Table of contents for Issue #103 in RUSSH

There are times when putting together these pages we can’t help but question what it is all for. Where does image making, or even poetry, fit with the Syrian crisis, countless natural disasters or a war in Ukraine that has been going on now for almost a year? Are we deluded to even be thinking about fashion in what should surely be purely utilitarian times? The idea for an issue dedicated to resilience came as I witnessed the ready-to-wear shows in Paris, in real life for the first time in a long moment. While the undertones of many of the collections hinted at a hardship to come, there was a particular claustrophobic congregation set outside of Paris in a mud pit that spoke directly to the harsh brutality of the…

What does it mean to be resilient? We all have different interpretations. Rebellious, remarkable, enduring, effervescent, irrepressible. Pat Cleveland’s legacy can be found in any one of these descriptors. She was one of the first Black women to break into the runway scene in the late 60s. She slept on Karl Lagerfeld’s floor in the 70s while she boycotted US Vogue, waiting for it to put a Black girl on the cover before she returned to work in America. She partied with Warhol, had tea with Dali, dated Jagger, was proposed to by Muhammad Ali (she broke off the engagement when he wanted her to be more conservative in her outfits), beat cancer, and was there for the Battle of Versailles, but she is more than the sum of her…

Fashion has always been synonymous with controversy. From the moment Coco Chanel introduced the Little Black Dress and Christian Dior debuted his 1946 New Look collection, emphasising cinched waists and full skirts in a post-war climate, purveyors of culture have been shocked by the exploration of new ideas and taboo themes that were off-limits until they weren’t. Ever since fashion, and the industry surrounding it has existed, rebellion has followed. Back then, a centimetre raise in a hemline was cause for burning debate. Today, when it can feel as though boundaries have been wrung dry and public tolerance for missteps is waning, fashion seems to have entered a tricky era. Culture has been fixated on the 1990s for many moons, and from a sartorial perspective, it’s not hard to understand…

What makes a legacy? It’s hard to say for certain whether building a legacy brand was what Achille Maramotti set out to do when he founded Max Mara in 1951, but after more than 70 years and with a timeless archive to serve as proof, it’s clear that this is what the Italian designer has achieved. In the regional town of Reggio Emilia, just two hours in the car from Milan, Maramotti conceived a family business that would go on to operate through the family line – each generation of the Maramotti name bringing a unique offering of generational knowledge to the business. This is what makes a legacy. Brands that intend to endure must extend beyond a bright idea, with attention to detail, exceptional fabrications, and a willingness to…

Victoria Atkinson is looking for love. The multidisciplinary artist is someone who wears her heart on her sleeve and the pursuit leaves its own technicoloured trace, of course. Painting is a way for Atkinson to keep score of her passions. As for right now? She’s manifesting the woman of her dreams. “This year I’m excited to meet someone new.” As a person who is prone to cycles of intense cynicism – a consequence of being chronically online – the sincerity of Victoria Atkinson’s art cuts through the noise in my head like ocean spray. Colour shocks you back into your body. Vivid chunks of indigo and apple green are herded into shape by thick linework. I’m convinced these are the subtle markings of a Virgo (my suspicions are confirmed when…

PHOTOGRAPHY Joshua Bentley FASHION Hannah Cooper MODEL Anika Hartje @ IMG HAIR Kyye @ AP—REPS using Oribe MAKEUP Sean Brady using Kaleidos and M.A.C Cosmetics PHOTOGRAPHER’S ASSISTANT Shan Stewart STYLIST’S ASSISTANT Kirsten Humphreys…

PHOTOGRAPHY Lola Banet FASHION Stefania Gertis MODEL Bradley Veragten @ 16 Paris Management MAKEUP Nolwen Quinn @ Walter Schupfer Management STYLIST’S ASSISTANT Johanna Ankelhed PRODUCTION Stefania Gertis…

Date: 14.01.23 Location: Point Piper “Tropical Brazilian romance meets a night at the Four Seasons Maui beach bar.” It’s not a creative brief you hear often, but when fashion designer Jordan Dalah and architect Michael Carbone were deciding on how they wanted to celebrate their engagement, the vision was clear from the beginning. “You know that feeling when you go on a tropical holiday and get so sunburnt but still want to wear that nice outfit for dinner even if you’re as red as a tomato?” shared Jordan. And to that we say, bring the tropics to Sydney. Jordan and Michael first started dating 11 years ago, after meeting at the beginning of their degrees where they were both studying architecture. It wasn’t far into university that Jordan moved to…

You are about to have so much fun. If I saw you in the street, I would run up to you just to tell you to savour it, every second. You were right to want it instinctively. That baby shaped hole would one day be filled, and well now it is. Don’t worry, you won’t miss your old life, not even for a second. But it wasn’t easy to arrive here. So many women make it seem effortless, no-one talks openly about how awful it can be – the sickness, the tiredness, your capacity guillotined in half. Plus, in a foreign country where everything is already complicated, you cannot lean into the comfort of your mother tongue. Think of it as a chance to improve your French, yet under critical…

In Almost Every Picture is a series of books by artist Erik Kessels that focuses on found amateur photographs with a sequenced narrative. This edition follows a couple, Carlo and Luciana who come from the small Italian town of Vignola who chose to document their travels in a unique format. Black and white photos become colour as we witness time passing, newlyweds grow into the retired life of a familiar partnership. We begin to notice a pattern – Carlo takes a portrait of Lucia, then Lucia takes a portrait of Carlo in the same position. The whole book is presented in this methodical format, Luciana to the left, Carlo to the right. What I like most about this book is the viewer’s ability to see a chosen process of documentation…

“The relation between what we see and what we know is never settled.” Upon first reading art critic and philosopher John Berger’s Ways of Seeing sometime in my early twenties, I recall simultaneously feeling the deep joy of awakening along with sharp regret that it had not found its way into my hands sooner. How could I have been spending my days on an economics campus when I should have been here, with John, in this brave new world of storytelling, image-making and art? But truly, how? Enlightenment was met with outrage. My first copy: stained but surviving, still wears the scars of repeatedly underlined pages but none more boldly than the words above. Had I told my postgraduate self that one November Sydney day in the year 2022, I…

Tannwyn Lewis @ IMG My name is … Tannwyn Lewis but some know me as Tan, Tammy, T, or even Dumpling. I am … 18 years old and I am a born and bred Northern Territory gal who grew up in Darwin. The first thing you should know about me is … I am a proud Wiradjuri woman from my mother’s side and I also have passionate Welsh blood from my father’s side. The last thing you should know about me is … I actually like knitting! How nerdy is that? My star sign is … Leo represented by the lion, which I think very much suits my personality as I am extremely confident, outgoing, and ambitious. Leo’s are commonly known to be very theatrical, dramatic, and enjoy the spotlight…

It made sense when Yayoi Kusama, one of the world’s most singularly important living contemporary artists, released a collaboration a decade ago with one of the most influential luxury brands in history. It was during Marc Jacobs’ tenure at Louis Vuitton, and after successful collaborations with the likes of Stephen Sprouse and Takashi Murakami, Kusama’s capsule, a continuation of her signature bold spots applied to ready-to-wear items, became one of the most significant artist collaborations in the brand’s history. Ten years on, the brand has resurrected the collaboration, with a new edition capsule, featuring a reinterpretation of the artist’s obsessive dot work across the Maison’s signature accessories, and more recently debuted silhouettes from Nicholas Ghesquière. Since the creation of the House in 1854, Louis Vuitton has nurtured a fruitful and…

The day after Russia invaded Ukraine, sisters and street artists Mishel and Nicol Feldman, known collectively as Sestry Feldman, sat down to create a deck of tarot cards. “Tarot cards reflect the spirit of the time encrypted in visual symbols,” the sisters tell me. “We have been interested in tarot for 10 years and wanted to create a Ukrainian deck. On February 24 – the day that Russia invaded Ukraine – we realised that it was the perfect time.” The sisters, who are twins, were born in 1996 in the city of Dnipro. Both have shaggy blonde hair and an elfin appearance. They typically dress in oversized hoodies and streetwear, smoke a lot of cigarettes, and have a mischievous and rebellious mien. Mishel and Nicol were home-schooled and describe their…

“I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be reduced by it.”– Maya Angelou Beauty notes — Curl lashes and apply BYREDO Mascara in Space Black to the base of the lash to frame the eyes. To create a glass like effect, use BYREDO Liquid Lipstick Vinyl Fantome 301 on the eyelids and use BYREDO Colour Stick Destroyer 419 as a lipstick. Clean and sharpen the edges of the lip shape with a small cotton tip and micellar water. For more impact, apply a light second coat of gloss to the centre of the lip and eyes. Beauty notes — Hydrate and illuminate neck, hands and décolletage with BYREDO Mojave Ghost Body Lotion. Beauty notes — For candle lit skin, apply by patting the BYREDO…

“It was incredible how fear and danger never produced ignoble words but always true ones, words that were torn from your very heart.”– Natalia Ginzberg PHOTOGRAPHY Jai Odell @ TRBL MNGT FASHION Hannah Cooper MODEL Lucy Rosiek @ The Society NY HAIR Sonny Molina using Oribe MAKEUP Maud Laceppe @ The Wall Group for M.A.C Cosmetics NAILS Dan Renée PHOTOGRAPHER’S ASSISTANTS Jaesa Acton and Colin Elliott STYLIST’S ASSISTANT Dan Renee MAKEUP ASSISTANT Kye Howell SET DESIGN N.O Studio SET DESIGN ASSISTANTS Adrianne Davis and Elijah Nurse CASTING Neill Seeto @ IMA Casting PRODUCTION TRBL MNGT Special thanks to Ace Hotel New York.…

PHOTOGRAPHY Justin Ridler @ Hart & Co FASHION Charlotte Agnew MODEL Fernanda Ly @ Priscillas HAIR Alan White @ M.A.P using Oribe MAKEUP Molly Warkentin @ HM Division PHOTOGRAPHER’S ASSISTANT Alex Waugh STYLIST’S ASSISTANT Sophia Stamellos…

There are certain things about Troye Sivan that make you feel as though you’re speaking with someone you met in a mutual friends living room at 3am, instead of someone who is an international pop-star and a budding actor. “Oh, it’s you!” Sivan says 15 seconds into our call for this article. He is referring to a brief interaction we had at a slightly more glamorous party some months prior, where we spoke at surprising length about my bleached eyebrows. Perhaps it is his still fully intact Australian twang that can make even foreigners feel at home, or that he speaks to people with the intention of listening to their answers (a quality that can be hard to come by these days). On a professional level, he is personable and…

PHOTOGRAPHY Charles Dennington @ M.A.P FASHION Charlotte Agnew Model Aylah Peterson @ Kult Australia HAIR Madison Voloshin @ Assembly Agency MAKEUP Isabella Schimid @ Assembly Agency PHOTOGRAPHER’S ASSISTANT Dane Moffat STYLIST’S ASSISTANT Dan Daniels SET DESIGN Max Rixon LOCATION China Heights Studio and Gallery…

With arms linked we’ll never be lost. The walls of life will never close in. This fire will never dampen and dim. Not a chance. Not a chance. Our love is different. Our love will tear it all down. We’ll keep going where others have quit. We’ll keep playing when the lights come on and everyone’s gone. We won’t let the music die. Forever in white satin and lace. Forever in each other’s embrace. Still standing at the end of this race. This is all too fast. These things never last. But we can’t see that far ahead. PHOTOGRAPHY Kitty Callaghan WORDS Anna Harrison talent G2G…

Date: 10.01.23 Location: Brunswick Hayley Mary and Johnny Took had a summer love. “The two musicians first met at a kick-on above the Lord Gladstone Hotel at the end of 2016, where Johnny and his band mate Mason were living in what Hayley describes as “this run-down, old party house.” “We hit it off, but it was the eve of Falls Festival and we both realised we were playing Lorne the next day and it was late, so I ran off.” What followed was a deep friendship, (and undoubtedly, a period of self-destructive, rock ‘n’ roll cliché denial – as confessed by Hayley), before the pair gave in. It was five years after their first meeting, that Johnny proposed under a weeping Mulberry tree in the park next to their…

CHRISTIE NICOLE BRIDAL Bridal Designer Designer Christie Trowbridge’s Sydney-based bridal studio is for the romantic who appreciates intricate details, dramatic silhouettes, bold fabric pairings and renaissance style adornment. Each piece is made to order, meaning you can craft your dream look to be exactly as you imagine it. SURRY HILLS, SYDNEY AUSTRALIA WWW.CHRISTIENICOLEBRIDAL.COM MOËT & CHANDON Personalised Gold Moët Impérial Magnum The limited-edition gold sleeve magnum edition of the House’s iconic Moët Impérial champagne is a personal and unique way to commemorate your celebration. Whether to be enjoyed together or as a gift, it’s a moment you’re sure to never forget. WWW.SHOP-AU.MOET.COM JOCELYN PETRONI Beauty Expert The key to glowing beauty inside and out can be found at Jocelyn Petroni. A true artisan and leader in holistic skin and nail…

The first thing you should know about me is … I’ve been modelling since I was 14, and I’m a half Māori/half European, from Aotearoa (New Zealand). My Iwi’s (tribes) are Ngati Porou and Ngāi Tahu. I am my best self when … I’ve finished a good shoot day, and I’ve taken a moment to recognise how much I’ve improved over the years and how much I’ve grown. Where is home? Home for me is wherever my whanau (family) are. Doesn’t matter where in the world they are, when I’m with the people I love most, I feel at home. My star sign is … Libra. It suits me because … I can’t make a decision to save myself. More often than not, I can also see the positives and…

PHOTOGRAPHY Mia Rankin FASHION Charlotte Agnew MODEL Zinnia Kumar @ Priscillas HAIR Kyye Reed @ AP–REPS MAKEUP Nisha Van Berkel @ AP–REPS PHOTOGRAPHER’S ASSISTANT Chelsea Oh STYLIST’S ASSISTANT Sophia Stamellos…

Love in the Time of Cholera Gabriel García Márquez (PENGUIN) There are some very special books that, when we reflect on our time reading them, conjure a distinct feeling-memory. Initially published in Spanish in 1985, Marquez’s fourth novel is one such work, and I can only describe the feeling as melancholic determination. A complicated romance spanning a lifetime, Love in the Time of Cholera reminds us of the many faces of love, from the immortal promises, of youth to, finally, in the classically Marquezian symphony of the final chapter, the sighs of souls in old age at the final understanding that love only lasts as long as we do. – Anna Ugarte-Carral, Chef Resilience: A Celebration of poetry, fiction and essays Michelle Cahill, Monique Nair, Anthea Yang (ULTIMO PRESS) Mascara…

Ellipse Neal Sutherland (CALL BACK RECORDS, 2022) It is no secret to regular readers that I am a mystic sceptic, that meditation is difficult for me and switching off without an external aid nigh on impossible. However, music is one of the few things that can do this for all of us, and Ellipse is a record that can take us away from ourselves. Gradual modulations fused with sweeping synths give space for the listener to sit within this ambient record and feel pulled out of their mind. There are threads of deeper feelings sewn into this record that keep it in the world of real music, not ‘ambient massage music’. movement/moment modulates with dramatic excitement and for me is the climax of the record. Ellipse is explorative, dynamic and…

ERE PEREZ Arnica Concealer Ere Perez is cruelty free, vegan, non-gmo and carbon neutral. Ingredients are home-grown native Australian, and packaging is plastic free. This famously natural concealer performs like skincare, including natural arnica with antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties, calming inflamed areas to help your skin heal. ARMANI EDP and EDP Refill Bottle in My Way Discover the power of sustainability by recharging your favourite fragrance at home with an innovative gesture… Open. Refill. Repeat. Armani’s innovative refill system allows any of the spray bottles to be unscrewed and refilled seamlessly, designed to last forever. KESTER BLACK Rest & Repair Wonder Mask Kester Black built its name in sustainable beauty by doing things differently. Instead of listing the ingredients that are in its products, the brand created a range of…

PHOTOGRAPHY Holly Gibson FASHION Stefania Gertis MODEL Tomiris Ismankulova @ Silent Models MAKEUP Nolwen Quinn @ Walter Schupfer Management PHOTOGRAPHER’S ASSISTANT Oliver Mol PRODUCTION Stefania Gertis…

Date: 17.09.22 Location: The Byron Hinterland When whispers of a RUSSH proposal began to make their way through the team, there wasn’t a chance that any of us were prepared to miss out on the romance. “We became engaged on November 19th, 2021. We had decided we wanted to get married a couple of months before, but I wanted the actual proposal to be a surprise,” shared Lola. “I roped the RUSSH girls into helping me distract Ella for the day while I set up at home. I proposed on the roof of our apartment. I knew Ella hated the idea of something public and we’ve made some really special memories up there, so it felt right.” Our Brand & Fashion Features Editor Ella O’Keeffe, and her now wife, Lola…

PHOTOGRAPHY Mia Rankin FASHION Charlotte Agnew MODEL Abigayl Anderson @ Priscillas HAIR KOH @ Viviens Management MAKEUP Sean Brady PHOTOGRAPHER’S ASSISTANT Chelsea Oh STYLIST’S ASSISTANT Sophia Stamellos SET DESIGN Seamus Phelan and Phoebe Cutler @ FOMS…

Date: 15.10.22 Location: Berowra Waters When Naomi and Nic Pestalozzi shared their first unknowing glance across a busy street more than six years ago, the couple couldn’t have anticipated that only a week later, they would meet again. Being introduced officially during a night out by a mutual friend, it was that very weekend that marked the beginning of a love that the pair describes as “always being so easy and fun.” It’s the kind of true companionship that Nancy Meyers urges you to dream about. So, when Nic proposed on his 29th birthday in December 2021, the pair instantly knew how they wanted to celebrate. “We’d really grown up together and had given each other our 20’s essentially, so it was really special having it come full circle with…

Alex Prager is a photographer I have long admired. I found her work in the early days of my career when I was just discovering my love of photography. She is a self-taught photographer with an aesthetic style that was completely new and innovative to a young me. Her work made me really excited about the possibility of what I could create through a medium I was learning to adore. During moments of self-doubt and slow periods in my career, her work and her trajectory acted as fuel to my personal fire, allowing me to remain resilient in a creative industry that I had no map for and no clue about.…

It’s minus four degrees Celsius in Zurich and the pewter lake is as smooth as a fairy-tale mirror, reflecting white swans, white clouds, white snow on charcoal trees, slate-grey church steeples scratching at soft mist and low cloud. The winter world is black and white, muted, subdued, smothered in furs of fog, silent, still; it is a landscape of the interior, a world turned quietly in on itself. Up the hill, at the Kunsthaus, Niki de Saint Phalle’s wild, bodacious, colourful, cheerful, humorous Nanas have taken over, bursting out of the halls of the museum like uncontainable party guests. A carnival of mirror-shards and coloured noise and figures of impossible proportion and scale, all rounded curves – hearts, wings, breasts, bellies; mythical, mystical, fertile, magical – rubbing up against the…

Cruel, dangerous, exhausting; skateboarding is not a sport that many can master. Moving past the point of slowly rolling down the street takes incredible amounts of patience and a willingness to subject oneself to the risk of falling. Some may call it crazy. Amar Hadid, a 24-year-old Australian-born Lebanese skater in Sydney’s west, knows all about the risks of this challenging sport. Beginning her skating career at the age of 15, which some consider a late start, Hadid quickly made a name for herself in the local and international skate scene, competing in tournaments worldwide in the hope of reaching her Olympic dream. She has experienced, first-hand, the sheer determination required to go after one’s dreams, and hold it together when the rug is pulled from under you. Hadid’s story…