frankie Magazine Issue 99 - Jan/Feb 2021

It was an otherworldly experience – every hour of driving brought forth a totally new terrain, from snow-topped mountain peaks to moss-covered lava fields and vast, uninhabited plateaux. One day, we stopped to watch water shoot up out of the ground (smelling much more fart-like than you might expect). Another time, we pulled over in a snow storm to do an emergency wee on the side of the road (you really test your squatting skills when there are icy balls pelting sideways at your head). Then there were the many, many horses – with long, glamorous, flowing locks – that we took the time to stop and pat. It was a meandering drive filled with endless surprises – which is all you could ask of a road trip, really. Though overseas…

Dear frankie, What’s up, you rapscallion? Thanks so much for your article on old-fashioned insults – you had me giggling for hours. Being long distance with my partner, this year has been uber-crap, but to be able to share a laugh about some good old-fashioned insults was a lovely way to come together while still apart. You had us debating who was more of a ‘blowsabella’, and honestly, he might be right that it’s me. Oh well – I’ll never call him anything but the ‘Duke of Limbs’ for as long as I live, and I thank you for that! Much love, Summer xxx Dear frankie, When I think of frankie magazine, I think of my sister. She was the one who first bought me a frankie when I was sick;…

kloke There’s a time and a place for structured, form-fitting garb, but it sure ain’t in 2020! After a year of trackie-dacks, leggings and big, sloppy tees, we appreciate the loose shape of these ‘overdresses’ from Melbourne label KLOKE. Long and boxy with plenty of room around the tum, they’re available at kloke.com.au for $339, right in time for holiday feasts, arty studio days and stylish strolls about town. put it on a pedestal Some folks complain that people have started putting houseplants on a pedestal; meanwhile, the clever clogs at Areaware thought, to hell with it, and created literal wooden pedestals for our peace lilies, fiddle-leaf figs and snake plants to rest on. They come in multiple sizes (so you can show your green friends who you really like best) and will…

What’s the concept behind Anonymous Women: Domestic Demise? This series is about merging women and home. The woman is crushed by her own possessions and activities, leading to disaster and mayhem. My photographs are metaphors for the interior lives of women; they comment on the mania of collecting, accumulating, decorating and working at home. What do the images tell us specifically about a woman’s role in making a home? I think it’s instinctive that women are homemakers. Nesting seems to be in our DNA. However, the pictures also indicate that it can be challenging, overwhelming, disastrous, and just plain hysterical. Women have many roles, from executives to wives to mothers, but our identification with our homes is essential, whether it’s a small cottage, a tiny apartment or a luxurious house. I…

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE FABULOUS STAINS (1982) Gravity-defying faux-hawks, black leather bodysuits and a punk-rock soundtrack that’s the stuff of legend: ladies and gentlemen (and non-binary folks), this is the best movie about music you’ve likely never seen. The twisted comedy marks Laura Dern’s breakout role, starring alongside Diane Lane and Marin Kanter as orphaned teens who decide to start a punk band called The Stains. They are, of course, met with a lot of encouragement from their male peers – just kidding! The men are the absolute worst, but on the plus side, a lot of them are played by real punk legends from The Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Tubes. It’s like a gritty Josie and the Pussycats with a much greater risk of overdosing on crack.…

You know that feeling you get when you nail a super-witty or biting comeback? Yeah, well, cherish it, because there may come a time when you no longer experience it – when you're unable to whip a sassy line from the recesses of your brain to make your audience laugh or clench their jaws with rage. This is the tragedy I’m living. An infuriating wit impotence that leaves me flopping around in verbal agony as I struggle to string together a sentence on the spot, let alone one with punch. It might be the result of ageing or having zero interest in Sudoku, but whatever the cause, my once-quick wit has gone. I’m now a victim of what the French (and Australians who speak enough French to add it to their…