 10 minutes in
waving electric irons. And now I’m one of them. Sort of. front of everyone.

I am not a well-groomed person. I do not invest time, energy or Sadly, none of my friends noticed when I met up with them in
money into fashion, so this experiment was certainly a challenge. ironed clothes. They didn’t exclaim or gasp. Maybe it was because
Rather than iron daily, which seemed obscene, I ironed in weekly I’m bad at ironing, or maybe my friends are self-obsessed jerks.
batches. My Sunday evenings were spent pressing laundry while But I did feel less ratty when I was out with my attractive pals.
rewatching stoner comedies. My rickety ironing board and Kmart Wearing ironed clothes made me do weird things, like brush my
iron – the tinny hatchback of irons that leaks and smells like hair and wear make-up – stuff I normally reserve for funerals.
burning plastic – were far from competition-grade equipment,
but were a step up from ironing on the table, bed, floor or I walk my dog in a clapped-out tracksuit and filthy parka several
myself, as I’ve done in the past. times a day. There’s a group of dog owners who meet in the park
with nice, non-reactive dogs. The owners wear real clothes to
It took me half of Wayne’s World to get through my pile the first walk: pants and clean tops. They avoid my dog and me, due to
week. It would have been faster, but some clothes almost instantly his reactivity and because I scream abuse if their off-leash dogs
melted back into wrinkly messes on their hangers. I re-ironed, come near us. Again, I expected life-changing results from my
re-hung and stretched out my aching shoulders. I couldn’t get freshly ironed trackies. I even ironed my dog’s hi-vis vest that
the ironing board to collapse, so now it’s a standing desk. says, “I’m nervous. Give me space.” (It’s synthetic, so I gave it
a light pressing through a tea towel like Mum used to do to my
During my first wrinkle-free week, I went to the pub, and boy leotards.) In my fantasy, the cliquey dog owners welcomed us,
did I go hard in my crisp shirt and jeans. I looked like a corporate and our dogs chased balls in one happy pack while we discussed
lawyer on ‘casual Friday’. I should note that I don’t wash my jeans, local sourdough preferences. But nah. Nothing changed.
so ironing just baked in all the years of crud. I also ironed my socks,
but that was for warmth. Ironed clothes at the pub felt weird, but Ironing my clothes for a month was a roller coaster of emotions:
not in a bad way – I liked feeling like I had a powerful job and struggle, power, betrayal, disappointment, love. I learnt that there’s
a dry-cleaning account. I treated myself to a craft beer. nothing more humbling than ironing tracksuit pants. (But equally,
there’s nothing more liberating than wearing ironed tracksuit pants.
Not many people saw my ironed clothes over the month (I’m The world is mysterious.) I won’t be continuing my Sunday ironing
a remote worker), which felt kind of tragic. I did attend a work ritual – I will, however, continue spending that time watching stoner
function, though. In preparation, I ironed my t-shirt and jacket, comedies – but I do know now that if I ever need to look clean
then gave my jeans a quick press, but nothing extreme because and powerful for some reason, I have what it takes.

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 nine to five

on the job When I was at university, I had no idea that trend forecasting
was an industry. I studied a Bachelor of Design and thought
the job streams coming out of that were pretty binary: you would
TULLY WALTER IS A TREND FORECASTER either become a designer or a buyer for someone else. But it was
AND FUTURIST. always the narrative behind the product that I loved most: who
was the customer? What were their views and values? And what
As told to Shannon Jenkins would motivate them to wear my designs?

I then did a Master’s of Communication and created a blog all about

that narrative: why people choose the outfits they’re wearing and the
psychographics of people’s style. While researching, I discovered
that this is actually an area of fashion that’s used by designers,
merchandisers and retailers. And it’s not just used in fashion –
businesses in food and beverage through to home goods increasingly
want to know more about the future of product and the future
of people’s mindsets and values. That’s when I discovered trend
forecasting as an industry.

A good trend forecaster is a good historian, because they read the

cues, study the text and spot the signals (a signal is something on
the fringe that will forecast where the future will go). A big element
of it is intuition. The most common framework of trend research,
or trend theory, is the trend curve. The social science of that model
was actually founded out of agricultural processes from America
in the ’60s, to explain how, over time, an idea or product gains
momentum and spreads through a specific population.

When we think of trend curves, we usually think of fashion.

The trend cycle is created by the ‘innovators’, who are often
designers and those on the fringe of society. Historically, we
might think of people like Vivienne Westwood and the punk
counterculture. The trend moves from the ‘innovators’ to the

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Photo Miranda Stokkel

‘early adopters’ (so, the punk rockers hanging out with Vivienne), we got out of lockdown. But I don’t think people are shaking
and then it reaches the mainstream. It then becomes volumised off the comfortable clothes as quickly as we anticipated. Comfort
and saturated, and you will see it stocked at discount department is a really hard behaviour to change, so that early prediction
stores, like Kmart. Then, the trend is adopted by the ‘laggards’, might have been too bold. On the other hand, we published our
who are the last to the party. Eventually, that curve follows through Future Forecast 2024 report in August of 2021 and wrote about
and dies. It’s quite a rhythmic process. Fashion seems to move the ‘great resignation’ – how there’ll be a fundamental shift in
in a 20-year cycle, and so too do consumer tastes. The PESTEL how people view their nine-to-five, and young people redesigning
(political, economic, social, technological, environmental, legal) their relationship with labour and hustle culture. It’s a trend to
framework measures the longevity and impact of a trend. If we watch and I’m excited to see how it continues to unfold, because
look at something like sustainable fashion, technologically and we’ve seen such an uptake in entrepreneurship being reimagined.
environmentally, we know that it’s not going to be a flash-in-the-pan Whether it’s TikTok creators or people starting side hustles,
trend. We’re in an environmental crisis, so we know sustainable they’re rolling into new ways of working for themselves.
fashion will be a lasting trend.
TikTok is the greatest source of surprise for me – it’s such
I work for SOON Future Studies – a global think tank. We do a petri dish for niche ideas. Take that guy whose truck broke
bespoke consultancy projects and publish reports on things like down in California, for example. He had to skateboard to work,
‘the future of snacking’ or ‘the future of cities’. We work with food and filmed himself drinking a bottle of Ocean Spray cranberry
and beverage clients, department stores, fashion clients and also juice while listening to Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams”. It skyrocketed
beauty clients. Health and wellness is an emerging category we’re “Dreams” to the top of the charts, and that is so truly random.
working with, too. Any business that has a customer will engage It’s not so much a trend, per se, but I think that chaotic transience
a trend-forecasting service. They’ll have a question, problem, or of TikTok is so interesting and exciting. It’s such a step change
opportunity that they want to address. For instance, they might from the highly curated Instagram era.
want to know more about the Alpha generation – an emerging
cohort of consumer who will be teenagers as of next year. We The biggest challenge of my role encapsulates the plight of
want to know what resonates with them, so we’ll look at macro individuals today, particularly Millennials and Gen Z: it’s very hard
trends using the PESTEL framework, then at cultural trends and to switch off my brain and unplug. I’m always on socials, reading
human behaviour. We map and track these ideas to give a road every newsletter, and fear missing anything in the 24-hour news
map of how to connect with the Alpha generation, and present cycle. But I love the trade itself, and I love the access to the minds
that to the business. of people who I work with. Trend forecasting is such a stimulating
and intoxicating line of work. We’re constantly mapping and
When we were peak pandemic, there was a lot of hype around tracking the zeitgeist, examining cause and effect, and thinking
the idea that we’d all get really dressed up and hit the town when creatively and analytically. It fuels a constant curiosity.

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Illustration Cass Urquhart
 popcorn

cher fan club

THERE’S NO OTHER SINGING/ACTING
SUPERSTAR QUITE LIKE CHER. WE TURN BACK
TIME TO REVISIT THE DIVA’S GREATEST MOVIES.
Words Kate Stanton

MASK (1985) In the early ’80s, the idea that Cher could make MERMAIDS (1990) Based on the 1986 novel of the same name,
a successful transition from singer to actress was a bit of a Mermaids is a gentle, rather homey story – the kind you watch
public joke (blasphemy!). But even haters had to start taking her on a Sunday arvo – about an alienated, anxious teen, Charlotte Flax
seriously when she killed it in Mask, the tear-jerking true story of (Winona Ryder), who’s understandably frustrated that her fickle
Roy Lee “Rocky” Dennis (played by Eric Stoltz), a teen with a rare single mum, Rachel (Cher), feels the need to relocate their whole
bone condition that causes visible facial difference. Mask was a family every time she ends an affair. This time around, they wind
critical and commercial success, thanks in large part to Cher’s up in a small town in Massachusetts, where Charlotte develops
tender portrayal of Rusty, Roy’s biker-chick mum. Despite Rusty’s a crush on Joe, a 26-year-old groundskeeper (Michael Schoeffling,
problematic addiction to “getting loaded and laid”, as Roy puts it, aka Jake Ryan from Sixteen Candles), and Rachel starts dating
she’s so effortlessly badass, it’s hard not to gush over her and her a local shoe-store owner (Bob Hoskins). Not a whole lot happens,
loveable bikie gang (which includes a very sexy, very mustachioed but the movie’s main selling point is the absolutely exquisite
Sam Elliott). We can also thank Mask for one of history’s most casting of Cher, Ryder and Christina Ricci (who plays Charlotte’s
iconic red-carpet looks: the huge feathered headdress and cut-out swimming-obsessed little sister) as an unusual, slightly self-
gown Cher wore to the 1986 Academy Awards. In a formidable obsessed family of women. They all seem to have studied at the
display of self-belief, Cher donned the purposefully outrageous same school for goth-adjacent actresses, and it’s hard to believe
look as a ‘fuck you’ to Oscar voters who hadn’t given her the they’re not actually related. It’s particularly nice to watch two icons
nomination she thought she deserved. Rusty would approve. like Cher and Ryder act opposite one another as a strained mother–
daughter pair who have more in common than they think.
MOONSTRUCK (1987) It’s hard to describe Moonstruck’s
winsome appeal. It’s a rom-com about the romantic foibles BURLESQUE (2010) If you were to guess the type of film that
of an Italian-American family in Brooklyn, and it should feel would have its plot hinge on Los Angeles air rights (property
unbearably cheesy, given its melodramatic proclamations about developer jargon for the space above a building), you probably
love and death and how we’re all here to “ruin ourselves and wouldn’t pick a Pussycat Dolls-inspired dance musical starring
to break our hearts and love the wrong people and die!” That’s Cher and Christina Aguilera. That’s the power of Burlesque,
what one-handed baker Ronny Cammareri (Nicolas Cage) tells which wavers somewhere between a 2000s-style music video and
Brooklyn bookkeeper Loretta Castorini (Cher), with whom he’s Showgirls-style camp classic. Cher plays Tess, the tough-talking,
fallen madly in love after only one night in bed and a date to the warm-hearted owner of a struggling burlesque club, a role she
opera. But Moonstruck’s charm is in its unabashed commitment could do in her sleep. Whether you think Burlesque is “bad” or
to the big, impractical feelings that make us human. Plus, it’s “so-bad-it’s-good” depends on how much you enjoy watching Cher
funny as heck, like when Ronny confesses his love to Loretta belt ballads, smash car windows and lecture Aguilera’s Ali about the
– she slaps him and yells, “Snap out of it!” Cher won an Oscar perils of showbiz. (Personally, I’m a fan.) It also has fab set pieces,
for her warm, witty portrayal of Loretta, who’s “awfully” in love a remarkable cast (Stanley Tucci, Alan Cumming, Peter “Sandy
with the wrong man, while Cage is at his charismatic, wild-eyed Cohen” Gallagher, to name a few), and this INCREDIBLE Cher line:
best. It’s silly, chaotic, fanciful and even bittersweet. But, as “How many times have I held your head over the toilet while you
the movie’s soundtrack reminds us, “That’s amore!” threw up everything but your memories?” Trashy perfection.

THE WITCHES OF EASTWICK (1987) I have a bone to pick with MAMMA MIA! HERE WE GO AGAIN (2018) It was a stroke of genius
The Witches of Eastwick, which assembled one of the best, when the makers of Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again cast Cher as
most beautiful, talented and charismatic actress line-ups I’ve ever Ruby, the absent, globe-trotting grandmother of Amanda Seyfried’s
seen on film – Cher, Susan Sarandon and Michelle Pfeiffer – then Sophie. Cher only appears in the film’s final act to crash the launch
gave top billing and scene-stealing action to their cartoonish male of Sophie’s Grecian hotel, sing “Fernando” with her ex-flame Señor
counterpart, Jack Nicholson. It’s more than a little frustrating Cienfuegos (Andy Garcia), and lead the entire cast in a joyful,
(though maybe fitting) for a film about gender, power and sex. Still, absurdist rendition of “Super Trouper”. It makes no sense, but
it’s fun to watch the scary, funny shit go down. The plot, loosely I dare you to care! Cher is too sublime, too otherworldly, to be
based on a John Updike novel of the same name, is kind of like bound by trivial, earthly details (Cher is only three years older than
9 to 5 meets The Craft; Cher, Sarandon and Pfeiffer play single, Meryl Streep, but is playing her mother?!). The moment she arrives
unknowingly witchy women who accidentally form a coven that in a helicopter, sporting a white suit and cane – looking like some
summons a mysterious, Devil-like Darryl (Nicholson) to their sleepy kind of interstellar pimp or God herself – the Mamma Mia! sequel
Rhode Island town. They all start sleeping with him, even fighting transcends its ridiculous premise (and I say that as a diehard fan).
over him, until they realise he’s a bad (even murderous) egg. Cher There’s no need to be persnickety about plot; we’re here to watch
is fantastic as the frank, sensual widow Alexandra Medford, and Cher be Cher! As director Ol Parker once said: “Cher can play
gets some of the best sparring lines with Nicholson, including this Meryl’s daughter, for all I’m concerned. Or her great-grandmother.
humdinger: “You’re not even interesting enough to make me sick.” She exists separate from time.”

047
 my project

out of
the blue
heather evans smith pours her
deepest emotions into images.

How did you get started in photography? I fell in love with the reception expressing how the images made them feel and
photography during my first darkroom class in college, but how they felt seen.
I didn’t consider it for a career. I ended up becoming a graphic
designer and left photography behind for a while. Nine years after What part of the process did you love most? I decided to share
college, I picked up a camera again. I intended to take pictures of each photo on Instagram after it was finished, instead of waiting for
family and friends, but as I honed my technique and experimented the entire series to be complete. The responses from women were
with different subjects, I found that expressing myself through validating. I received comments such as “It feels like you are seeing
conceptual photography was the path I wanted to take. me through this”. I realised that this wasn’t just about me and my
depression, but about all women going through this. When I decided
What’s the typical process like for you when you create a to create a book of the series, I knew it couldn’t be just images only.
project? My work tends to be introspective. I have created I called upon women to send me their stories, quotes and poems.
work on the subject matter of the mother–daughter relationship, I mixed those throughout the book, making it a book of our stories.
memories of my grandmother, women’s issues, and depression.
To create these scenes, my creative process begins with scavenging What’s missing from the mental-health conversation? I don’t think
and taking notes. You will find me looking through old photo albums mental health is talked about enough. My generation (Gen X) was one
and scrolling through eBay on a regular basis for ideas and props. of the first to collectively start having children at a later age. Now we
I am always on the hunt for vintage items that evoke a certain feeling deal with ageing parents in addition to young children, and all of this is
or time period, even items I may have had as a child. On occasion, timed with the beginnings of perimenopause. It can be a perfect storm.
the prop sparks the idea. I was scrolling through eBay looking for
a vintage blue shag rug and came across a vintage scale with blue What do you hope people take away from viewing your series? I want
shag carpet on the top. It was such an unusual item; I knew I had this series to help people and not just be art on the walls. During
to have it. That became the catalyst for an image about my dad. my exhibition of Blue, the curator and I decided we wanted to add an
advocacy component. We invited 21 therapists to view the exhibition
How did your series Blue begin? I started to feel a sadness creep and gave them time to sit with the work and then break out into small
in in my early 40s that was blown wide open after the death of my groups to discuss how this work could be used in their practices. We
dad at the end of 2019. I knew that I wanted to create a series about received some great ideas that we are looking into making a reality.
this depression and the depression many women feel at my age. While some images have dark undertones, the series in general
I felt compelled to express this through imagery. isn’t dark and heavy. I want there to be hope and beauty in each
photograph. The last two images in the book are “You Are Not The
Blue deals with some heavy subject matter. How did you feel Only One” and “This Too Shall Pass”. The titles alone are reminders
once you’d finished shooting it? It was cathartic to finish the that we are not alone in this, and we will not feel this way forever.
series. To have the work on exhibit recently was a closure. I felt
like it became everyone’s story. People would come up to me at See more from Heather at heatherevanssmith.com.

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051
my project

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Photo Stephanie Rose Wood
 my project

rainbow
history class
RUDY JEAN RIGG DISHES UP
THE QUEER HISTORY WE NEVER
GOT AT SCHOOL.
Words Suzi Taylor

Was Jesus gay? Could the Mona Lisa have been a fellow? And as one of the ‘78ers’ for his involvement in the very first Sydney Gay
did pirates really used to marry… each other? “I’m endlessly and Lesbian Mardi Gras of 1978 – an event marred by brutal police
curious,” explains Rudy Jean Rigg. “It’s why I get on so well with violence. Peter was the co-founder of the activist group Campaign
four-year-olds.” That curiosity drove Rudy and their friend Hannah Against Moral Persecution (CAMP), and became famous when he
McElhinney to start digging into the archives for stories and and his partner shared the first gay kiss ever televised. He also ran
experiences of queer and gender-diverse folk throughout time. a phone counselling service from his home. Rudy describes how,
after the interview, Peter asked if they could snap a photo together.
“If I’d been taught about even just some of that history at school, I think “We were standing next to each other and then he was like, ‘No, this
I could have avoided a lot of feelings of shame and isolation,” Rudy isn’t how I want the moment to be recorded. We should hold hands
reflects. “Humans have an innate sense of wanting to belong. Nobody and look at each other and smile!’ I will never forget that.”
wants to feel like you’re the only one. That kind of erasure can be
incredibly destructive when you’re trying to figure out who you are.” When Rudy and Hannah first started Rainbow History Class,
they had zero inkling of where it would lead. “We put up our first
Rudy and Hannah met “through the serendipitous internet”, clicked video during Mardi Gras of 2021 and from that week on, our lives
straight away and decided to team up to literally, make history. Their have just changed.” Since that initial post, the Rainbow History
TikTok channel, Rainbow History Class, burst into the world in 2021. Class team has earned accolades from far and wide. Rudy was
Eleven million-odd likes later, they continue to serve up delectable, listed as one of the top 10 online creators in the 2022 British
bite-sized morsels of queer history in sparkling 60-second videos. LGBT Awards, and was selected as a Rainbow Champion for
Sydney WorldPride 2023.
The videos, presented by Rudy and a cast of guest ‘substitute
teachers’, are often funny, sometimes heartbreaking and proudly The success of Rainbow History Class helped catapult the team
provocative. Some of their best-loved offerings to date include the onto a second project: TransAthletica, a documentary series that
history of the word ‘fruity’; the origins of queercore punk; the story explores the barriers trans and non-binary athletes face. Across 15
of same-sex love in ancient China; and the secret gay language of TikTok episodes, Rudy interviews trans athletes, doctors and activists,
19th-century London. Sometimes the videos are also a comment on delving into everything from hormones, performance testing and the
queer history as it’s being made and shaped right now, spanning definition of ‘unfair’ physical advantage (which includes an unmissable
subjects from the previous federal government’s transphobic interview with a wax statue of Ian Thorpe about his giant feet).
Religious Discrimination Bill to the spread of monkeypox.
For Rudy, who retired from elite-level badminton, this was also a
For Rudy, the videos are a way to give back to the community. “We deeply personal story. “I stopped playing because I was affirming
hope our videos will stick with people in small ways. Maybe there’s a my gender, and for people like me, sport kind of ends there.” They
story that helps you win an argument over dinner, or that you send add: “If sport is a thing that brings this country together, shouldn’t
to your mum, or share as a fun fact at a party. We’re not traditional we all be able to play?”
activists as such; we just want to take our stories into the community
and help provide people with a better sense of belonging.” The dream is to make another series of TransAthletica and to keep
building on the love of Rainbow History Class. There’s a book coming
The key to unearthing these histories is approaching the task out next year, and talk of a TV show, a podcast and a live show.
“as an investigative creative” Rudy says. “We’ll always try to find Rudy’s philosophy on what makes their storytelling so impactful
academic texts, but there’s not a lot on the record, so you’ve got to could also be read as a how-to for life: “There’s such magic to being
be ready to jump hurdles to get to the bottom of things.” Sometimes able to know what to include in such a small amount of time, and
that work also involves connecting with LGBTIQA+ elders who are knowing how to pick your battles. There are so many people who
precious living vessels for history. you think will never come around, but then you sit next to them and
share a lived experience, and they learn. We’re all learning. There are
Rudy was recently brought to tears while interviewing 84-year-old a million stories out there, so being able to capture the essence and
gay activist Peter de Waal for Rainbow History Class. He is known share it in the time you’ve got – that’s what’s really important.”

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putting purpose first
REBECCA RICKARD, FOUNDER OF NYUNGAR
FASHION LABEL DEADLY DENIM, SHARES
HER TIPS ON SUSTAINABILITY AND SOCIAL
IMPACT IN BUSINESS.
Words James Shackell Photos Louise Coghill

So you want to start a business, or maybe you’re running one as we Rebecca says podcasts and Instagram are a great source of
speak, but there’s a nagging feeling that you’re missing – what’s the sustainability tips. “Like seeing Yarli Creative’s collaboration with
word? – purpose. Impact. Sustainability goals. You want to bring Hero Packaging pop up in my feed. For me, it was a reminder, like,
your idea to life without, you know, compromising the environment yeah you need to get onto that!”
or exploiting sketchy foreign labour laws. Good for you!
GET YOUR FINANCES SORTED It’s hard to run a low-impact social
We sat down with Rebecca Rickard, the founder of Nyungar enterprise when you’re keeping all your receipts in a Tupperware
fashion label Deadly Denim, to chat circular fashion, sustainability box under the bed. Deadly Denim now has a successful online store,
and social impact. And it’s not as complicated as you might think. not to mention a 10-foot vintage caravan, which Rebecca’s planning
Here are her top tips for going green(er). to renovate and drive across regional Western Australia delivering
workshops. To avoid financial chaos, Rebecca uses a combination
START WITH PURPOSE You’ve got two choices as a small-business of Xero and Square – luckily both systems talk to each other
owner: start with product, or start with purpose. Either build an seamlessly. “My least strong skillset is accounting,” she admits,
awesome thing and worry about sustainability later, or get some “so Xero has been an amazing tool. It’s been a lifesaver when
values nailed down first, and let everything flow from there. it comes to invoicing for workshops.” The key to sustainability
“I definitely work purpose-first,” says Rebecca. “It’s the centre is measurement: if you want to change, you first need to track
of everything we do.” Deadly Denim takes recycled denim where your money is going. Bonus: Xero was certified carbon
jackets from Boorloo (Perth) op shops and works with local neutral in 2021. So that’s a big win right there.
Indigenous artists to create one-of-a-kind, low-impact fashion
pieces. Even the fabric scraps get reused – Rebecca donates YOUR INDUSTRY DOESN’T MATTER Even if you’re working in an
them to a sewing group at a women’s correctional facility. unsustainable industry, like fashion, there are always ways to boost
your social and environmental impact. Deadly Denim obviously
PUT YOURSELF OUT THERE Part of Deadly Denim’s success promotes slow fashion and upcycled garments, but it also runs
(the brand started with a market stall in 2018 and now gets invites sewing workshops for women’s refuges and local community
to international fashion weeks) has been collaboration. Rebecca says organisations. The brand is even looking into biodegradable
community has really kick-started her sustainability journey. “Being packaging. The point is: your industry doesn’t really matter. You’re
a Nyungar woman and business owner, I naturally work collectively never too small to make a difference. “Remember to look at your
with other Indigenous artists and creatives, and we always share whole product journey,” Rebecca says. “It really is from the very
opportunities together.” In other words, don’t be afraid to reach beginning: from the design process, right down to where the cotton
out to brands or labels you admire. Network, pick their brains and is grown. The good thing is that running a business is open-ended.
suggest collaborations. You never know where a simple direct Things can change and evolve. There’s no door you can’t knock on.”
message might lead.

DON’T BE AFRAID OF LEARNING When Rebecca started

Deadly Denim, she didn’t know much about ‘circular fashion’. These helpful tips were brought to
But at least she knew she didn’t know much. So she set out to you in partnership with our pals at Xero.
learn. She enrolled in a fashion course at Curtin University, and did Whether you lead a small team or are
online programs with organisations such as Redress and the Ellen going it alone, Xero’s online accounting
MacArthur Foundation. “It was an eye-opener,” she admits, “and helps you do business, but better.
it egged me on to keep going. There’s so much to learn, and I’m Find out more by visiting xero.com/au
finding the more I go on, the more room there is for improvement.”

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FRANKIE X XERO
 my project

botanical bliss How did you know you were going to be an artist? I was a child,
probably about five. I remember making a drawing, and the whole
world fell away. I remember telling my mum, “I want to be an
OH HOW LOVELY IT IS TO BE IN artist,” and I was lucky she supported that. She let me paint on
ANN WOOD’S PAPER GARDEN. the walls of my bedroom every weekend – real intricate plants,
flowers, characters and birds. I was very supported in my desire
Interview Emma Do to be creative, even though I grew up on a farm and my high
school had 18 people.

What formal training did you pursue? I studied photography then

went to art school after that because I became more interested in
building the set for the pictures than actually taking the pictures.
I studied installation, art, printmaking and sculpture in Minneapolis.
That’s where I met my husband and how we developed a
creative partnership.

How did papercraft enter the picture? For years and years, my
husband and I did individual pieces (he’s a mechanical artist). We
also had a business where we produced pieces of mechanical toys
and all sorts of moving art. We did that until about 2010, when our
parents on both sides became really ill; we had about 10 years of
dealing with their declining health. After my parents passed, I decided
I wanted to reshuffle my creative life. And that’s how I started
making paper flowers.

058
What inspired you to focus on flowers? After that transition in our It can take anywhere from three days to two weeks to make an
life, I wanted to work in a medium that was extremely universal, individual specimen.
that was less about my own narrative than something that
was connective. I started to post paper feathers on Instagram, Is it important to you that your sculptures remain true to life?
then I moved on to butterflies and people really liked it. I thought, Yes, and that is something that has developed through the
“There’s something to this, because nature brings up so many years; I wasn’t so interested in that in the beginning. Now I literally
stories in people’s lives.” dissect plants to understand how the different parts fit together.
Most of my flowers are based on live plants in my garden, which
How did you go about honing your technique? My background is I grow from seed. Gardening and creating really go in tandem for
in mixed media, so all throughout my years, I would find a medium me. Right now, I have a lot of dahlias and cosmos and I got into
that attracted me and then figure out how I could come up with different varieties of dianthus, which is like a carnation.
my own unique take on it. With paper sculptures, I developed my
own techniques; I didn’t study books or anything. I see creativity You’ve had a long career as an artist. What’s your advice for
as a layering of skills: I’m a wood carver, a painter, someone who’s staying inspired? I’ve had things that I love where it’s going
good at working sculpturally in three dimensions, so all of those full steam ahead. And then there are ends to things, probably
skills went into the making of the paper flowers. in 10-year periods for me. It’s about allowing yourself to say, “This
might not be working anymore. It’s not connecting with the audience
Tell us about your process. I start with a white sheet of or I’m not as connected to it,” and allowing yourself to go and be
paper and then I paint it to match the colours of the live plants. something different. It’s important to know when certain chapters
One stem might have 20 different gradations of five different are over, when it’s time to move on and say, “I’m not inspired by
colours. I’ve learnt that even on the one plant, each flower is this anymore. I need to go on a journey to find what the next step is.”
an individual – they’re not exactly the same kind of blue. My
paper flowers look really delicate but they’re quite stiff as they See more from Anne at woodlucker.com or on Instagram
have wire structures and I build them up with layers of paper. at @woodlucker.

059
Photo Hannah Gullixson

060
 something to say

all that jazz

WHAT NO ONE TELLS YOU
ABOUT BEING A MUSICIAN.
Words Eilish Gilligan

In my final years of high school, my careers guidance counsellor it was to further my public profile – I took to online content creation
begged me to at least put down an arts degree as an option, in case and feature writing to get my name out there and build my audience.
I didn’t get into any of the music courses I applied to. My English Sometimes the extra work builds my profile and pays the bills. My
teacher said it was a shame I wasn’t going to study writing. My brain stretches a new muscle with each different ‘hat’. I love being
maths teacher said I’d regret not studying maths after Year 10. challenged like this.

I stubbornly ignored them all, putting every music course in the NO DAY IS THE SAME As a musician, every single day is completely
state down one after the other, pointedly placing the doomed arts different from the last – and every hour is mine to do with as
degree dead last on my list of preferences. I’m not sure why my I please. Sure, I often end up working from 8am to the wee hours
teachers were so set on me not pursuing music. I know I’m a good of the morning, but it’s all stuff I really want to do, which means
musician – even back then I knew I showed promise. Perhaps a lot of the time… it kinda doesn’t even feel like work. When
they had seen hordes of musically gifted students pass through your passion is your job, what do you do for fun? Seriously,
the system, only to have their hopes and dreams dashed. Perhaps I'm actually asking.
they were trying to save me from the same fate. Regardless,
I marched onwards, head down and blinkers secured. All these Some days I’m working on my own music, at home or in the studio,
years later, this is what I’ve learnt about being a muso. or I’m on tour. Some days I’m working as a publicist, emailing
media and radio about artists I love and reporting wins back to the
YOU WORK DAMN HARD The biggest societal misconception client. Some days I’m writing feature pieces like this one or news
about musicians is that they are lazy. You know the type: sleeps stories on night shifts. Some days I write advertisements or artist
on a mattress on the floor with no sheets, gets up at 2pm, noodles bios or press releases. Some days it’s lyrics. Some days I’m doing
around on the guitar while eating dry ramen and drinking flat panels or lectures or interviews. Some days, to combat burnout,
Mountain Dew. People like this may exist – well, I know they do, I allow myself an afternoon off during the week. I walk by the river
because I dated them – but they are not really working musicians. near my house, or wander a shopping centre or watch The Office
for the 50th time while doing LEGO on my coffee table. I sip coffee
The musicians I know today – the people making a living wage from with my boyfriend. I feel the sun on my face.
their career in music – are the busiest people I have ever known.
Their work bleeds into everyone else’s downtime. Days, nights, YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT’S NEXT I don’t really know where
weekends, holidays – musicians work through them all. This is what I expected I’d end up when I was determinedly researching every
it takes. Your weekends will not be yours. Your phone will buzz music course available. I knew I wanted to live a creative life –
at all hours, requiring your attention. The hours are long and often a passionate life – one which allowed me to see things and do
they are not glamorous; I vividly remember a tour that ended with things a regular office job wouldn’t necessarily allow me to do.
me getting laryngitis and conjunctivitis in both of my eyes from God I did not know what the day-to-day of that dream would actually
knows what on a hotel pillowcase. Needless to say, as a musician, look like. But now, several years on, I think I have an idea.
you’ll work hard, you won’t sleep well and you’ll probably end
up with at least one disgusting and humiliating ailment. I have been hunched over my laptop until the early hours of the
morning too many times to count, not having moved since 8am,
YOU WEAR 200 DIFFERENT HATS During my active career as crying from exhaustion and stressing about bills and feeling guilty
a musician, I have also worked as the following (in no particular about neglecting my partner and my friends in favour of working
order, because I did a lot of them at the same time): music teacher, ludicrously long hours to make ends meet. There have been
university lecturer, waitress, writer, journalist, copywriter, content moments of utter joy – pure ecstatic surprise – where I have
creator, publicist, panellist, mentor, podcaster. Oh, and I was also found myself in a different country because my music and my
an accountant for a very brief period of time – perhaps the one hard work put me there. I’ve driven my car to the supermarket
time I did actually regret giving up maths after Year 10. and been surprised to hear my own songs on the radio. I’ve
met my heroes in serendipitous circumstances and made
Why did I take all of these jobs? Sometimes it was for money, to lifelong friendships with people I’d never have met if it weren’t
pay the rent or to pay for my music career (I wish someone had for music. In the end I’m glad no one told me about any of this.
told me that being a musician is really quite expensive). Sometimes I like surprises.

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a kind of magic
IN HER NEW MEMOIR, ANNA SPARGORYAN
WRITES ABOUT ANXIETY, DEBILITATING PANIC
AND THE OPTIMISM IN SPITE OF IT ALL.

The first thing I notice about my new My new therapist folds her hands over
therapy appointment is that I’ve worn a notepad in her lap. I think about how
the wrong shoes. I’ve done everything I chose her because the centre’s website
else correctly: washed my hair, said she was a specialist in anxiety and
used deodorant, selected an age- psychosis. I am also a specialist in anxiety
appropriate shirt, practised my calm and psychosis, but in the other way,
and knowledgeable voice. But thongs? where they sometimes try to kill me.
To a medical centre?
“How are you?” she asks.
They slap as I follow my new therapist
along the hallway – slap slap slap “I’m OK.” My head is currently attached to
– disturbing the sick people. “Sorry,” my body. I am not crying or screaming, not
I say, calmly and knowledgeably. thinking about how I might die. I try to sit
“Thongs are so loud!” I laugh so she more upright. My shirt pulls against my
knows it’s a joke. The thongs are an stiff back.
aberration. We both know I’m totally
fine and just seeing a new therapist I won’t tell her this, but I dread starting
for no reason. over from scratch. With each new therapist,
there’s the Beginning Again. There is so
I need her to know that I am good at much to say. So many scabs to pick. I wish
therapy. I know the names of all the I had pre-recorded a little intro video. I try
disorders and their symptoms. I have to remember every single thing at once.
clinical terms for describing my feelings. I want her to somehow realise both how
This is an edited extract One time I went to hospital because my deadly serious my mental illness is and
from Anna Spargo-Ryan’s head was caving in, and I knew so much how capable and fine I am.
memoir, A Kind of Magic, about mental illness that they asked if
published by Ultimo Press, I was a nurse. Also, I’m extremely well She smiles. Her PhD testamur in clinical
RRP $36.99. Scan the QR code for more adjusted. Has she noticed that I use a psychology beams at me from the wall.
ace frankie reccommendations. salon-quality conditioning treatment? “What can I do for you?”
My expensive moisturiser? My perfume
even has a French name. The thongs, I don’t want to waste this one chance
though. Giving the game away. to get the order right. With previous
therapists, I’ve started with the wrong
Her little room is at the back of the thing and we have fixated on that thing
clinic, away from patients with actual and never even got to the real parts.
problems. It has an Officeworks desk I’ve spent a year talking to a therapist
and a pot with a fake plant in it. I take about How Was Work? What Are The
note of the tissue box. The air is hot Kids Up To? because they were the first
and still and it lodges in the back of things I mentioned and I couldn’t ever
my nose. I sit on a black couch. It’s figure out how to shift the course of
too low to the ground so I kind of perch the conversation.
there and don’t ask if I can move to
the chair instead, in case this is a test. “I’m very… tired,” I say.
I’m easy-going. I can adapt to all kinds “Hm,” she says.
of couches. “So tired.”

062
 first person

“Have you seen a psychologist before?” your undies and pushing yourself into stuck in it. My skin aches from smiling.
“Yes. Lots. And psychiatrists.” your own locker. It’s like being trapped in I adjust my sunglasses. I reach into my
“What have you seen them for?” jelly and also being allergic to jelly. chest and touch the hot stones that live
there. Onwards.
I want to say: misplaced optimism. I want to say, I’m anxious, but all the time.
But instead I just go, “You know. Brain I’m anxious, but for reasons. Where do mental illness stories begin?
stuff.” Run-of-the-mill. I’m totally-fine- Mine starts at three years old in the
and-normal. Actually, I don’t even need “It’s more than just anxiety,” I explain to kitchen my parents had renovated, sitting
to be here, sorry for wasting your time, this new therapist. I use words I’ve had on their suite of wicker furniture with
I’ll just leave. to learn so doctors will take me seriously. those cushions every 1980s white family
“I feel dissociated. I have intrusive had, decorated in pussy willow and orange
She says, “Can you tell me about your thoughts.” She makes notes. smudges. I had realised I would eventually
family? Who do you live with?” die, which must have been shortly after
“And my obsessive-compulsive my cat, Brutus, did die, and that fear
She does what psychologists do with behaviours are heightened lately. I’m, just continued on with a vengeance until
new patients, which is to draw a family uh…” I remember I’m wearing mascara the present and, I assume, future. I had
tree and make notes next to everyone. and not the waterproof kind. A beginner’s small fat hands that I forced into fists
She underlines a few names. Those mistake. “I’m not feeling good.” My voice and plunged into the gaps between the
people would hate to know their names cracks but I think I’ve got away with it. cushions, feeling that I must, somehow,
were underlined, which is one of the secure myself to the world in case I flew
little joys you get from going to therapy. She says, “I understand.” Her tone is right off and into space. My body was so
frank but empathetic and it strikes a tense. Tiny knees locked, teeth clenched,
“And what would you say is the main tendon behind my ribs. Heat brews there. determined to remain consciously and
reason you’re here today?” I notice that Don’t cry in front of the new therapist. deliberately alive.
the room is just a space partitioned off Make a joke!
from the hallway; the top of the wall It starts in other parts of the space–time
doesn’t meet the ceiling. I wonder if the “Just covering all my bases.” I wave continuum. There it is, on the afternoon
people in the waiting area can hear me. my hands like an anxiety larrikin. my grandpa wrote that he had “absolutely
What will they think? That’s not a good reached the length of my tether” and
enough reason to be anxious. That’s She books me in for three more sessions then he was dead. And a hundred years
not real trauma. First-World problems! and I’m relieved she thinks I’m good/bad before that, when a long-ago uncle blew
Someone should take away your children! enough for her to see again. I like her. his face off in a wheatfield and his little
She won’t let me get away with nonsense. sister watched his flesh pulse until it
“Anxiety,” I say. I smile politely and thank her for her time. stopped. It starts when several different
She makes a note. At the front counter I banter with the long-ago uncles were admitted to the
receptionist and decline a receipt. I pop a Parkside Lunatic Asylum and tried to
I search for words to explain that it’s not few dollars in the charity box. I step back die there. It starts when my grandmother
just anxiety. I mean, it is anxiety, but it’s to let an elderly patient through the door checked and triple-checked her very
the kind where everything else about your before me. The sun is out. A soft wind first power point, knowing in her heart
life is all bound up in it. It’s like a room blows my clean hair into my face. that if she didn’t, her house would burn
full of mouse traps. It’s like the dream to the ground.
about going to school in your undies and In the car, I flick open the vanity mirror
everyone looking at you, except you’re and study myself. Make-up has collected But, mostly, my mental illness story begins
also all the people looking at you, a hall at the corners of my eyes. Carefully one night in 2001, in a California bungalow
of mirrors of you looking at yourself in selected tinted lip balm has something in a beachside suburb of Melbourne.

063
 frankie x matrix hair

school
photo day
crimped hair, layers of lip gloss and ‘i don’t wanna
be here’ stares – ’90s school photos are a big vibe.
six up-and-coming hair stylists worked their magic for
this shoot, having won the matrix collective competition.
PHOTOGRAPHY KALINDY WILLIAMS HAIR LEAD KOBI BOKSHISH HAIR STYLISTS JOYCE CLARKE HENRY,
CLARKE AND CO HAIR (VIC); JACK HORTON, JACK HORTON HAIR (QLD); AMBER KING, NSPYRE RED (NZ);
CASSANDRA GRAY-SMITH, HAIRHOUSE BLACKTOWN (NSW); CARLIE HARWOOD, HAIRHOUSE MIDLAND
GATE (WA); MARISA DI VITTORIO, ACQUA LOUNGE HAIR STUDIO (SA) MAKE-UP DEAN NIXON, AMANDA
FORSYTH MODELS JONTI, SHRAYA, ARDEN, RHIANNAN, ZIARA, COREY, ALL AT BELLA MANAGEMENT
STYLIST CECILE HUYNH STYLING ASSISTANT ALLIE DAISY KING

064
frankie x matrix hair

065
Sister Studios FLOWERS by SISTER denim jacket, rrp $320, sisterstudios.com.au. Kate Dansey Hestia earring in pink and orange check, rrp $50, katedansey.com
 frankie x matrix hair

Top left: HEW ‘90s mini dress in houndstooth check, rrp $180, hewclothing.com. Princess Highway Sophie knit top, rrp $78,
princesshighway.com.au. Egg Soda Studio pink checkered flower earrings, $28, eggsodastudio.com. Kate Dansey Petraea necklace,
rrp $180, Nymph 03 necklace, rrp $160, katedansey.com. SGS Jewellery flirty flowers original ring, rrp $130, sgsjewellery.com.
Other rings, stylist’s own Top right: Princess Highway Teigen check top, rrp $68, Teigen check skirt, rrp $78, Sophie knit top, rrp $78,
princesshighway.com.au. SGS Jewellery Butterfly necklace, rrp $230; Flirty Flowers Original hoops, rrp $120 , Butterfly ring, rrp $160,
sgsjewellery.com Bottom left: Sister Studios Roya one-shoulder top in cherry, rrp $150, sisterstudios.com.au. Obus Companion jean,
rrp $239, obus.com.au. Kate Dansey Nymph 03 necklace, rrp $160, Hestia earring in pink and orange check, rrp $50, katedansey.com
Bottom right: HEW ‘90s dress in green gingham, rrp $180, women’s organic t-shirt in white, rrp $85, hewclothing.com. Kate Dansey
Chloris 27 necklace, rrp $130, katedansey.com

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 frankie x matrix hair

Corey (left): Princess Highway Danielle ditsy midi dress, rrp $108, princesshighway.com.au. Handsom lambswool rib cardigan in oyster,
rrp $310, handsom-store.com. Dr. Martens Docs 8 eye boot classic, rrp $279, dangerfield.com.au Jonti (right): Sister Studios Casper corset
in black, rrp $220, velvet skirt in midnight, rrp $220, sisterstudios.com.au. Kate Dansey Chloris 27 necklace, rrp $130. SGS Jewellery Flirty
Flowers Original hoops, rrp $120, sgsjewellery.com. Dr. Martens Docs 8 eye boot classic, rrp $279, dangerfield.com.au

This photoshoot was created in partnership with Matrix. Big congrats to the winning Matrix
Collective hairstylists. Check out the range of Matrix hair products at matrixprofessional.com.au

067
Photo Laura Muthesius
 pots and pans

carrot cupcakes
WHIP UP SOMETHING SCRUMMY FOR
YOUR NEXT PICNIC.
Words and recipe Laura Muthesius and Nora Eisermann

One spring, our excitement over all the beautiful produce and METHOD
bright colours outside inspired us to bake these colourful carrot
cupcakes. We had a bit of extra fun decorating them with cute Serves 12
carrot-shaped butter cookies.
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Prepare a cupcake tin with paper liners.
The evening light was magical that day, so we grabbed some Break the walnuts into small pieces by pulsing briefly in a blender
cushions and blankets and cycled to one of our favourite places or using a knife. Set aside.
near our countryside home for a little picnic. The cupcakes were
perfect for the occasion – super-easy to make and just right for Whisk the eggs in a mixing bowl for 1 minute, then stir in the olive
when you’re on the go. oil and sugar. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking
powder, cinnamon and salt. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet
INGREDIENTS ingredients. Finally, fold in the grated carrot, ginger and walnut
pieces one after the other. Pour the batter into the lined cupcake
Carrot cupcakes tin, leaving enough room for the cupcakes to rise, and bake for
100g walnuts 25 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from the pan and let them
2 eggs cool on a wire rack.
150g olive oil (or sunflower oil or grapeseed oil)
100g sugar Prepare the frosting. Beat the softened butter in a mixing bowl
200g rice flour (or gluten-free flour mix) using a hand mixer for 1 minute. Sift in the powdered sugar in
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 2–3 batches, then stir in the salt and vanilla. Finally, stir in the
1 teaspoon cinnamon cream cheese briefly by hand. If the buttercream is too stiff, add
1 pinch of salt some lemon juice, milk or water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you
150g finely grated carrot achieve the desired consistency. Pour the vanilla buttercream
1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, finely grated into a piping bag with a star tip and squeeze frosting onto the
tops of the cupcakes. Decorate them with a dash of matcha
Buttercream frosting powder, grated carrot, and iced butter cookies if desired.
50g unsalted butter, softened
250g powdered sugar
1 pinch of salt
1 pinch of ground vanilla bean or 1 tsp vanilla extract This is an edited extract
100g cream cheese from A Year With Our
lemon juice, milk, or water, as needed Food Stories by Laura
Muthesius and Nora
Topping Eisermann, published by Gestalten,
1 teaspoon matcha powder (or cinnamon) RRP $66.90. Scan the QR code for
1 tablespoon grated carrot more ace frankie reccommendations.
cookies to decorate, optional

069
 music talks

it’s all love “I think we all felt the general disconnect from humanity as a
whole, wondering why we were making music, and why we should
be making music, and should we continue with this project, and do
HOW INDIE-POP BAND MUNA we all feel fulfilled with this project?” Josette says. “But it’s all led
FOUND A NEW LEASE ON LIFE. us to where we are now. Making this record is maybe the start of
what MUNA is, and what MUNA can be.”
Words Giselle Au-Nhien Nguyen
It turned out to be a blessing in disguise. MUNA got a new lease
on life when they signed to Saddest Factory Records, run by “Silk
Chiffon” collaborator and indie royalty Phoebe Bridgers. It’s part
of why their third album, released back in June, is self-titled,
even though they’ve been playing together for almost a decade –
they’re reintroducing themselves on their own terms.

It’s been non-stop ever since. On a break from their North

American tour, Josette and Katie are dialing in from LA on
Zoom, while Naomi is in London – it’s unusual for the band not
to all be chatting together (“The only reason we wouldn’t do it is
if one of us is not currently conscious,” Katie jokes). While they’ve
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard nabbed some major support slots in the past – Harry Styles and
MUNA’s “Silk Chiffon”. Released last year, the glittering synth- Kacey Musgraves, to name a couple – this is their big break into
pop track became an instant hit with its unfettered expression the spotlight. “I don’t want to be too sugary about it, but it really
of queer joy. “Life’s so fun, got my miniskirt and my rollerblades has been a dream come true,” Katie says.
on,” Katie Gavin sings, before the song explodes into its
infectious, soaring chorus. The MUNA story began in 2013 when its members met at uni,
bonding over their love of ’80s pop music. They’ve always been
It was a sugar rush at a time when people needed a pick-me-up an openly, proudly queer band – all three members are queer, and
most, but it almost didn’t happen at all. The LA-based trio – Katie Naomi is non-binary – and their music, especially lately, celebrates
and her friends Josette Maskin and Naomi McPherson – were the pure ecstasy of being alive. The latest album leans even
almost ready to throw in the towel when they were dropped harder into that feeling, which comes from growing up and getting
by their label mid-pandemic. to know themselves more profoundly. While the music is for

070
Photo Carter Howe

everyone, there’s something especially sweet about speaking our mood board for this album was the idea of being a dyke boy
to, and working with, their community. “I like working with other band,” Katie laughs. “We were playing around with a Backstreet
queer people and people who are not cis men,” Katie says. “It’s Boys vibe. It’s fun to be in that time and culture when culturally,
amazing that there are so many more out queer artists these society is revisiting the stuff that you actually grew up on.”
days than when we first started as a band.”
The album is suffused with all this and more. MUNA is
It’s a big difference from growing up in the ’90s and early 2000s, stacked with bangers, flirting with a variety of different
when pop culture didn’t have much in the way of positive queer sounds – a bit of Carly Rae Jepsen, a bit of The Chicks, a bit
representation. Katie mentions Willow and Tara from Buffy as of Charli XCX – all while staying true to the band’s brand of
a rare example of a lesbian relationship on screen, as well as a cathartic, anthemic pop. There are reflective moments, as well
recurring Saturday Night Live sketch featuring an androgynous as plenty of tunes for the dancefloor. On the track “No Idea”,
character named Pat (“I loved this character, and now of course, the band worked with another indie legend: Mitski. “She’s my
I only have crushes on non-binary people,” she quips). Josette favourite living songwriter – I just love her so much,” Katie
remembers queerness being depicted as something to be gushes. “It was funny getting to work with her because to me,
ashamed of – “there was something very dark about it, or she’s an icon – but she’s also very easy to talk to and warm
queer people being the butt of the joke like on Friends.” and understanding.”

But one movie made a mark on all three band members – the Friendship is the beating heart of the band – they’re bona fide
’90s teen satire But I’m A Cheerleader, which stars Natasha besties, with matching tattoos and all (Josette and Naomi are
Lyonne as a lesbian cheerleader who’s sent to conversion also housemates and, in true queer fashion, Katie and Naomi
therapy camp. The trio love the film so much that they paid are exes). “The working relationship and the friendship have
homage to it with their colourful video for “Silk Chiffon”. become one – we’re just so deeply a part of each other’s lives
“It's revolutionary and has so much joy within it, and it’s still in every single way that it’s hard to even separate the two
making a political statement that queer joy is valid and worth things,” Josette says. “It just comes down to the fact that we
being seen,” Josette says. “We wanted to hint at that with the love and respect each other, and we want to treat each other
making of that music video and honestly, the whole record.” with the compassion and respect that we deserve.”

There’s no shortage of positive queer films now – the band At the end of the day, that’s all it really is: love, love, love.
even contributed a glorious cover of Britney Spears’ classic “One of my favourite things to hear now is people being
“Sometimes” to the recent gay rom-com Fire Island, tapping into like, ‘I wish that your band existed when I was growing up,’”
another aesthetic they’re trying to achieve. “One of the things on Katie says. “Because honestly, I do too.”

071
 out and about

how to be a tourist
in your own city
a few tips for reacquainting yourself
with the place you call home.
WORDS SHANNON JENKINS ILLUSTRATIONS LYDIA ELLEN DESIGN

072
#1 ACT LIKE A TOURIST

The simplest way to be a tourist is to do the things that tourists do.

It sounds obvious, but think about it: when you’ve lived in the same
place for a while, you tend to overlook the fun, unique things about
your city that visitors travel to see.

The easiest thing to do is pop into your local tourist information

centre and pretend you’re from out of town. Or, like all tech-savvy
travellers, just google the top attractions in your area and go
exploring. You don’t have to go at it alone, either – take a few pals
and make a day of it! (This is especially fun if you’re on the hunt for
social activities that don’t involve booze or brunch.) Embrace your
inner sightseer and pack a bag with your water bottle, maps and
pamphlets, a camera, snacks and a notebook (for jotting down all
the rad stuff you’ll see).

Another way to behave like a globetrotter is to get out of your

own bedroom for a night or two. You see, holidaying isn’t just an
activity – it’s a mood. Staying in a swish hotel can instantly induce
those breezy holiday vibes – even if you’re only a few kilometres
away from your home. If you’re not a fan of skyscrapers, opt for
an Airbnb in a cool suburb, instead. Really lean into the occasion
by wearing the kind of outfit you’d don while on holiday, too. If you
dress and act the part, then you’re already halfway to Chill Town.

HIDDEN GEMS AROUND AUSTRALIA

Adelaide The Palm House is an incredible glasshouse in the Hobart Bioluminescence is a common occurrence in Tassie
Botanic Gardens, with beautiful light for photography and waters. My favourite site to spot it in the warmer months
plant appreciation. It’s the best place to stop and sit with is down by the yacht club in Sandy Bay. It’s just magical!
a sketchbook. – Naomi Murrell, jewellery designer – Brandi Salmon, artist

Brisbane There are lots of great independent galleries around, Melbourne Take yourself to MONO-XO in Fitzroy for a martiny
like Vacant Assembly and Artisan. Another fun thing to do is (it’s a half-size martini!) and a fresh oyster. – Alice Buda,
visit the Museum of Brisbane. While you’re there, book in for frankie’s senior designer
a tour of the clock tower. – Sue-Ching Lascelles, artist
Perth Serpentine Falls is the perfect spot for a picnic and
Canberra Dirty Janes is wonderland for vintage finds. It’s a huge a swim. There are also a few hiking trails if you’re game.
secondhand market tucked away behind business warehouses, – Charissa Schlink, ceramicist at Chimerical Homewares
and with a café to boot. – Ashleigh Green, illustrator
Sydney The CTA Business Club under the MLC building
Darwin Laundry Gallery in Parap is a female-led art gallery at Martin Place. Visiting is like stepping back in time to a
that’s putting a new spin on the art scene up here. – Shaun 1970s RSL – the antithesis to slick wanker banker hotspots.
Edwards, House of Darwin founder – Vanessa Low, graphic designer

073
#2 ACT LIKE A TOURIST WHO WANTS TO ACT LIKE A LOCAL

OK, this is a bit meta, but bear with me. If super-touristy sites aren’t
your thing and you prefer to ‘live like the locals’ while on holiday,
then ask your mates and colleagues for their recommendations.
Where do they like to hang out? Where would they take their
friends and family when they come to visit?

There’s probably a lovely park, library, gallery or bar in their

suburb that you’ve never heard of before. Start googling things
to do in specific suburbs, or suss out where the aspirational
randoms you follow on social media spend their time (it’s not
creepy when it’s for research purposes). Once you’ve found a
cool new spot, park yourself there for a few hours. Pretend you’re
in a different part of the world and order food you’ve never tried
before. Sip on a beverage, read a few chapters of a book and
watch the locals pass by.

THE BEST LOCAL HANGOUTS

Adelaide Hey Jupiter is the OG of French cool on Ebenezer

Place. It’s a beaut spot for conversation and conviviality
at all hours, plus, they do the best hot chocolate in town.
– Naomi Murrell, jewellery designer

Brisbane When the warm weather hits, I love to head to

Enoggera Reservoir at The Gap. It has lovely nature trails
and a great swimming spot. – Sue-Ching Lascelles, artist

Canberra About half an hour from the city, Cotter Dam

is my go-to for picnics with friends and a dip in the river.
– Ashleigh Green, illustrator

Darwin Mandorah is a 15-minute ferry or an hour drive

from Darwin, and is so peaceful and untouched. – Shaun
Edwards, House of Darwin founder

Hobart I love to hang out at the Hobart Cat Café. The cats
aren’t shy and they’re super-cute. – Brandi Salmon, artist

Melbourne Small Batch in North Melbourne has delicious

coffee, mouth-watering pastries and the best salad sandwich
you’ll ever eat. – Alice Buda, frankie’s senior designer

Perth Chinta Café is a little Balinese escape in the city.

The rice dishes and juices are so good! – Charissa Schlink,
ceramicist at Chimerical Homewares

Sydney You can’t go wrong with a visit to the Art Gallery of

New South Wales. Being surrounded by art always makes
me feel inspired. – Vanessa Low, graphic designer

074
 out and about

#3 BE A FLÂNEUR AND GO ON FOOT

Are you a stroller? (Not the baby-transportation type – the leisurely-

walker type.) Do you irritate your walking buddy by pausing every
five minutes to gaze into shop windows or admire interesting
graffiti? Congrats – you’re basically a flâneur!

Back in the 1800s, Parisian writer Charles Baudelaire popularised

the term, which described the artsy, privileged men who enjoyed
wandering down city streets with no particular destination, observing
and experiencing urban life. It was all rather poetic – flâneurs were
basically the 19th-century softbois. (And just a century and a half
later, in her book Flâneuse, American writer Lauren Elkin addressed
the fact that women enjoy walking around aimlessly, too.)

Partaking in a wee bit of flânerie is a great way to explore your city

with fresh eyes. When you visit a new place for the first time, you
notice stuff: the shapes of buildings, the satisfying hum of local
cafés, the interesting outfits of passers-by. So why not take the
same approach to your own city?

Make a trek to an interesting suburb and stroll aimlessly. Forgo

your earbuds and listen to the sounds of the area. Take note of the
houses, gardens and shops. Who knows, you might stumble across a
quaint bookshop or your new favourite café. If you do have somewhere
to be, give yourself extra time so you can hop off public transport
a few stops early and walk the rest of the way. Wander down a street
you wouldn’t normally pass through, just to see where it takes you.

#4 LEARN SOMETHING NEW

Learning in school? Boring, arduous, compulsory. Learning on

holiday? Fascinating, fun – a treat for the mind! Be a curious
tourist in your own neck of the woods by checking out the local
museums, libraries, art galleries and historical sites and taking
a guided tour. If creative learning is more up your alley, book in for
an arty-crafty workshop, like pottery or painting. And if you’re an
outdoorsy type, go on a walking tour through the city or a nature
walk in the surrounding areas; it’s a great way to learn about the
geographical or natural history of your home while getting some
fresh air and exercise. Consider learning about the First Nations
history in your area, too. Folks are usually way more eager to learn
about the place they’re visiting rather than the place they actually
live in, but Australia happens to be home to some of the oldest
living cultures in the world.

While you’re getting to know the Indigenous history of

your area, you might also like to learn the traditional place
name of your town or city. We’ve listed commonly used
First Nations place names for Australia’s major cities below.
For more information, check out Sophie Verass and Alexis
Moran’s super-informative article for NITV: "Do you know
what Aboriginal land you’re on today?"

Adelaide Tarndanya Brisbane Meanjin Canberra

Ngunnawal/Ngambri Darwin Garramilla Hobart nipaluna
Melbourne Naarm Perth Boorloo Sydney Warrane

075
Photo Sophie Joyce
 creative people

people with games,

and stories to tell
MIAH MADDEN IS PLAY SCHOOL’S
YOUNGEST-EVER PRESENTER.
Words Leta Keens

Like many Aussie kids, Miah Madden used to look forward to One of six kids in a really close family, she’s also had “quite a career”
watching Play School every day. Her favourite segments were in babysitting, which she reckons comes in handy for Play School.
the craft ones. “My mum used to pre-record the episodes and “I’m kind of used to working with children and elevating my emotions
go and get the bottle caps, the egg cartons and other things, and voice to engage with them.” Although all her “childhood dreams
and would set them all up for me. I would be doing the craft were fulfilled” when she walked onto the set of the show – “It’s
in time with the presenters. It was so much effort, and really exactly how I imagined it would be” – one of the biggest surprises
nice of her to do that – it’s such a standout memory for me.” was that presenters are expected to learn their lines. “I’ve only ever
done film and television, never theatre – Play School is the middle
It’s not surprising then that, at 20, Miah, a Gadigal and ground between the two,” she says. “I thought there might have been
Bundjalung woman, has become the youngest presenter in a teleprompter, but no, it’s ‘We’re going for 12 pages and we’re doing
the show’s 56-year history: “I’ve literally been in training for it now!’ Learning so much at once was a little bit tricky, but all the
this job my whole life!” For her audition tape, she turned her co-presenters were so supportive so there was no stress.”
living room into the Play School set. “I had all my childhood
toys in a row on a chair, the colouring pencils out, things What has been tricky, though, is fitting in her other major
stuck on the wall, trying to sell the vibe.” She didn’t have quite commitment: studying law, which she’s been doing for the
enough toys, though, so stuck in a few of her dog’s ones to fill past two years. “I’ve grown up juggling a million jobs at once,
the gaps. “I didn’t know what they’d think when they saw the but with Play School and another series coming out later this
tape – they could have thought I was a nut.” year, I’ve deferred this semester. I needed a bit of a break for
myself and my sanity.”
Even though she’s still so young, Miah has almost a decade
of professional acting work behind her – her first job, in the Miah’s long-term goal is to be an Indigenous criminal defence
film The Sapphires, happened when she was 10. “That came lawyer. “There needs to be more Indigenous people representing
through one of my mum’s friends, who had an agency and Indigenous people,” she says. “A lot of people in my family are
thought I should audition for it,” she says. “I had the best time, passionate about the same thing and have raised me to be aware
and it all kind of went from there.” of what’s going on in the world. I’ve had a lot of family and distant
family not in great circumstances because of the colour of their
Miah, who was “super-athletic in school” and loves the skin, not because of their actions. Justice has been on my mind
beach, has been in heaps of films and TV shows, including for a long time.”
Redfern Now and Australia Day, does voiceover work and
was a presenter for Nickelodeon. “It’s been the most amazing Meanwhile, she says, “hopefully I can do Play School forever.”
experience, being able to grow up and have a passion and Or even combine it with being a criminal defence lawyer.
a hobby at the same time,” says Miah. “I don’t think I knew “I’ll just have to remember not to rock up to the courtroom
I was getting paid until I was about 16!” with Little Ted.”

077
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sweet supplies
does your stationery drawer need a restock?
we’ve got a desk’s worth of goodies for you.
PHOTOGRAPHY PHOEBE POWELL STYLING CAITLYN BENDALL, ALICE BUDA

078
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Photos Stephanie Rose Wood
 mind your business

i love my shop could affect her for the rest of her life. It was the final turning point
for me – I needed to make a change for future generations.

RHIA REBEL AND THE TEAM AT LITTLE What’s your goal with Little Rebel? Since I was a child, I’ve not
REBEL BARBERSHOP HAVE A DIFFERENT felt comfortable fitting into binaries and have always struggled
to understand inequality. My aim is to give queer kids hope, safety
APPROACH TO HAIR. and inspiration to keep being themselves in a world that will
eventually accept them.

What are your most popular haircuts? The ‘rebel mullet’ and shags.
Our clientele will generally come to us for hair advice and trust us
enough to give us creative freedom.

Tell us about how you put the shop interiors together. The interior
Where is it? 141 Plenty Road, Preston, Victoria. of Little Rebel is a reflection of my inner child and teen years. It’s
a mixture of inspirations: there’s my love of Mid-century design as
What happens there? Little Rebel is a unique, safe and inclusive well as 1980s subcultural fashion and music. I brought a pool table
space. We offer gender-affirming haircuts (priced on service, not into my shop because it brings people together. In my 20s, I was
gender), creative cuts ’n’ colours and facial-hair grooming. All heavily involved in Melbourne’s punk-music scene and would hang
services use hairdressing and barbering techniques combined. at the local dive bars playing pool at gigs. I have fond memories of
making new friends around pool tables and wanted to keep a fun
What inspired you to open Little Rebel? I started out in the social vibe in the store.
hairdressing industry in my hometown of Nottingham, UK, in
2000. From working in high-end salons and cis-male-dominated What do you love most about barbering? We’re creative individuals
barbershops, I know non-binary people don’t necessarily fit into at Little Rebel. Our main passion lies with community-focused work:
the mainstream or conventual fashions and lifestyle. Our community helping our clients achieve their individual identity goals and to feel
can often feel misplaced and experience discrimination working comfortable in their own skin. We also want to push the boundaries
in and visiting some hair salons and barbershops. In 2014 I was of creativity, mainstream fashion and smash the ideas around
working in a barbershop when a father brought his two kids in with binaries. Equality for all!
him. My boss would not allow me to cut the daughter’s hair, and her
father told her to wait outside. In that moment she realised she was Where can we find out more? On Instagram at @little_rebel_barbershop
not equal to her brother and father; I knew that feeling of rejection and online at littlerebelbarbershop.com.

085
 learn something new

Illustration Alice Buda

the history
of the pigeon
HOW OUR ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE
FLYING RAT HAS CHANGED OVER TIME.
Words Emma Do

The first thing you should know about pigeons is that they’re to deliver important messages, it was during WWI that one
no different to doves. Scientifically speaking, both ‘pigeon’ particularly wily bird proved its talents. In 1918, the legendary
and ‘dove’ refer to the 300-plus birds in the Columbidae family Cher Ami delivered a message that saved 500 Allied soldiers,
– all of which have puffy little bodies and short, slender beaks. despite losing a leg and being shot in the chest in the process
And yet the common urban pigeon (technical name: rock dove) (it was later awarded a medal for its services). Even Australia
is deemed a flying rat, while the dove is held up as a symbol had a Corps of Signals Pigeon Service in the ’40s that delivered
of peace and all that is holy. messages between defence bases.

Our relationship with the avian species wasn’t always this way. Before their fall from grace, pigeons were basically man’s best
If you’d asked the citizens of any ancient civilisation, they’d have friend. We kept them as pets and admired their human traits: their
told you how revered the humble pigeon was in their time. Sacred intelligence, the fact that they mate for life, their strong homing
to early Middle Eastern cultures, pigeons came to be associated instinct. So where did it all go wrong?
with Astarte, the Phoenician goddess of fertility, as well as Venus,
the Roman goddess of love. They lived peacefully alongside Perhaps it was in the 1950s, when two widely publicised deaths
humans from as far back as 3000 BC; even earning a mention in the US were blamed on disease-carrying pigeons. A decade later,
in ancient scripts and art, from Roman frescoes to 6th-century a New York City parks commissioner uttered the rather catchy
mosaics. Not bad for a bird that originated from the rocky seaside phrase “rats with wings”, and the association has stuck ever since.
cliffs of North Africa and the Middle East. While it’s true that pigeon poo can make you sick if you inhale it in
dust form, the chances of that are slim (unless it’s literally your job
Beyond their association with the divine, pigeons were incredibly to clean up their droppings). Pigeons carry disease at the same
useful, too. For millennia, the portly birds were bred as an affordable rate as other urban birds, so it’s also strange that we consider
source of protein. And by the 16th and 17th century, squab (young them the dirtiest of the lot.
pigeon) had ascended from a grubby commoner’s dinner to dish
du jour for the British and French nobility, who raised the birds in The pro-pigeon camp theorises that our distaste stems from our
grand stone towers called dovecotes. urge to control nature in our cities. We no longer require pigeons
to perform important tasks, yet they still flock to us. Everywhere we
As for the pigeon droppings which we consider a nuisance today: turn, they’re there: staring back as we eat lunch at the park, cooing
they were once prized by the farmers of yore. The advent of on our rooftops and pooping on our cars. But the pigeon ‘problem’
commercial fertiliser means we no longer have to collect bird is of our own making – today’s urban pigeon is a descendant of the
excrement, but back then nitrogen-rich pigeon dung was, in the domesticated pigeons we bred before it. Those inquisitive little guys
words of the ancient Roman scholar Varro, “the best manure are simply doing what they’ve been trained to do for centuries:
of all”, nourishing crop fields across the world. Interestingly stay close to humans.
enough, pigeon poo is still used today in traditional Moroccan
tanneries as part of the leather-making process. The next time you shoo away a pigeon, think about the contributions
they’ve made to human history. And if your annoyance still
And who could forget the pigeon as war hero? While humans as fails to subside, try to see them for what they really are: a
far back as ancient Phoenicia have trained the feathered creatures peaceful rock dove.

086
 say hello to your
new companions
frankie's 2023 diary and calendar are here!

shop online at frankie.com.au/shop or find

your local stockist at frankie.com.au/find
 around the house

homebodies
welcome to sarah ruhullah and
hashem mcadam’s kooky ’70s apartment.
INTERVIEW LETA KEENS PHOTOS SARAH RUHULLAH

Who lives in your place, and what do the humans do How much do you know about its history? We’ve talked to
workwise? My partner Hashem McAdam and I live here with the owner a few times, and he told us it was built in the ’70s
our cat Winchy. Hashem and I are both photographers and by a German cabinetmaker. I’m pretty sure he did everything
videographers, and Hashem has a YouTube channel about that’s wooden in the house, like the furniture and the
film photography. beautiful little sliding door between the entrance foyer and
the living area. He would have done all that work downstairs,
Where is it and how did you find it? It’s above a shop in a and then he rented the space out as a shop. He also did the
random commercial area in south-east Melbourne. I have an tiling in the bathroom and probably the wallpapering. I think
unhealthy obsession with browsing real-estate apps late at all the curtains in the house were sewn by his wife (who was
night, and picturing how I would set up the properties. Last a seamstress) in a little room which Hashem and I now use
year, we had no intention of moving, but I came across photos as a studio. They lived here until their old age – he passed
of this place for rent (my partner and I are both into retro and away first, and then she was living here on her own. This is a
interesting places with character). I showed him, and he just really cute part of the story: the current owner was the tenant
said what bad photos they were, and we didn’t really think much downstairs, and he became like a son to the old couple. When
of it. I came across it again a couple of weeks later; the photos they passed away, they left the property to him in their will.
still weren’t great, but I showed them to Hashem, and we were He made it very clear from the start that he wanted tenants
like, “You know what, let’s go and see it for fun.” who would respect the original styling of the place, and
not change anything unless it wasn’t working – we really
What were your first impressions? The first thing I noticed appreciated that.
was the wooden spiral staircase leading into the apartment
– I remember seeing it and thinking, “That’s so beautiful.” We With all their stuff around, does it ever feel like you’re
found out later it was in the newspaper in the ’70s because of the living in a museum? Not at all. Knowing about the couple
craftsmanship. Then we were blown away by the level of detail – helps make this place feel even more special – I’d actually
all the wood and the green carpet, and the way the light shines like to know more. The way we’ve set it up with our plants
through the curtains. And we didn’t realise from the photos and little things makes it feel like it’s our home. At the start
how spacious it is – there are two bedrooms as well as two there were a few paintings that were not our style – they
outdoor areas. It was partly furnished with all the big items like were very antique – and an antique-looking coffee table.
the couch, a cabinet and bed, which was lucky because the only We asked when we moved in if we could replace them with
way you can get furniture in is through the spiral staircase. our stuff, which was fine.

089
 around the house

What are the other main things you’ve brought in? There’s have barbecues. We’ve got the front balcony, too, but that faces
the bookshelf in the living room, which I found on Facebook the highway so is pretty noisy – we use it mainly to water our
Marketplace for $70 – we had to manoeuvre it up the spiral plants and to let our cat out to roll around in the sun.
staircase which was a challenge. The other really big item was the
outdoor bathtub that I also found on Marketplace – luckily it wasn’t Any weird quirks to the place? All the walls are at a really
heavy. Our record-player stand was a hard-rubbish find, but it strange angle – but they’re angled so that the sun shines in
doesn’t look like it. It was a very short cupboard – Hashem in a really beautiful way. Even the sauna’s not at 90 degrees.
took off the door, sanded it down and added some legs. I love
the fact that we found it on the side of the road and changed it What have you had to change? There’s fluorescent lighting
into what it is now. along the curtains – I don’t know how some people can relax
under it. I’m a big fan of mood lighting, so I’ve put little sources
Any other special pieces? The only thing I’ve bought that’s super- of warm light in all areas of the house. Adding that makes
expensive in terms of furniture is this little one-person statement it so cosy, and the atmosphere’s so great for dancing to jazz.
couch in the corner of the bedroom. I really loved the style and the I love dancing, but Hashem’s not into it – when I have the place
fact it swivels. It’s a nice little reading nook, but because of the to myself, I put the music on really loud and sometimes pick
material – bouclé – it’s now just a very expensive cat scratching post. Winchy up and we dance together.

How would you describe the place now with your things in What do you love most about your place? So much. The
it? More modern but still retro – the vibe we were going for bedroom, the living area, the kitchen with the dining booth and
was kind of Mid-century but with a bit of life. We’ve tried to original ’70s fridge and microwave. I love the outdoor spaces, and
be respectful of the space, and are very grateful to be here. that we have a room for friends to stay. When we first moved in,
I’d wake up and be like, “Oh, am I at a really cool Airbnb?” but it
Back to the outdoor bathtub – that looks super-cool. Oh yes, definitely feels like our home – Winchy loves it, too, with all the
we turned the back deck into a bit of an oasis, because the other space to run around in and corners to sit in.
thing that blew us away when we did the inspection was the little
sauna on the deck – it still has its heating system from the ’70s. Do you reckon it’s changed you in any way? I feel maybe I need
I thought adding the bathtub would be really good – and we’ve to dress a little bit more retro to fit the space. Not always, though
also added a swing and a kitchen island which we use when we – right now I’m in my sweatpants and hoodie.

093
Photo Sarah Anderson
 get crafty

neapolitan
ice-cream candle
Words and project Emma Cutri and Ruby Kannava

Our signature pillar candle made from brown, white and pink is Soy wax: 70–75°C
one of our favourites; it is a nostalgic reminder of the Neapolitan Paraffin wax: 65°C
ice-cream we loved as kids. Soy blend wax: 50–55°C
Beeswax: 70°C
You can make a layered candle in a mould or a clear glass jar or
vase – as long as you can see the colours of each wax layer once HOW TO
your candle is finished. We suggest an even pour for each layer of
this candle, but you can experiment with different amounts of each If you are using a mould, thread the wick through the wick hole
coloured wax, or even add a different scent to each layer. and centre it. If you are using a clear vessel, attach a wick to the
bottom using a wick tab or a tiny amount of hot glue to hold it in
This candle will be a test of your patience, as you will need to wait place. If you are adding essential oils, weigh your wax before you
between each pour. Set up the project in a place where it won’t be begin to determine oil quantities – we recommend using 15–20ml
disturbed and where you can come back to it at intervals. Don’t for every 500g of wax.
rush the wait time! If you don’t wait long enough, your colours will
mix together and you won’t get lovely distinct layers. Melt your wax in a pot on the stove to the required temperature
(see pouring temperatures above). Add your choice of coloured
MATERIALS dye and mix well until it has melted evenly throughout your wax.
(We use brown for the first part to replicate chocolate ice-cream.)
Coated wick Remove wax from heat. If you want to add essential oils, do it after
Mould or clear vessel the wax has cooled slightly.
Wick tab (optional)
Wax of your choice (we use a soy wax that is suitable When you have mixed dyed wax to your desired colour, we
for a free-standing candle) recommend testing a small amount in a paper cup because
Candle dyes in colours of your choice coloured wax can sometimes look completely different once it sets.
Essential oils of your choice (optional)
Hot glue gun Transfer the wax to a jug and pour it into the mould or vessel until
Scale it is about a third full – you can estimate this by sight, or you can
Digital thermometer measure and mark it out with a ruler and tape on the mould or
Pot for melting wax vessel. Take care not to spill any wax on the sides of your mould
Stovetop or vessel, as the colour will show up in the other layers.

POURING TEMPERATURES Secure the wick so it’s in the centre of your candle – clip a clothes
peg to the wick, then rest it atop a popsicle stick balanced across
The pouring temperature can make or break your stunning your mould or vessel, or use a wick-straightening tool. Allow to
new candle creation. If your wax is too hot, bubbles will form set for one hour.
in your candle that can then appear on its surface. If your
wax isn’t hot enough, you will get textured lines through Heat the next batch of wax, but use a different coloured dye and/
it. Remember, never leave hot wax unattended, and always or essential oils. (The second section of our Neapolitan candle is
check that the temperature is within the recommended range white for vanilla ice-cream, so we don’t add any dye this time.)
before pouring it into a jug or container. Slowly pour the second section of wax into the mould or vessel
until it is about two-thirds full and leave to set for another hour.

Heat the last batch of wax using the same method as before.
This is an edited extract Add the dye and/or essential oils (we use pink for strawberry
from Blazed Wax by Emma ice-cream) and fill to the top so the mould or vessel is full.
Cutri and Ruby Kannava,
published by Hardie Grant Allow the candle to set for two hours. If using a mould, carefully
Books, RRP $34.99. Scan pull the candle from the mould, and trim the wick if required.
the QR code for more ace
frankie reccommendations. Good news! We’re giving away five copies of Blazed Wax
at frankie.com.au/win.

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 frankie x south melbourne market

1 4

2 3

fun finds SO:ME Space is a unique retail concept space within South
Melbourne Market where you can find a whole heap of cute
things (while in proximity to the greatest paella of your life).
SOME OF OUR FAVOURITE PICKS With a focus on design and sustainability, SO:ME Space is
FROM EMERGING DESIGNERS AT a retail launch pad for emerging Melbourne designers, who
get an opportunity to trial and sell their products – spanning
SO:ME SPACE. homewares, craft and fashion – in real life. The support of SO:ME
Space has led many of its designers, including shoe brand Rollie
and womenswear label Ena Pelly, to scale up with huge success.
Here, we take a look at the next crop of Melbourne’s up-and-
coming designers you can visit at SO:ME Space.

1. THE SUPERCOOL The Supercool is a gift emporium where

you can truly find something for everyone, from your funky
grandmother to your cousin’s new boyfriend you’ve never
met but got in the family Kris Kringle. The Supercool supports
local makers and designers and has a diverse range of unique,
bold colourful homewares, as well as clothing, toys, books and
nursery gifts for the little ones in your life. There’s so much to
choose from: bougie candlesticks for your next dinner party,
picnic mats, fringed beach umbrellas and more.

2. RUBY & SKY Ruby & Sky is the place to go when your
wardrobe needs an update. Ruby & Sky proudly supports
independent Melbourne and Australian designers, stocking
rad clothing, jewellery and accessories. We’re particularly
loving the range of handcrafted statement earrings from
Polka Polly (it’s OK to have a pair for every day of the week,
right?). Beyond wardrobe staples, there are homewares
and a range of natural products that are good for your
body, soul and the planet.

096
 frankie x south melbourne market

5 8

6 7

3. OSARA Get the very best of Japanese tableware at Osara, The soft buttery leather moulds to the exact shape of your feet,
without having to get your passport stamped. The Osara team making them super-comfortable no matter where you travel.
work closely with Japanese artisans and ceramicists to bring
ethically handmade tableware to your dinner table, and to 7. SUKI MCMASTER There are people who can illustrate, but then
make every meal you cook feel that extra bit special. Beyond there are people who can really illustrate, and Suki McMaster
dinnerware, at Osara you’ll also find sake sets, glassware, falls into this latter category. While Suki technically isn’t in SO:ME
matcha bowls and some of the best-smelling incense – Space anymore (you can find her just across from the space
trust us, your nose will thank you. in West Aisle), she did start in the precinct. She has a range of
illustrated baby clothing, homewares, gifts and napery on offer.
4. LUNA & SOUL Pre-paid for this term’s pilates and yoga classes The cute sloth or koala-print babywear sets make for some pretty
and have nothing to wear? Luna & Soul have you covered, literally, fun baby-shower gifts.
with their range of activewear. Conscious of the major impact the
fashion industry has on the environment, Luna & Soul work hard to 8. LA SIERRA La Sierra specialise in slow fashion, knitwear and
make activewear that does good for the planet – all their products homewares made from alpaca wool, one of the most sustainable
are made locally using sustainable materials. This is the place to fibres on the planet. The brand works with Ecuador and Peru’s
go for the stretchiest, comfiest yoga wear for holding that pose. Indigenous artisans, who use traditional methods to produce
a range of knitwear, unisex clothing, bedding, toys and throws.
5. REMEDY CLOTHING Remedy Clothing is a circular clothing brand, La Sierra’s fair-trade principles enable artisan communities to
which means they only use 100 per cent recycled materials to make a sustainable living for their families. We’re eyeing off
make their products, and ensure what they make can be recycled their cosy alpaca throws as a new friend for our couch.
once it reaches the end of its lifecycle (which will be a long way
off, as they also design for longevity!). At Remedy, you’ll find
year-round unisex basics including t-shirts, sweaters, hoodies,
tote bags and even bucket hats to get you through summer. This wrap of cute picks was produced
in partnership with the South Melbourne
6. AKANA Akana’s handmade leather shoes are based on Market. Visit SO:ME Space at the
traditional Turkish footwear, a style perfected over six centuries South Melbourne Market on Wednesdays,
of the Ottoman Empire. Unlike mass-produced shoes which Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Find
are glued together and fall apart over time, Akana shoes use out more or apply for a SO:ME Space
stall at southmelbournemarket.com.au
double-needle stitching and will be a trusty wardrobe staple
for many years to come. Our favourite thing about these shoes?

097
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Photo Lukasz Wierzbowski
 writers’ piece

CAUGHT OUT
we asked four writers to share the
greatest fibs they’ve told (or heard).

By stairs, mat hoisted above my head, An alert on the other side of the
and immediately lob it on top of entryway interrupted my light-
Michael the bushes outside our complex. fingered fantasia. Something
was wrong; the mat was stuck.
Sun – In the beginning, it might have I pulled harder. Ding! Ding!
been dismissed as a supernatural
I don’t remember how it started quirk. A ghost was haunting I dropped it and scurried upstairs,
now, but I do remember this: it was the building, and by haunting, but it was too late: the door
2005, and I was harbouring a secret I mean moving a welcome mat opened, and my neighbour made
so shameful I could hardly confess it from one spot to another. Soon, it in a few galloping leaps to catch
to the priest at my Catholic primary though, the thrill wore off, and me in action. It had been a sting
school, even under threat of eternal I had to get bolder: each time operation all along. My neighbour,
damnation. Maybe I’d been bored one I saw the mat returned to its who I was now face to face with
day, waiting for the computer to load place, I’d devise new schemes. for the first time, was a guy
as I furiously googled things like I’d throw it in a different hedge. named Jeff – and also a former
“Neopets hack how” and “Eminem I’d knock on the neighbour’s door, police officer, convinced that some
lyrics” (don’t ask). Or maybe I’d then run off, mat in hand. I’d villainous perp was exacting
scoffed too many packets of string sneak out after bedtime, doing their long, twisted revenge.
cheese at nauseating speed, and was the deed in the dead of night. Please come for dinner, my parents
forced out of our apartment for air. told him. We’ll make sure our
Things escalated. An emergency terrible son apologises for this.
Was that when I spotted it for strata meeting was called and
the first time? A downstairs each apartment was interrogated. So we had dinner, my parents
neighbour’s welcome mat, plain They turned on each other. Then and Jeff and I, and afterwards
and unassuming. It had become my parents turned on me: was my parents led me to my bedroom.
the target of my obsession, and it you??? No, I lied, smiling My repentance, they revealed,
I suddenly found myself – aged unconvincingly. No, I lied was to play piano for Jeff –
seven – with a crazed addiction again, tight-lipped this time. a punishment as devious as my
for petty thievery. Sometimes, I wasn’t sure they believed it, schemes. A punishment for both
when the afternoon light hit just though it was enough to curb performer and listener. My parents
right – and often when it didn’t – my kleptomania – for a while. made their exit, and suddenly,
I would be compelled with a force Jeff and I were alone, in purgatory
so divine, a courage so brazen, There I was again, some months together, locked in muted and
that I had no choice but to yank later: just a boy, standing in front mutual resentment as I thumped
the mat away from its doorstep. of a door, pining for its welcome out ugly chords to an all-
mat. I thought I’d rid myself of consuming silence, all the while
But the thrill, as any amateur the habit. But something about hating this man who had tied a
pilferer will tell you, wasn’t in that mat – in all its brown, sodden bell on one end of his welcome mat,
the possession. It was in the taking glory – was reeling me back in. then sat for weeks, unmoving,
itself. Having claimed my prize, I crept towards it, tugged it gently. at his couch every afternoon in
I’d sprint down three flights of It was almost in reach, before: ding! case, one fateful afternoon, it rang.

101
By an embellishment on an otherwise By
underwhelming outfit.
Caro Serena
Sometimes I lie out of
Cooper – embarrassment. Small white Coady –
lies. Harmless! In fact, not lying
Never let the truth get in the way would be the harmful option. Young girls don’t have many
of a good story. My grandpa used Harmful to me, anyway. I tell weapons at their disposal. I know
to tell me this; it was sort of his lies when someone asks me what from personal experience that it’s
motto. It was his way of warning I have planned for the weekend seriously difficult to be seen as a
us that pretty much everything or what I’ve been up to lately. legitimate threat when your main
he said was embellished. Shame The true answer is a very beige occupation is narrating homemade
on us if we believed that he drove and conversation-ending “Trying to films on Windows Movie Maker
the Queen around Australia in work out what my dog is thinking.” and gliding around on a Razor
a limousine. I had to respect But you can take nothing and add scooter. But if you weathered
his honesty about, well, his a little razzle-dazzle to make Y2K and came of age between the
dishonesty. Most people just it “Something weird happened… mid-’90s and mid-’00s, you would
lie without admitting to it – I’ve when I was doing nothing.” It’s a know that there was one way to
done it. You’ve got shifty eyes, so layer, not a lie. It’s about making get real results: you could faint.
I reckon you do it all the time, too. myself look less boring and earning
back the money I spent on all those During those years, Hollywood
Some people are chronic liars. creative-writing subjects at uni. birthed a league of oxygen-deprived
Like the waitress I used to work damsels. In The Notebook, Rachel
with who claimed she had been an That’s another reason I lie: fear McAdams passes out in her wedding
astronaut-in-training but decided of boredom, or more accurately, dress. Christina Ricci topples over
it wasn’t really her vibe. Or the fear of silence. I’m fine with when see-through softboi Casper
guy who told me he graduated relaxed nothingness, but groups of says hi. Keira Knightley faints and
from high school at 12 and took people sitting in awkward silence falls into the sea in the first Pirates
time off to travel before uni, (or groups of heads floating in of the Caribbean film. It didn’t
which was why he was my age silence on Zoom) make me itchy matter that they all collapsed due
in first year. That’s serious lying, and anxious. Why so dull? I get to reasons well out of my realm
maybe self-delusion. It’s the it – sometimes there are group of possibility – Ryan Gosling, a
kind of lying that keeps people dynamics and politics at play, young ghoul, Georgian corsetry –
wondering – but not in a good way. especially in work groups. But these examples of performative
that just makes it the perfect femininity left their mark.
I don’t lie like that. One time I lied time to crack out a humiliating,
to protect a friend. We were just ridiculous story that may or may When I was 13, Mum took me out
kids and my friend accidentally not have happened. There’s no for a mother–daughter night at the
hit me in the eye with a hockey better way to bond and disarm a local theatre. Don’t ask me what we
stick. I ended up with a giant group than to humiliate yourself saw. Whether it was an unauthorised
black eye and a hefty blood clot in front of them. Yes, you’re right, Andrew Lloyd Webber production or
for months. She was mortified and I’m not management material. a street-funk dance troupe giving
terrified. I lied and told my parents everything to Will Smith’s “Switch”,
a player on the other team had hit My lies are never big enough the show couldn’t compare to what
me. About six months later they to warrant feeling weird about. was coming. On the drive back, Mum
learnt the truth (not from me). It’s OK to lie to get a laugh, to said I couldn’t continue my almost
embellish a story to make it worth entirely shopping centre-based
My lying is not an entirely selfish telling. The far greater sin, in relationship with a chap she called
act (OK, maybe it is a bit selfish). my opinion, is to be dull. Better Larry Lowpants (he was in a touring
I want the people I’m talking with a lying miscreant than a bore. B-boy ensemble with his brother),
to enjoy the experience. Time is which marked the first deception
precious; life is short. No one wants My grandpa had a second, almost of the night: the mother–daughter
to hear about the mundane events complementary motto: believe theatre outing was subterfuge.
of a remote worker with no social half of what you see and nothing
life. But if you add a little spice, of what you hear. Maybe now, more I cried all the way down the Monaro
things can get fun. I just take the than ever, we would all do well Highway. When Mum stopped at
truth and add colour. Does that to heed his advice. But first, let her friend’s house and went inside
make me a liar? Maybe, but I like me tell you about this really wild to retrieve my sisters, I stepped
to think of myself as a rhinestone – thing that just happened to me… out into the rainy Canberra night.

102
Somewhere between the wheelie By no reason to doubt this new and
bins and car bonnet, I breathed exciting fact I’d learnt about
my last breath, and fainted. And Fraser myself. I set out immediately
then I breathed another breath, to prove my sister right.
because I was fully conscious. Harvey –
Once the initial pain subsided
I lay on the driveway for 80 There are all sorts of lies that and I came to terms with the
minutes, because Mum has never can be told for myriad different fact that I was somehow stung
been able to resist a chinwag. As reasons. But basically, most lies by a bee, I had to face the fact
the rain flattened my dutifully can be distilled down to two that I’d been lied to, and more
crimped hair, I listened to my basic categories: bad or funny. shockingly, that I – a noted
sisters laughing about my new I know ‘bad’ is a very broad special boy – was easily and
missing-person status while Mum term and ‘funny’ is reasonably callously misled. It’s a sobering
called my name. It was like when a specific, but that’s pretty much feeling we all experience
movie character attends their own the breakdown. Over my life, throughout our lives, but the
funeral and sees what the world is I have lied and been lied to – the first time is always the most
like without them. At only 13 years latter is the part that you learn shocking. From then on, I vowed
of age, I had achieved a kind of from. Childhood and adolescence to never believe a word my sister
prescience that was not available are basically a crash course in said to me: a promise I would
to the living. And all I had to do working out what is true and come to forget not even 24 hours
was faint. It was really that easy. what is not, to varying degrees later, when she told me that
More importantly, I had achieved of success. In retrospect, a lot of Egyptian people walk like the
what I set out to do, and that was these experiences can seem quite figures in hieroglyphics, or
to make Mum regret keeping me funny, no matter how painful somewhat more famously, like
from my dream guy (a guy who the lesson was at the time. the “Walk Like an Egyptian”
had eight secret girlfriends). video clip by The Bangles. She
As I kid, I learnt many hard would then go on to sell me many
As luck would have it, the truths via the lies of my older more similar untruths over the
driveway had recently been sister, who was, and remarkably course of my childhood, and
paved, so I could have comfortably still is, six years older than frankly that was on me. I needed
stayed there all night, pushing me. These days we have a great to learn to be less gullible.
Mum to confront her sins. But she relationship and are very close,
eventually started the car to go despite living halfway around However, this cruel streak
look for me. To preserve my supple the world from each other, but as exhibited by my sister instilled
little organs, I finally rolled out children we were sworn enemies. in me a similar courage I still
from under the Honda. Nobody was She hated me when I came along, make use of today. It’s incredibly
surprised – nor were they relieved. as it meant far less attention fun to pass off an absurd non-
spent on her. I hated her because fact as truth to someone. I once
I wasn’t the only tween to fabricate she was the only other person told a friend that the reason
this kind of drama. One of my high- I knew apart from Mum and Mickey Rourke’s face is so weird
school friends ‘fainted’ nearly Dad, and because she hated me. is because he dipped it straight
every week. In the line for the into acid for a film role. This
canteen. In the science lab. At the Sara* (*a pseudonym, as Sarah was meant to be a throwaway
top of a staircase. Until that rainy didn’t want me to use her joke, but it was met with a
night, I thought I was above fake real name) wasted no time in look of total disbelief from my
fainting. But I suppose I hadn’t teaching me some memorable friend, who seemed to think
known true despair until then. lessons. There was the time I was being serious. Naturally,
one boring Saturday when we I didn’t bother correcting him
As far as little white lies go, were standing barefoot in the and then moved on and forgot
pretending to pass out is on the front yard when suddenly a about it. But of course, like
milder side. I could’ve adopted far bee landed on the ground in me, my friend needed to learn
worse behaviours from cinema. front of us. “Stand on it!” my the lessons I had so painfully
I could’ve brought all kinds of sister said eagerly, “You can learnt. So imagine my delight
thunder, but I didn’t. If you think actually stand on bees and not a few months later, when at a
this brings me comfort, you’re get stung, but I can’t, so you party I overheard him earnestly
way off. The fainting incident has have to do it.” Now you have to sharing this newly acquired
followed me deep into my 20s – my understand that my mum had fact with a group of movie buffs,
mum and her friends still refer to on several occasions told me I who then had to set the record
me as “bin girl”. I guess I’ll take it. was special, so obviously I had straight. Perfect. Chef’s kiss.

103
 pretty pictures

glitter and gore Is it true that the flourishes in your paintings are guts? Yes, it’s
true, but it’s a combination of non-gut imagery mixed in with some
gut imagery. Some of my favourite reference books are anatomy
LOUISE ZHANG’S ART IS INSPIRED ones. But there are heaps of guts in cartoons that inspire me, too!
BY HORROR MOVIES, DEMONS AND
Which horror films have inspired your work? The Blob (1988),
CHINESE MYTHOLOGY. The Fly (1986), Repulsion (1965) and SpongeBob SquarePants
Interview Emma Do (if you check out all the Gross-Up Close-Up scenes made popular
by The Ren & Stimpy Show, it’s essentially a body horror series).
I’ve always loved things that were just a little off – that curiosity
when you’re confronted with something gross. You know it’s there;
you know it’s disgusting, but you have something nudging you
saying, “Just take a peek. You know you want to!”
Hi Louise! Can you sum up your artistic style in three words?
Saturated, curious, conflicted. Why do you choose to paint with bright colours? I’ve realised that
I’m drawn to these colours because they can be so saccharine.
What were your early experiences with art like? As a kid, I didn’t Colour is a powerful manipulation tool; it’s similar to marketing. It can
have much of an opportunity to participate in many extracurricular transform meaning (for example, I could paint a bloody organ in reds
activities. In a sense, I had to raise myself while my parents worked and browns and all those familiar flesh tones, but if instead, I paint
to keep me in school, so I had the opportunity to spend time with it in pastels and rainbow tones, it completely shifts our perceptions,
my imagination. One of the things I really enjoyed was turning one even though it’s still a bloody organ). Certain colours draw you in –
of my shelves into a little shop: Louise’s Corner Shop. I would make even if they repulse you, they catch your attention. I want audiences
‘groceries’ (mostly chicken nuggets) using markers and tissues. to take the opportunity to look deeper into my work. I use colour as
a form of comfort to talk about things that are not so comfortable.
What ongoing fascinations from childhood have stayed with you?
I absolutely loved fantasy, magic and any form of ‘candy land’ Tell us a bit about your process. With paintings, I do a sketch
aesthetic. I loved Sabrina The Teenage Witch, and Doraemon on paper, the canvas or on a tablet. From there I either freehand
dubbed in Mandarin. Then one day I found Charmed – I was or project onto the canvas. Once I’ve mapped out the basics, I just
hooked – and that led me to Tim Burton. I became an emo (well, dive in and make it up as I go. The one consistent thing I do for
a Christian emo) and found likeminded people online and finally paintings is take time to think about what I would like to say and
felt like I fitted in. I got into body horror because it felt like such how I can say it, without depicting a traditional narrative. I’m drawn
a visceral schism to my upbringing – these subjects were taboo to symbols, motifs and euphemisms, because although they come
and were derided by my Chinese-Christian community as being from a specific personal space, it also can mean many other things
sources of anxiety and depression. for other people.

104
 pretty pictures

Your work explores feelings of not belonging as well as Chinese Christianity in our family. The first time I explored more ‘disruptive’
mythology and superstition. How has your relationship with elements of Chinese history – like demons and superstition – it
your Chinese heritage changed as your career has progressed? really threw them. Some harmful things were said. But we learnt
My relationship has changed significantly and continues to change more about each other’s perspective and put ourselves in each
– I’ve realised how important and relevant my heritage is. I was first other’s shoes and it’s OK now. They still are hesitant, particularly
very confident in my position as an ‘abstract artist’ working with when it comes to the core part of their faith and politics, which,
colour fields and organic forms, and putting my love of pop culture to again, is totally understandable. Although I am privileged to do
the forefront. And while that still is a part of my practice and a true what I do and have the freedom to say what I want, I consider the
inspiration, I realised out of art school what I was doing: I wanted implications on my family. Where I can, I try to inform or consult
to be ‘like everyone else’ – like a ‘normal’ white artist – not another with them; I work with euphemistic imagery.
artist of colour talking about diaspora. It was highly problematic
and was perpetuated by the environment I grew up in – mostly the What’s your next goal? Recently I’ve come out identifying as
church. On the inside, I really envied my fellow artists in art school someone with a disability. It doesn’t sound groundbreaking – nor is
who explored identity in their work so naturally. I realised I could it – but for me it’s difficult. I openly talk about my health, but I never
talk about all of the above. I could talk about personal things without felt like I could identify as having a disability based on the fact I
painting my diary; I could do it my own way. look ‘fine’. Invisible disabilities like chronic health and pain issues
don’t tend to be taken as seriously as say, if I was walking around
In 2015 I won an award which gave me a space to have an exhibition – with crutches. There’s also the issue of having to continually tell
the first that touched on my heritage. My close friend and curator Luke or remind people, “Hey, I physically can’t do this even though I look
Létourneau helped me through it and it became New Year Rot!, and act fine,” and that can be exhausting and degrading. My goal
a series based on the New Year posters in China. The fact that I didn’t is to normalise my capacity, integrate that into the way I work and
know what half the symbols and motifs used were made me realise the relationships I develop personally and professionally. I admit
I didn’t know that much of my heritage. Since then, I’ve been learning I’m not that well versed when it comes to language and etiquette,
and creating and progressing. but I’m keen to learn. I’m keen to show the world what people like
me can do, especially within my field.
How did your parents respond to your work? They understandably
were hesitant. My family came from a city known as the ‘Jerusalem Where can we see more from you? Online at louisezhang.com and
of China’. I think that says a lot about the depth and seriousness of on Instagram at @louise__zhang (that's two underscores).

107
 war of the words

the great debate

is it rude to start eating before
others have been served?

hell yes I’m not a big believer in table manners –

most etiquette ‘rules’ originate from rich
my bare hands while everyone else’s
mouths remain free of food and full of
Englishmen who owned too many servants interesting observations and sparkling
BY DEIRDRE FIDGE
and too many forks. I couldn’t care less if jokes. If everyone’s mouths are full,
you slurp soup or eat a steak using only you’re all in the same happy boat:
your bare hands. But there’s one habit the SS Chomp Chomp!
that really grinds my gears: eating your
meal before everyone else has theirs. On the flipside, if you are last to receive
your meal and everyone else has
Going out for a meal with people is a social finished, there may be an expectation that
act. The expression ‘breaking bread’ refers you have to eat quickly so the group can
not only to the act of eating with others, move on to the local discotheque or attend
but to the connection that comes with it. that evening’s cotillion (I don’t go out much
It conjures an image of someone physically but assume these are relevant examples).
tearing a hunk of bread apart to share with So there everyone sits, rubbing their full
their peers or family. In the same way we bellies making satisfied ahhh sounds,
clink glasses and drink simultaneously to cheeks reddened by extra mugs of ale.
mark an occasion, we say “Bon appétit!” Meanwhile, you’re hastily attempting to
or “Dig into your feed bags, comrades!” unhinge your jaw and swallow an entire
to signify the start of a meal. Timing is cacio e pepe with the determination of
everything – feasting together is the point. a python. Burnt pharynx be damned:
an out-of-sync social dynamic is far
Eating at different times is baffling. more uncomfortable.
Why arrange a shared experience if it isn’t
actually shared? As anyone who’s worked A great workaround for this, of course,
in hospitality knows, meals are ordered is choosing restaurants that specialise
and prepared to come out at once. It’s an in share plates. This eliminates any
obvious acknowledgement that everyone pressure around timing and the meal
at a table should ideally eat together. becomes as communal as humanly
The importance of timing is part of the possible, short of slurping a single
reason why chefs have a reputation for noodle of spaghetti with someone à la
being such Grumpy Guses! (That said: Lady and the Tramp. But a lot of the time,
everyone is underpaid and overworked this isn’t possible. People have dietary
so be nice to people in hospo, please.) requirements or the restaurant is chosen
for you, and we’re back on the deck of the
Choosing to ignore this small, simple SS Chomp Chomp with a choice to make.
gesture is a lose–lose situation. If you And the answer is simple, but must again
are the first person to receive your meal be repeated for good measure: just wait
and happily chow down before waiting, for everyone to get their dang meal.
you then run the risk of being left out
of conversations, or of having your The late great Anthony Bourdain once
eating noises very acutely listened to. said, “You learn a lot about someone
I realise these fears may be personal when you share a meal together.” The
projections on my behalf, but surely key word: share. I believe that a lot is
I’m not the only one who feels awkward revealed about a person’s character if
trying to engage in conversation with a they don’t wait for you before tucking
mouth full of steak that I’m holding with in. Bon appétit, comrades.

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 war of the words

hell no Picture this: we’re both enjoying

ourselves at a restaurant (your
Now I’m sure my counterpart will
make all sorts of wild and frankly
favourite!), gasbagging and gossiping unfounded claims about how adhering
BY FRASER HARVEY
and generally having a whale of a to this rule “shows a healthy respect
time. We’ve ordered our food, and for your chosen dinner companion” or
our drinks have arrived. I immediately “helps you enjoy a shared experience”
spill my drink all over my lap and or some kind of nonsense like that,
need to request several extra napkins but this is all rubbish. The greatest
from the wait staff, along with another respect you can show for someone
drink and directions to the bathroom is encouraging them to eat as soon
where I can pat the dampness off my and as quickly as humanly possible.
crotch without fear of being labelled It shows that you value nourishment
a pervert by nearby diners. above all else, and that you’ve grown
into a normal, well-adjusted person
At last, I’ve returned! And what’s this? who has no desire to control when
My meal has already arrived along someone can or can’t begin a meal.
with a brand-new drink. How delightful!
I take my place at the table, have a Also, I know the waiter said your meal
quick sip of my drink that I barely even would only be a few minutes away,
spill this time, reach for my knife and but how do we know for sure? I’ve
fork (assuming I haven’t ordered soup ordered a hot meal on a cold day and
or a consommé) and begin to enjoy now you want me to hold out till it’s
my delicious meal. Sadly, however, room temperature – or worse still,
this feeling of elation is cut short by cold. What if my dinner gets so cold
your furrowed brow and immediate I contract pneumonia and die? That’s
interjection, causing me to return the another thing you’ll have weighing
cutlery back to the table. Why? Because on your conscience as you dine alone
you’re a weird little freak who gets for the rest of your life.
off on withholding.
There’s a certain arrogance that
I’ve been racking my brain for days now goes along with assuming a person
trying to wonder why you’d want to stop isn’t completely starving when you
someone from eating before you, and sit down to eat. How do you know
all I can come up with is that you’ve what I had for lunch? Guess what –
got control issues. Sure, your parents I didn’t have anything! I was saving
taught you this futile exercise was “good myself for dinner! I’m hungry! With no
manners”, but that’s only because they indication from the kitchen as to how
were taught the same by their parents. long your meal will be, this is actually
Why? Nobody knows, but I like to think a form of torture and possibly even
this dining rule can be traced back to a hate crime to make me sit here
England, where all stupid rules started, looking at a delicious plate of food
before they were distributed around the that I’m not allowed to touch. Also,
world by sailors teeming with scurvy for all we know, the chef may have
and gonorrhoea between the 17th and purposely sent mine out first because
19th centuries. Is that how you want me they just like my vibe. How dare
to think of you? A disgusting, controlling you get in the way of a chef’s want.
sailor? Well too late, I already do. That is so like you.

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Ngali shirt dress, rrp $450, ngali.com.au
 style

get to know five first nations

fashion labels.

INTERVIEWS ELIZABETH WHITEHEAD PHOTOGRAPHY MAITE PONS ART DIRECTION

AND STYLING ALICE BUDA, EMMA DO LOCATION HEIDE MUSEUM OF MODERN ART

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 Amber Days Angie linen dress, rrp $179.95, amberdays.com.au

Amber Days – Corina Muir

Why did you start Amber Days? When I was pregnant with my daughter, I found it really hard to find pieces that were
truly sustainable. Another big reason for starting the brand is that I’m passionate about women in business, especially
Indigenous women and women of colour. I wanted to focus on providing meaningful employment, so we collaborate
with Aboriginal women in all of our collections. A big part of our business is about how women can work together to
create magic, share our stories and connect. What is the story behind this print? The print is by Arkie Barton – her
artist name is Arkie the Label and she’s a Kalkadoon Bidjara woman from Mount Isa. The print is called Wirirri, meaning
flowers blossoming. Arkie's art Kuu Dreaming is also on our Tamara midi dress (kuu in Arkie’s language is water).
Why is fashion a great medium for Indigenous art and design? With the label, we're able to share all the beautiful
parts of our culture, like caring for Country. I find that so beautiful – that this is a way of connecting and rebuilding.
We’ve got our Indigenous kids feeling super-proud and connected, being able to wear their culture. Then there are
also the non-Indigenous kids who get to share in that. I think it’s so important to recognise that Aboriginal culture
helps everybody; it heals everybody.

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Kirrikin Alice flirty dress in Grevillea, rrp $363, kirrikin.com

Kirrikin – Amanda Healy

How did Kirrikin begin? I started Kirrikin in 2014 in response to a huge gap in the market. There was lots of ‘Indigenous-
style’ work, but none had any real connection to Indigenous people, stories or culture. Having an Indigenous background,
I was inspired to create a brand that truly represented who we were, using real Indigenous artists and artwork, and
telling our stories. What is the story behind this print? The Grevillea artwork is by Jessica Tedim from the Yuwaalaraay/
Gamilaraay people in northern New South Wales and southern Queensland. Her artwork is fresh and edgy; it speaks
to her Aboriginal heritage. In this artwork, Jess was inspired to paint the grevillea as she watched it bloom in her
backyard. The grevillea was our original bush lolly – our people used to shake the nectar from the flower onto their
palm and mix it with a little water to get a sweet burst of flavour and a refreshing drink. Why is fashion a great medium
for Indigenous art and design? Fashion is something we interact with every day, and through this medium, Kirrikin
changes the broader population’s view of Aboriginal people one dress at a time. We all feel such pride in seeing our
pieces worn down the street. It is important to be seen as a high-end product, too – I want to link our people and
culture with luxury, and I want to remove the stigma that has been attached to us.

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 Ngali shirt dress, rrp $450, scarf, rrp $125, ngali.com.au

Ngali – Denni Francisco

How did Ngali begin? I started Ngali in 2018. I wanted to look at how we might support First Nations artists, particularly
those in remote regions in Australia, and then through that, be able to stay more connected to culture and Country.
What’s the story behind the print on this scarf? The scarf represents the concept of connection to Country. Since
Ngali started, we’ve been collaborating with Lindsay Malay – he’s a Gija man from the Kimberley. His artwork is just so
incredibly beautiful to look at and to translate into fashion. When it comes to translating art into garments, the print is
always the hero, so our silhouettes are often simple. But we do little touches that might be an extra detail on a collar or
an embroidered button – that special something. Why is fashion a great medium for Indigenous art and design? Fashion
is a great medium for sharing important stories. I think that people want to know more about Indigenous culture, and
fashion is an easy entry point for them. Thankfully, there’s so much more conscious consumerism now. Fashion is a
way to reach more people with more stories and more celebration of culture and Country.

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Gantharri Skye dress in Bularu print, rrp $220, gantharri.com

Gantharri – Bobbi Lockyer

How did Gantharri begin? I have been working as an artist for the past 15 years. I was also really interested in fashion
as a kid; I was always making little outfits for my dolls. I did a collaboration with Deadly Denim that sparked that interest
in fashion again. From there, I discovered that I could digitise my paintings and turn them into seamless patterns,
and so I started creating my own garments. What’s the story behind this print? This is the Bularu print. Bularu is
a Ngarluma word for rainbow. So this print was inspired by my love for all the rainbow colours in the ocean. I used
purple as the base colour as a tribute to my dad who passed away in December – purple was his favourite colour.
Why did you choose to combine your art with fashion? For me, it’s about expressing who I am and my identity within
my culture. It’s also about showcasing my culture and my way of storytelling through fashion. Being an Aboriginal
girl, I was told I was too Black and too fat for fashion. I want everyone to feel that they can be a part of my label, and
to be able to wear my garments regardless of gender, race or body size.

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 style

LORE Shifty-frill dress in navy, rrp $364, lorefabricsandfashion.com

LORE Fabrics & Fashion – Shannon Brett

How did LORE begin? I am a proud Wakka Wakka, Butchulla, Gooreng Gooreng person living in Yuggera Country in
Meanjin/Brisbane. I created LORE in 2017 after being a freelance fashion designer for numerous far-north Queensland art
centres and having my work featured in many fashion shows in Australia and overseas. I am inspired by culture, Country,
place and time. What’s the story behind this print? I created the Bunya Bunya print as a dedication to my grandmother
and our people: the Wakka Wakka people. Our Country shelters the largest stand of ancient Bunya pines on our planet.
I have been spending a lot of time on this Country, so I was inspired to do this line drawing. I drew the nuts intertwined,
and it resulted in a simple yet interesting repeat pattern. Why is fashion a great medium for Indigenous art and design?
Fashion has always been a medium that I have been comfortable with. It’s a great tool to freely express my identity and
my creativity. I make art, and design and create about the topics which I am working through during each stage in my
life. Fashion is a space where I feel free to create work which acknowledges my traditions and my identity as a culturally
proud artist, and as an individual who is interested in the politics of us as First Nations people.

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Take more than
you give.
Give someone a coffee subscription from Perk and
they’ll receive a different coffee every month
from one of Australia’s best roasters.

When you do, we’ll donate to help take that same

weight in plastic from the ocean.

Every time you give someone a kilo of coffee with

Perk, we work with Empower to reclaim more than
a kilo of plastic waste so it can be recycled and
reused, and we can all leave the world a little
better than how we found it.
 something to say

Photo Josh Couch

cats and mums Despite the efforts of my brain, my heart couldn’t follow. So why
does it hurt so damn much? Pets are sentient beings whose unique
BRIDGET MCARTHUR PONDERS THE personalities we adore. But we also anthropomorphise them,
DIFFICULTIES OF SAYING GOODBYE misinterpret their facial expressions and noises. ‘The pet’ has to be more
of a symbol of our own creation – I think this is why their death hits so
TO A BELOVED PET. hard. It’s the death of the version of you that existed in the pet’s mind.

When I was mourning Gypsy, I was also mourning the death of the
primary-school, teenage and university-age versions of myself that
were three of the main characters in her life. Then there were the
side characters who visited our home: friends and enemies, my
My family cat died last year. She was 16; it was not unexpected. ex-boyfriends, my sister’s ex-boyfriends, my mum’s ex-boyfriends.
My boss gave me a swift “Sorry to hear”. I spent hours trawling She saw a lot of ex-boyfriends, most of whom, I’d like to point out,
through old photos and made the usual Instagram slide show, with she never took to. Good instincts, that girl.
friends dutifully commenting “Sorry for your loss, Bridge”. But all
in all, it was just another Tuesday. I went home and polished off Gypsy was the first big addition to the family household after Dad
an article on the Africa–China relationship and made dinner. moved out, so in some ways she also came to represent that shift.
Uncontaminated with memories of a nuclear family past, she was for
Publicly, I wallowed in the exact amount of grief we are permitted for the girls. In Gypsy, I saw and celebrated the independence and strength
a pet, which is – compared to a human – relatively minimal. It’s the that I think might have actually been Mum’s own independence and
kind of bereavement we’re expected to still function under. After all, strength – she just let us view it in cat form. Sun-loving, food-loving,
we entered the relationship knowing we would (most likely) outlive a homebody yet adventure-seeking, reserved and beloved – now that
them. But under the surface, I was a tiny childlike wreck. I felt how I think about it, Mum and Gypsy were sort of one and the same.
Gypsy had looked in her final hours: shrunk back to kitten size. At
least she had remained stoic until the end. I was, truth be told, a mess. Am I saying my cat’s death felt like the death of my mother? That’s
probably pushing it. But it definitely felt like the death of one of the
This was surely a disproportionate amount of pain to feel for a cat. last tangible things our little family unit of three shared.
I hadn’t even seen her that much in the last three years of her life
– I’d been living in London or was locked down in my Brunswick In some ways, the death of a pet is one less reason to come home.
sharehouse. Pets are literally an animal we force to live in our homes, But it’s finally made me acknowledge what was perhaps the real
I rationalised. Did she even know me as me? Did she love me back? reason for coming home all along: Mum. Goodbye, Gypsy, I’ll miss you.
Would she have mourned my death? And hi Mum, I’ll be coming round much more.

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Explore your sense of self
Knowledge to nourish your spark

COSMIC NUMEROLOGY MULGANAI THE PLANT PORTAL

Jenn King Emma Hollingsworth Erin Lovell Verinder

This joyful guide to numbers Kaanju, Kuku Ya'u, Girramay From the bestselling author
and planets is a simple tool woman, Emma Hollingsworth, of Plants for the People and
for understanding yourself takes us on a journey through The Plant Clinic comes an
on a deeper level. With Country with 45 of her artworks to easy-access deck of herbal
meditations, plants, power colour-in and paint. Each artwork teas and wisdom cards.
colours, and more, Cosmic is paired with personal stories Perfect for sticking to the
Numerology is a magical and descriptions. This is an ally- fridge or taking to work for a
manual for self-exploration. friendly colouring book. quick, easy, healing brew.

Need more inspiration?

Sign up to our e-newsletters by
scanning the QR code, or head to
Image credit: Georgia Blackie for The Plant Portal. thamesandhudson.com.au
 pieces of me

everybody a car.” And then the conversation progressed to, “If you save,
you can buy a house.” I knew I’d one day have to move out of

has a story
home, and I just really wanted to pay off something that was my
own instead of having to rent. Maybe I was naïve, but it actually
felt like a realistic option.

NATALIE IS A 26-YEAR-OLD MILLENNIAL How long did it take you to save up? Around 10 years – ever since
WHO RECENTLY BOUGHT A HOUSE. I had my casual job at 15. I ended up buying my house last year
for $595,000. I had saved $120,000 and I put down $100,000 for my
deposit and kept $20,000 for renovations. When I was a teenager,
my goal was to save at least 10 per cent of my pay cheque. I followed
that savings structure until I hit a point where I could save more.
When I got my first full-time job at 21, I was earning $45k, so was
Let’s get this out of the way. Did your parents give you money saving around 20–30 per cent of my income. At 22, I got a better
for your house? No, they absolutely didn’t. paying job and started saving around 40 per cent of my pay. I had
the luxury of being able to live at home, so I didn’t have any expenses
They didn’t even offer? Nope. other than my car and going out. I lived at home until I was 23.

And you don’t live in a rundown shack? I live in a cosy two-bedroom Were you an early investor in crypto? No! I didn’t have any
unit in the outer eastern suburbs of Melbourne. The unit is on investments. I just had a normal, high-interest savings account
a block of 10, with a decent backyard and garage. It was built in – if I took money out, I’d lose my bonus interest for the month.
the 1970s and was in its original form when I bought it, but I knew I set up my banking to have a savings account for the house,
it had good bones, so I had to look past the cosmetic faults. then another savings account for holidays.

Well, congratulations! That’s an amazing achievement. Has this What sacrifices did you make to meet your savings goal? I didn’t
been a dream for a long time? From the moment I started my do a gap year or have a big travel moment when I was younger,
first job as a teenager, I had the goal of saving for a house. I didn’t whereas a lot of my close friends jetted off to Europe and the
think I’d be buying one for a while, but I was always saving for it US and did these fun and crazy things. I definitely bought clothes
in the background. My first savings account was titled ‘house’. and make-up and still went out with friends, but I wouldn’t splurge.
I never spent hundreds of dollars on a night out, drinking. I would
So how the heck does one go about saving for a house? It started drive or get the train home. I was definitely a bit frugal. I’d also
with my parents encouraging me to save up and be independent. try to do things like go for a walk with friends or get a coffee
I got my first job at 15, and they’d say, “If you save, you can buy as opposed to always getting meals. I’d bring lunch to work

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and didn’t eat out more than a couple of times a week. That was How did you feel when you bought the house? Incredibly stressed.
something that really helped me save. I was crying and not sleeping. I had known this whole time that
this was what I wanted to do, but when it came down to putting in
Did you ever get FOMO? There were some moments when I was the offer, I was like, “Holy shit. All this money sitting in my account
like, “All this responsibility is too serious, maybe I just need to is going to be gone.” I had a lot of doubt: can I live life and pay
take 10 grand and put it towards a holiday.” But I didn’t stop off a mortgage? But now that I’m almost a year in, I’m in a much
myself from leaving. I still did a couple of short trips overseas. better place. I am definitely very proud. Once I got the keys,
Overall, FOMO was never a huge problem for me, because I was I became really excited.
so focused on the end goal.
What’s your advice for people who want to buy a place?
What about all the other coming-of-age milestones? I moved out and If you’re consistent with your saving, it is possible. You have to
started renting with my boyfriend when I was 23, and that was during back yourself, and you have to have a support network around
the pandemic. It was kind of a blessing, because I didn’t have to spend you. You will have to make compromises – for example, buying
that much money on going out and all those things. My money went something smaller and older and in locations that aren’t your
to rent and savings. I did initially stress about renting, but when I got ‘forever location’. I ended up buying in the area I grew up in,
into the groove, I really enjoyed living out of home. which I felt weird about initially. But it’s nice, affordable and
I have family and friends close by. The other thing is, I really
Why did you decide to buy the home on your own? I’m a very encourage people to have some conversations and do some
independent person and I don’t like to rely on other people to get research on loans. Talk to professionals, because there
to where I want to be. Even though I’ve been with my boyfriend for are offers out there for you that you might not know about.
10 years, he’s been on a different financial journey. He went back to
uni as a mature-age student and didn’t have as much time as me What’s left out of the conversation about young people
to work, whereas my uni load allowed me to work two part-time buying houses? The whole smashed avo thing is bullshit.
jobs while studying. When I bought, it just wasn’t in his path at the I had older people, mostly men, tell me, “Interest rates are
time to take out a mortgage. But that didn’t deter me from doing so cheap right now – it’s affordable for you to buy a house.
it myself. So now I own the house and he pays rent. It’s a deal In my day, interest rates were 20 per cent.” But sure, when
that works for us. they bought, their house was probably 50 grand, and their
income 30 grand. Even if it’s cheaper to borrow money now,
What’s your relationship to money like now? What I was saving is it’s just not comparable to house prices and the wages of
now my mortgage repayments, and I do contribute extra. It doesn’t today. It’s incredibly hard to buy a house as a young person,
leave that much to do all the things I want to – I still have to be and I empathise with that. But there’s also no shame in buying
careful about where my money goes. But I do feel more comfortable later in life. I do think that if you stick to your goal – and
spending – I might shout people a little more. it might take a long time – you can make it happen.

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 pretty pictures

off the beaten track

GO EXPLORING VIA SARAH EISENLOHR’S
COLLAGES.
Interview Emma Do

Hi Sarah! How did collage become your main thing? I started on a shelf afterwards and put the images I want to keep in
collaging during my third year of university and was obsessed a binder. When trying to piece together a collage, I’m looking
with it right away. When I was out of class or done working my for images that look natural together, but were never intended
job, I would head to my bedroom to work on another collage. to be together. Maybe it’s the lighting or colours that make it
The following year, I needed to choose a medium for my Bachelor cohesive. I definitely have to play around for a while to make
of Fine Arts. I went with painting, but after not having a lot of something work. I also don’t use figures with their face showing
direction, I started making collages two weeks before the deadline. – it leaves more mystery and ambiguity in the story that way.
We had a full year to complete our pieces for the final show, so
creating my entire thesis in 14 days was pretty risky, but it paid What do you love most about this art form? Collage is really
off because I love what I ended up with. I got my first client accessible with how compact the supplies are. All you need is
project a year after I started collaging. a mini cutting mat, an X-ACTO knife, glue and magazines. They’re
pretty easy to travel with, too. That was also another reason
Where do you source your images from? I typically find magazines why I decided that painting wasn’t a good fit for me in the long
from antique shops or on Craigslist. My most recent haul was on run. I wouldn’t have access to a studio after graduation, which
Craigslist and the seller was giving them all away for free, which is much needed for the ventilation of paint fumes and solvents.
has never happened to me. Magazines aren’t super-easy to find
locally, so I’ve had to get creative with tracking them down. One What kind of messages do you want to communicate through
time, when my husband and I were on a road trip, we slept in our your work? I love landscapes: mountains, colourful sunsets,
car at a truck stop and woke up super-early to meet with someone bright flowers, cacti in deserts – they’re all really beautiful to me.
who had a big stack of magazines. If you slow down for a moment to take it all in – like watching the
colours in the sky change or finding a star shooting across the
Do you ever run into copyright issues? I have not. The fair use sky – it creates a sort of escapism from the hurry of life. I feel
exception with copyright in the US allows someone to use other like, more than ever, we are detached from the natural world
work if they are able to transform it into something new. I feel and it’s something we consciously have to seek out and admire.
like my work is definitely visually different from the original I use landscapes as a metaphor for seasons of life. The terrain in
and is creating new meaning and purpose. my collages varies – some contain warm, colourful foliage while
others are barren and sharp. They act as a symbol of the joys
Describe your typical process for us. After I get new magazines, and trials we will face.
I’ll look through them all and cut out pages that catch my
eye. I love beautiful landscapes, figures interacting with their Where can we see more? Online at sarah-eisenlohr.com or
surroundings and peculiar objects. I’ll store my magazines on Instagram at @saraheisenlohr.

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pretty pictures

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pretty pictures

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 something to say

boot scootin’ baby embarrassment that I’ve experienced while stumbling my way through
other dance classes and merrily grapevined all the way home.

LINE DANCING IS TARA KENNY’S CARDIO. Since then, I’ve spent hours on YouTube and TikTok poring over line-
dancing troupes from across the globe. Korean elders do Americana
better than anyone: they gather in groups to step their hearts out to
songs such as “Achy Breaky Heart”, “My Heart Will Go On” (remix), and
“Sugar, Sugar”, all while wearing matching outfits. Inspired, I toil alone in
the obscurity of my bedroom, training up for any future opportunities to
Like any self-respecting millennial who came of age watching take a nightclub or country line dance by storm. The sense of satisfaction
Madonna subvert cowboy aesthetics in her Music-album era, I go to be gained from mastering a new step? Unparalleled. The potential
yeehaw for cowboy boots, distressed denim, bejewelled singlet footwork combinations? Limitless. Mercifully, line dancing doesn’t
tops – and if the occasion calls for it, a pink cowboy hat from the require the natural grace or capacity to body roll like an extra in Honey
$2 store. I romanticise the iconic matching denim outfits that that other dance styles demand. While line dancing is most common in
Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears wore in 2001; Lil Nas X’s the United States, judging from my YouTube explorations, a solid boot
uniform of Wrangler on the booty and a (fictitious) cowboy hat from scoot will win friends and influence people on dancefloors worldwide.
Gucci; and everything on the Instagram account @theyeehawagenda.
Alas, I live in an urban centre, think horses are stinky and have Australians have been touch-stepping for aeons – we just call it
never been to a hoedown (the closest I’ve come is watching a friend The Nutbush. Mysteriously, no one knows where the choreography
fall off a mechanical bucking bull at a fete). came from, or how a 1973 Tina Turner song about a small town in
Tennessee became our unofficial national dance. According to Kelvin
Seeking a justification for my wannabe cowboy wardrobe, I jumped at Dale, President of the Line Dancing Association of Australia, line
the opportunity to join a local line-dancing class. Wrangling cattle at a dancing gained popularity here in the ’90s alongside country music
ranch may be beyond my capacity, but how hard could dancing in a of the era, and was soon giving bingo and lawn bowls a run for their
straight line be (even for someone with two left boots)? I was shocked money as the hobby of choice. “Line dancing combines all dance
by the young and gorgeous cowboy-gear-clad crowd I watched styles – waltz, rhumba, samba, two-step, cha-cha and a relatively
descend onto the dancefloor. As the class progressed, it became new style called nightclub,” Kelvin tells me. “It keeps the brain cells
abundantly clear that this was NOT their first rodeo. Over the and the muscles active, and the friendships made along the way
next hour, I valiantly attempted dances with names such as “Easy On are just an added bonus. Plus, you don’t need a partner!”
the Eyes”, “Drinking Problem” and “Redneck Angel”, but spent most of
the time hysterically laughing while looking around frantically to So what are you waiting for? Grab your cowboy boots, a can-do
ensure I was at least moving in the right direction. It was invigorating attitude and make your own barn dance. You have nothing to lose
to sidestep in unison with a room full of cowboys. I felt none of the but your inhibitions!

128
We're welcoming back
SPACES Volume Six!
This frankie favourite stays
close to home, celebrating the places
where creative Australians live, work
and play. We also popped in on some
clever folks who have made the most
of the tiniest of places, and some
who spend their time with flowers,
bees and other living things.

on sale October 31st

nab a copy at
frankie.com.au/spaces6
or find your local stockist at
frankie.com.au/find
LACE UP
ORIGINALS
Inspired by our earliest lace up designs.
The rustic brown Blundstone #1930.

@blundstoneau BLUNDSTONE.COM.AU