This issue is about letting loose and prioritising joy. It comes easily at this point in the year, when the sun’s out, the days stretch longer and the time feels like it’s yours again.
Speaking to the many talented contributors of this issue, from dancers and models to makeup artists, stylists and musicians, a common thread emerged: joy is the freedom to express yourself fully, without fear, constraint, or the algorithm breathing down your neck.
For some, that means moving your body outside the traditional confines of a dance institution. For others, it’s experimenting with fashion, throwing on what feels right without worrying about rules or trends.
As you’ll see in these pages, joy can also be found in reinvention, or in something as simple as writing a letter.
Our cover shoot celebrates an ensemble cast of Australian curve models, both seasoned and emerging. Meet Bruna, the fiery redhead on this issue’s cover, and hear why she’s optimistic about the local fashion scene, even as plus-size representation shrinks on international runways.
You’ll also peek into the world of Melbourne-based dancer Katherine Lanterna, the ‘ballet school dropout’ who helped direct ‘First Position’, one of my favourite shoots to date, and a reminder that joy sometimes comes from breaking the rules.
On page 60, say hello to the ‘class of 2025’: four former interns, who’ve taught us as much as we’ve (hopefully) taught them. They’re proof that fresh eyes and fearless energy make everything better.
Speaking of value exchange, you’ll find inspiration for gifting season, both in our thoughtfully curated gift guide and in a beautiful piece by Constance McDonald, who insists that nothing beats the thrill of receiving a plump, handwritten envelope with your name on it.
This is the first issue since our print relaunch without Giulia Brugliera at the helm as Managing Editor. Stepping in felt like an enormous responsibility but it has been a privilege to put a fresh edition of Fashion Journal in your hands, free of charge!
We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the many lands on which this edition was made, and pay our respects to Elders
I hope you take this to your nearest beach, river, or pool, read it cover to cover with friends nearby, and soak in some downtime before 2026 kicks in. You’ve earned it.
Senior Editor
Lara Daly
Assistant Editor
Daisy Henry
Designer Kelly Lim
–
Distribution and Accounts
Frances Thompson
Managing Director
Kris Furst
Founder
Rob Furst
Contributors
Tatiana Rose, Yasmine Keong, Constance McDonald, Natasha Killeen, Tristan Charles, Imogen Wilson, Honor Munro, Sydney Atakliyan, Hayley Hing, Hannah Cookson, Alana Lucky, Bruna Lapinskas, Dunya Mudesir, Lola Niko, Reem Elnour, Joëlle Parisotto, Alice Naish, Lola Gunn, Lucy Crock, Ariana Rigazzi, Cecile Huynh, Daisy Fae Fielding, Katherine Lanterna, Annaliese Macdonald, Kate Radford, Dylan Negrine, Victor Moore, Lola Adami, Zebe Haupt, Maggie Zhou, Chela et Cetera, Lula Cucchiara, Cristina Martînez Recio, Dan Lin, Kirsty Barros, Daniel Jiang, Fumika, Lekhena Porter, Parth Rahatekar, Maryel Sousa, Chloe Roussy
Cover photographer
Natasha Killeen
BRUNA wears CAKEY SPORTSMAN top
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We acknowledge the Wurundjeri Woiworung and Bunurong people of the Kulin Nation as the traditional custodians of the lands on which we largely live and work. We recognise that sovereignty was never ceded and pay respect to Elders past and present.
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The end of 2025 is fast approaching. Time to reflect on the year that’s been and reward yourself for everything you’ve accomplished over the last 12 months. We all have our own version of letting loose, whether that’s dancing in the living room, locking in to a book, or frequenting the local pub. So, how will the contributors of this issue be blowing off steam this summer?
Katherine Lanterna, Model and dancer
Honestly, being unhinged and shitposting on Instagram is really cathartic to me. So is writing in my Notes app, dancing in my bedroom and using a glass dildo as a microphone, going to my local park, taking my shoes off and performatively reading poetry. Just kidding about the performative part, but it probably looks like it from the outside.
Alana Lucky, Makeup artist
When I want to blow off some steam, I’m singing loud in the car, music all the way up. Maybe I’m doing a hectic Pilates class and really giving it my all (aka not collapsing from a plank until the countdown has finished). Or I’m drinking orange wine, chain-smoking and having a goss with my nearest and dearest.
Joëlle Parisotto, Photographer
If I ever need to let loose, there’s nothing like a bit of dance therapy. I enjoy good music, so I’d get some good friends together, chat it out and go see some music. It’s a great way to reset and have a good time.
Dunya Mudesir, Model
Good music and a dance floor are all I need to reset my system. A boogie will do it every time, solo or with a group of my best friends. Dance floors are not the place to be demure; take up space, be loud and dance like no one’s watching.
Maggie Zhou, Writer
My methods are tame. A living room dance and karaoke party with my younger sister. An afternoon spent solo cooking my favourite things, audiobook on speaker. A brash key-bashing of Big Scary’s ‘Falling Away’ on the piano.
A boogie in the Australian Music Vault’s Amplifier room, that plays projections of different festivals, concerts and performances.
Spotlight on: Yasmine Keong
Sydney-based makeup artist and graphic designer, Yasmine Keong, approaches beauty as “subversive adornment”, a way to question and contort the dominant ideals of gender, race and sexuality. They embrace the excess, whether that’s through an ornate mask of makeup or a look exposing our viscera and flesh.
How would you describe your signature aesthetic?
Theatrical, macabre, excessive.
How has your approach to beauty evolved?
When I first started, I simply did what I thought looked beautiful. As I’ve grown, my focus has expanded beyond beauty. Nowadays, my inspiration comes from combining both theoretical insight and visual imagery.
What’s the most memorable makeup job you’ve had to date?
The most memorable work was the first shoot I directed, where I captured the process of piercing a dress into my skin. I was going through a very vulnerable time, experiencing a level of emotional pain I hadn’t felt before. The shoot wasn’t just about creating an image, it was a healing process that allowed me to interrogate the pain placed upon me by racial and gendered expectations.
If you could paint anyone in the world, who would it be?
I would love to be FKA Twigs’ personal makeup artist; she has a deep appreciation for how makeup elevates the performative aspects of her artistry. One of my favourite performances was when she debuted her new album, Eusexua, while her makeup artist applied body paint.
If you were to launch a makeup product, what would it be?
A perfect cobalt blue eyeshadow. There’s something so captivating about the colour because of how notoriously difficult it is to find, so when you manage to apply it on the face, it feels almost otherworldly.
What inspired you to create this look on yourself?
The image above, photographed by Tatiana Rose, is an ode to my love for [French artist] Serge Lutens. I’ve always been drawn to how his work frames beauty as something highly theatrical, constructed and surreal. I wanted to capture his hyperfeminine and mystical portrayal of womanhood, and I feel the outcome conveys the eerie sensuality I’ve always loved in his images.
WORDS BY LARA DALY PHOTOGRAPHY BY TATIANA ROSE MAKEUP BY YASMINE KEONG
WORDS BY CONSTANCE MCDONALD
Do you remember how it feels to receive a letter? To come home and check the mailbox, expecting only unwelcome correspondence from the taxman or an updated student loan balance, and instead finding a plump envelope with your name written on it?
Your name, not printed but handwritten. You study the loops and familiar tilt of the letters, and turn the envelope over to check the back and confirm your guess of the sender.
The great musician and poet Leonard Cohen once wrote, ‘I want your absolute attention’. A letter is proof that someone has devoted their time, their absolute attention, entirely to you: pen to paper, to postbox, to your hands.
To write a letter is deliberate. It costs time, attention and postage. Maybe letter writing is a practice worth preserving precisely because of its inefficiency.
You notice the smell of the paper, maybe sprayed with perfume or just the faint scent of another home. You watch how their handwriting moves at the pace of their thoughts, speeding up with excitement and slowing down with concentration when remembering how many ‘c’s and ‘m’s are in ‘accommodation’.
German philosopher Walter Benjamin wrote about aura, that mysterious quality that clings to things touched by human hands. Letters have aura in the way they are bruised with the marks of their making. The creases and folds, the crossed-out words, and the ink smudging from raindrops collected from house to postbox on a less-than-perfect Melbourne day.
Letters are fragile things. They’re vulnerable to fire, water and time, but still they endure in underwear drawers, under beds and in attics. Mary Shelley’s husband, the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, died at sea at age 29, just a few years after she published Frankenstein. When his body was cremated on the beach, his heart did not burn. It was given to Mary, who kept his heart wrapped in a letter and poem he’d written until she died.
A friend once described to me the quirks of her boarding school days. Every Sunday meant ‘letter writing hour’, during which every girl had to write to her parents. As far as mandatory institutional practices go, this is very darling. My friend’s parents kept all her letters.
Before my siblings and I were born, my dad worked in the mines in Australia to make money to buy the engagement ring for my mum. He wrote to her every day. She replied once a week. The letters are in an old suitcase, versions of my parents that I’ve never met.
It might’ve been a while since you sent or received a letter. Let’s cast a correspondence spell. Let’s write a letter together.
Dear reader
,
Go to the kitchen and open the top drawer. Find the scissors and cut a lock of hair from the back of your head. Find some paper, any paper, maybe even that Chelsea Hotel pad you’ve been saving. What perfume are you wearing these days? Fetch the bottle and a ribbon from your junk drawer.
Find your Pillow Talk lipstick, or whatever you have. And get that thin, inky pen from your handbag that somehow makes your handwriting tidier than normal.
Maybe at your parents’ house, you have a box of treasures, or perhaps it’s just steps away in your wardrobe or under your bed. Inside: black and white photobooth strips from Flinders Street Station that you remember holding while they dried. A handmade birthday card from your high school best friend. Some proof you are occasionally in love, in the form of a love note from your first boyfriend and last girlfriend.
Joan Didion often wrote her letters on legal pads the colour of cold butter. Sylvia Plath noted, in her journal, that writing on a ‘hunk of pink paper’ felt ‘special, and rose-cast,’ and Virginia Woolf favoured light blue paper, writing in purple ink.
It’s said that many of photographer Julia Margaret Cameron’s letters are on purple paper. She would open her letters by describing where she was and what she was doing. For example, I write to you, dear reader, from an oak table at a library on Pushkin Street, Yerevan, Armenia, listening to ‘Be My Boy’ by The Paris Sisters.
To begin, you may want to use the trusty: ‘Dear [their name]’. Or go Emily Dickinson-esque, who once wrote to her closest confidant, Susan: ‘Dear friend, your sweetness intimidates’. She also referred to Susan as ‘The Only Woman in the World’. Experiment with sign-ons, make it irresistible, make it yours. Here are some to get you started:
Take your time writing their name.
Now for the innards. Don’t overthink it. What did you eat for breakfast? Write that. What’s an impressive-but-easy recipe you’ve been mastering lately? Jot it down, even if it’s instant ramen you dress up with a fried egg. What piece of clothing are you wearing constantly? Describe it: where did you get it, when? How does it make you feel to wear it? If you get stuck, look in your Notes app for inspiration and open your letter with: ‘Recently, I’ve found myself wondering about…’
Tell them about how you’ve been walking a different route to work (that takes an extra four minutes) just to pass the pink house with the bush of red roses. Include a petal, cellotaped to the page. What book has been in your bag for months that you can’t seem to finish? Tell them the podcast you listened to while de-cluttering your living room last Friday.
That’s the marrow.
Leaning into the tactility of letter writing means creating a reading experience, a multi-sensory event (legend says Cleopatra took this to the extreme, when she mailed herself to Julius Caesar in a Turkish rug in 48 BC). Once, I enclosed a miso soup packet with a letter because I was cold when I wrote it.
Ink used to be perfumed with frankincense and rosewater (Jacques Herbin still makes it). Try adding cinnamon sticks to the envelope, or a dab of vanilla essence, or a spritz of perfume to the page. A letter should smell faintly of its writer, like a pillow after sleep.
Back to that junk drawer: snip one of your passport photos to include. The Grand Duchess Anastasia of Russia sent her father a photograph of herself with ‘me’ written across her nose.
You could include one half of something: a shoelace, so you can each tie one to your handbag; or a seashell found on your weekend beach walk; a four-leaf clover; one of your eyelashes; a vial of your blood, reminiscent of Angelina Jolie and Billy Bob Thornton circa 2001.
Some other talismans to consider: a sliver of fabric cut from a garment you’ve both worn, a $1 scratchie bought during your Sunday grocery shop, a paper napkin from the café where you write it. You could include a close-up image of your eye. In the 18th and 19th centuries, European lovers often enclosed close-up painted renderings of their eyes with their letters. These ‘lovers’ eyes’ were tokens of intimacy.
Write a city guide about where you’re currently living for your recipient. Tell them where you take your dirty clothes because the laundromat makes everything smell of tuberose. Tell them where you get your precious Tabis re-soled, where you can find $9 Happy Hour margaritas with a view of the city, and where you get your film developed.
Before closing your letter, you may want to ask your recipient some questions that they can answer in their reply. What are you looking forward to at the moment? What did the sky look like this morning when you woke? Is there an object in your home that carries a story you haven’t told in years?
Now, picking a sign-off. Leo Tolstoy signed letters to his son, ‘I kiss you’. Lana Del Rey signs off with: ‘happiness is a butterfly’. From Priscilla to Elvis Presley: ‘Forever Yours, Priscilla’. From Diana, Princess of Wales: ‘With my fondest love from, Diana’. Yves Saint-Laurent to Alexander Liberman: ‘I love you with all my heart, Yves’.
In time, it may feel right to dedicate a box or drawer to letter writing, keeping all the supplies in one spot. Here, you can infuse your paper with a scent by storing it in a (clean) plastic container alongside fresh rosemary or lavender. You can hoard special stationery you’ve scoured from the op shops: hand-marbled Italian paper, ’90s sticker collections, gel pens and novelty envelopes.
Sending a letter in a vellum envelope is like wearing a Jean Paul Gaultier mesh top with no bra. If you’re in reach of a hot glue gun, embellish the envelope with lace, buttons, feathers or pasta bow ties.
When Johnny Cash died, June Carter Cash’s love letters were found tucked into his guitar cases and jacket pockets. Perhaps your letter will earn its place inside your recipient’s pocket, folded and unfolded so many times that it disintegrates
If nothing else, remember the best letter is the one you
PHOTOGRAPHER Natasha Killeen PHOTOGRAPHER’S ASSISTANT Tristan Charles PRODUCTION Studio Mimi STYLIST Sydney Atakliyan STYLIST’S ASSISTANT Hayley Hing HAIR Hannah Cookson from A STUDIO MAKEUP Alana Lucky MODELS Bruna Lapinskas at Primary Dunya Mudesir and Lola Niko at Shadow, Reem Elnour at Icon STUDIO Lobster Studios RETOUCHING Shetouch
THIS PAGE BRUNA wears MAROSKE PEECH bodysuit, MARLAND BACKUS necklace OPPOSITE PAGE CAKEY SPORTSMAN top and shoes
WORDS BY HOLLY VILLAGRA
Ifyou haven’t already spotted Bruna Lapinskas walking the shows at Australian Fashion Week, you’ve likely seen her fiery red hair on billboards, websites or your Instagram feed. The Brazilian-born, Australian-based model has fronted campaigns for major brands, including Mecca, Bec and Bridge, Bras N Things, and Aje Athletica.
Now represented by Primary Management, Bruna has made a name for herself not only as a model in Australia and internationally, but also as an advocate for curve representation. Having worked in the fashion industry for over a decade, her success is the result of persistence, determination and outspoken authenticity.
Bruna began modelling at the age of fifteen, while living in Brazil. Both curvy and 5’4”, launching her career proved to be difficult, given the pervasive diet culture of the 2010s. It was the era of Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie, of galaxy-tight-clad thigh gap pictures, of Yolanda Hadid telling Gigi to eat a few almonds when she felt she was about to pass out.
Thin was in. And due to the lack of size representation within the fashion world, Bruna found herself modelling for brands that catered to women three times her age. Even outside of modelling, there was a clear disparity between the outfit options she had as a young teen and those available to her friends.
“I remember being around 12 to 16 years old, that awkward stage when you’re figuring out your style and just want to look cute-ish, but finding clothes that fit and felt like me was a struggle. There wasn’t much out there,” she states. “I’d either dress like a tomboy or end up buying things from my mum’s section, which still makes me laugh.”
As a plus-size woman who also works in fashion, I can relate. Since starting my career at 19, I quickly realised that while you can approach the industry with all the optimism in the world, the reality is often very different.
I’ve worked in companies where I was the only plus-sized person in the room, and for brands whose clothes I couldn’t even wear. I’ve attended events for labels that claim to design for ‘every woman’, only to find their sizing stops at 14. I’ve watched runway shows without a single non-straight-sized model.
“I remember reading teen magazines and never seeing anyone with my body type. It just felt normal not to see girls like me represented. I didn’t even question it. My eyes just kind of accepted what was shown as ‘the standard’,” Bruna reflects.
The significance of having Bruna on this cover of Fashion Journal, alongside a fashion spread composed exclusively of curve models wearing local designers, isn’t lost on me. Especially now, at a time when size inclusivity appears to be slipping through our fingers, slowly but surely.
LEFT TO RIGHT LOLA wears ANNIE BERRY top and skirt, BRUNA wears NIAMH GALEA dress, EMPRESS MIMI bra, AMISS shoes, DUNYA wears MAROSKE PEECH top, skirt and pants, AMISS shoes REEM wears NIAMH GALEA dress, CAKEY SPORTSMAN belt
“I just want to keep showing that you can have your curves, be healthy, ambitious, and still have fun with fashion, because that’s the real story.”
“In 2022, I walked for five shows at Fashion Week and not just me, there were so many incredible curve models finally owning the runway,” Bruna tells me. “It genuinely felt like a shift was happening. But lately, it’s like we’ve taken one step forward and two steps back.”
Despite progress, extended size inclusivity remains a longstanding challenge in the industry, with recent data indicating that representation is gradually declining. A 2025 Vogue Business report found that less than one per cent of models across major international Fashion Weeks were plus-size, and locally, Australian Fashion Week featured under two per cent curve representation.
“Right now in Australia, you might see one or two curve models in a show, but most brands still don’t carry extended sizes or make them visible,” Bruna adds. “If you’re not showing curve bodies on runways, your campaigns or in stores, that audience will never feel invited in.”
“True inclusion means extending size ranges, offering in-store try-ons and featuring curve models in everyday campaigns,” she adds. “I’d also love to see more curves represented in high-end fashion. We want to look good, cool and expensive too!”
This shoot, produced by Studio Mimi and styled by Sydney Atakliyan, celebrates some of the local brands leading the way in size inclusivity, including (but not limited to): Cakey Sportsman, Niamh Galea, Katharina Lou, Karlaidlaw and Annie Berry. We recognise these names, plus many more, for delivering representation that’s authentic, consistent, continuous, and, might I add, fabulous.
“Some brands are moving in the right direction, like De Gail, Vagary and Youkhana, who really listen to their audience and create for them, not just about them. That’s the kind of energy I hope more Australian labels embrace,” Bruna says.
Stories like Bruna’s remind us that progress is still possible. The ongoing commitment to representation from designers, stylists, casting agents and creatives gives me, and other women with bodies like mine, hope that the fashion industry can evolve toward true inclusivity. And, how good it can look clad in Maroske Peech tights with incredible models like Bruna, Dunya, Lola and Reem at the forefront.
As Bruna puts it: “At the end of the day, I just want to keep showing that you can have your curves, be healthy, ambitious, and still have fun with fashion, because that’s the real story.”
DUNYA wears vintage RALPH LAUREN dress from SWOP, AMISS shoes, DINOSAUR DESIGNS bangles
BRUNA wears
KARLAIDLAW top and skirt, CAKEY
SPORTSMAN earrings, MARLAND BACKUS necklace, DINOSAUR DESIGNS bangle, Bruna’s own bra
LEFT TO RIGHT REEM wears NIAMH GALEA dress, MARLAND BACKUS necklace LOLA wears ANNIE BERRY top and skirt BRUNA wears NIAMH GALEA dress, EMPRESS MIMI bra, AMISS shoes, DUNYA wears MAROSKE PEECH top, skirt and pants
THE FJ ANNUAL
A 2025 gifting list highlighting some of our favourite Australian artists, makers and retailers.
HOLIDAY
made by Fressko Venti Tumbler in Sherbet
ChopIt Chopping Board Mini in Bubblegum
Merit Beauty Flush Balm in Cheeky
Maison Balzac Pomponette Salt and Pepper Set
Fashion Journal Issue
Love And Fortune by Stella Donnelly from Thornbury Records
Gentle Habits Snake Flower incense
Pepe Saya Salted Butter
By Katia Body Oil
Chosen Family by Madeleine Gray from Readings
Dirty Looks: Desire and Decay in Fashion from Perimeter Books
Cooke Swim Del Mar cap in Espresso
Conserving Beauty
Forever Canister
Dal 1992 Original Stockings in Dark Magenta
Pleiosien Medium Navy Blue Flower earrings
Szade x Briwok sunglasses
Merry People Lochie Sandal in Ocean Evergreen
Shark Beauty FlexStyle Air Styling and Drying System Black Sparkle Limited Edition
$499.99
JBL Tour One M3 Smart Tx Headphones in Mocha
Alma Proença Dolphin Ashtray from Error404
Perdrisât Coquette perfume 100ml
Sarah-Jane Clarke x Among Equals Bilum Shopper bag
Shy Talaga Petite Barb in Acid Green
Birkenstock Arizona Rivet in Ochre Suede Leather
ASICS SportStyle GEL-KAYANO 12.1 in White Ink
St. Agni x Vermeer Edna belt in Dark Brown
E Nolan x Mecca Cosmetica Facial SPF, Lip Balm, Beauty Bag and Scrunchie Set from Mecca
Pot Pot Cobalt Candlestuck
Baina Roman Pool Towel in Paloma Sun and Ecru
Variety Hour Fable Blouse in Sunroom Stripe
Our Place Large Always Pan in Sage
This gift guide includes a mix of paid placements and independently selected items.
2025
FASHION JOURNAL
PHOTOGRAPHER AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR Joëlle Parisotto
PHOTOGRAPHER’S ASSISTANTS Alice Naish and Lola Gunn PRODUCTION Lucy Crock at Alt-House PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Ariana Rigazzi STYLIST Cecile Huynh STYLIST’S ASSISTANT Daisy Fae Fielding MAIN TALENT AND MOVEMENT DIRECTION Katherine Lanterna MOVEMENT ASSISTANT Annaliese Macdonald HAIR Kate Radford MAKEUP Lara Daly MODELS Dylan Negrine and Victor Moore LOCATION Pointe Nation RETOUCHING Shetouch
EMILY WATSON T-shirt, OLGA JOAN singlet, JIM KNIT shorts, AMBRA tights
CHUSETTE legwarmers, ASICS shoes OPPOSITE
CHELSEA FARQUHAR corset and pants, AMBRA tights
THIS PAGE
EMILY WATSON dress, ELAS CROCHET bra, DAL 1992 tights
OPPOSITE PAGE
KAT wears PERMANENT VACATION top, BASERANGE bra, DAL 1992 tights, DYLAN (left) and VICTOR wear POSTURE STUDIO pants stylist’s and model’s own singlets
NIAMH GALEA dress, ROSE CHONG neck ruff, stylist’s own socks
MAROSKE PEECH leotard, belt and tights, BASERANGE bralette, FAEBLE rosette, RADICAL YES shoes
THIS PAGE
NIAMH GALEA bolero
EMILY WATSON top
MAROSKE PEECH shorts
OPPOSITE PAGE
NIAMH GALEA dress, AMY
LAWRANCE hat, AMBRA tights
JIM KNIT legwarmers, ASICS shoes
Second to None
by
Photo
Lola Adami
Pre-loved business is booming. The global resale market is growing at three times the rate of first-hand fashion, so how are local curators and consignment stores setting themselves apart? Writer Maggie Zhou speaks to those carving out their own niche and explores how designers themselves are adapting.
WORDS BY MAGGIE ZHOU
Secondhand fashion is not a monolith. Australia’s growing pre-loved culture has given way to a new generation of vintage resellers making a name – and a brand – for themselves. It’s no longer a question of whether people shop secondhand, but where they go.
Pre-loved fashion regulars like myself have a sort of mental Rolodex they consult for specific missions. I head back to the suburbs I grew up in for vintage, locally-made shirts from iconic Australian brands. Out in regional Victoria, I know I can always find pure wool sweaters. I window-shop in high-end consignment store, Bruce, and flick through the racks of Second Life Markets for going-out clothes.
Different secondhand retailers serve unique purposes, catering to a spectrum of tastes, price points and clients. Recent research by Boston Consulting Group and Vestiaire Collective estimates the global resale market will be worth $360 billion USD (approx $550 billion AUD) by 2030. It’s growing at a rate three times that of the first-hand fashion market. Thanks to the increased appetite for vintage, we’ve welcomed a wealth of new stores trading in pre-loved wares.
So, how are they setting themselves apart in an increasingly crowded industry? Many have carved out distinct, niche corners of the resale market for themselves. This new era of pre-loved is strategic, curated and deliberate.
Melbourne’s iconic vintage and costume destination, Shag, has been around since 1996. At its inception, it focused on retro ’70s styles. Fast forward to today and it’s still a constant bestseller. Sydney’s So Familia store is hyper-curated to fit a youthful, eclectic aesthetic, with ’90s and Y2K attire sitting alongside dozens of first-hand independent labels.
A Plus Market hosts in-person events, catering specifically
to people who wear sizes 16 to 32 and beyond. Salon Archive in Melbourne only sells archival Jean Paul Gaultier, Vivienne Westwood and John Galliano – less than a year since opening its first brick-and-mortar, it has already moved into a bigger space in the iconic Nicholas Building.
Secondhand fashion stores most certainly have distinct brand identities; there’s a clear difference between Salvos and Swop, Facebook Marketplace and Depop, Retrostar and TheRealReal. But this isn’t an obvious conclusion to draw. Unlike typical fashion brands that design and manufacture their own stock, these outlets deal in pre-loved goods; oneof-ones that they have little control over.
Of course, they have the power of curation, arguably the most important part of the pre-loved shopping experience. It’s PDA Shop’s biggest strength. Headed up by housemates Sarah Lamont and Belle Saunders, the year-and-a-half-old vintage destination, nestled on Fitzroy’s Johnston Street, feels like it’s been around for much longer. Everything that’s stocked is carefully passed through both of their hands.
“We never want to not be the people curating it,” Belle says. “Instinctual” is how Sarah describes their curation process. The pair don’t see PDA Shop as a fashion brand but rather a “curated vintage design studio”.
Hybrid fashion and lifestyle businesses are becoming increasingly popular, mirroring consumers’ multi-layered interests and personality facets. PDA’s motto is “please dress, dine and dance accordingly”; for them, it’s never just been about the clothes.
“The vintage is how we can communicate with people every single week, every day, and a reason for people to come again and again. It’s what fuels the other projects,” Belle says. Collaborating with chefs, DJs and other creatives in their orbit is what has helped bring the PDA world to life.
Its solo runway in February embodied this. They pulled together around 30 models from an Instagram call-out, spent 30 minutes styling each person with stylist Thalea Michos-Vellis, and ended up with an audience of 300. Sarah and Belle gush when reflecting on the day. “It was a really special way to see vintage framed,” Belle says.
Recently, PDA has reduced to seasonal online collections, rather than its previous fortnightly drops. In line with that, Sarah and Belle are focusing more on one-on-one shopping appointments. In a roundabout way, the pair has been able to stand out in the secondhand market by centring the experiences they facilitate, rather than the clothes.
Operating for a decade with six stores nationwide, Goodbyes is Australia’s largest resale bricks-and-mortar service. Despite its iterations and rebrands (the concept started in New Zealand as Recycle Boutique), and its 60,000 nationwide sellers, Goodbyes has been able to maintain its reputation for stylish, high-quality, pre-loved threads.
Monique Thomas, who co-founded Goodbyes with friend Olivia Mangan, puts it down to sticking to the business’s values of being “grounded in community” and “second to none”. This looks like celebrating staff and sellers’ unique style on social media, as well as “consistency conventions” when it comes to content and product alike.
Then, at the start of the year, Goodbyes decided to take a six-month social media break, scrubbing its entire Instagram and TikTok feeds. In a move we’d expect to see from luxury fashion houses, Goodbyes reappeared in August with a new campaign. “It’s all about celebrating the emotional connection to clothing… We’re trying not to make content for content’s sake, making sure it really resonates and feels like Goodbyes,” Monique says. Part of this was a ‘love letters’ project, encouraging sellers to leave a note to the future owner of their clothes.
“Because the product is ever-changing, consistency with the service and the physical space is really important to us,” Olivia says. “We also really celebrate the diversity of the product. That’s the joy of secondhand shopping.”
Now, more fashion labels are cashing in on the world of recommerce. New Zealand label Kowtow launched its own reselling platform earlier this year, purchasing pre-loved garments directly from its customers. With the help of software and service business Revibe, The Iconic is now reselling repaired garments.
Sydney-based designer, Niamh Galea, has had her heart set on resale for years. The founder of her eponymous label (formerly Ramp Tramp Tramp Stamp) started what was then her “teenytiny, peer-to-peer” resale arm back in 2020. She was inspired by slow fashion designer Eileen Fisher’s buy-back program, which has been running for 16 years. And also, because well-meaning customers were dobbing people in for reselling their RTTS pieces.
“I started getting messages from people basically saying, ‘Oh my god, I’m so sorry to tell you but someone’s listed your item on Depop’ as though it was something really sad and shameful,” Niamh says. In reality, she felt a sense of pride seeing sellers set high prices and “naming the brand as though it’s a thing”.
By taking resale into her own hands through her platform, Resale World, Niamh has added worth to her products, signifying that her pieces can retain their value. The value exchange of a product doesn’t stop after the first purchase, but lives on through resale.
Niamh is unabashed about wanting to make “a second profit” off her own creations. “It’s my intellectual property. Why should I be giving [consignment stores] basically free money?”
Six months ago, Niamh began mirroring Swop’s consignment method, ditching her peer-to-peer system and instead buying back pieces and offering 30 per cent cash, or 50 per cent credit on the resale value (most people opt for credit). The pick-up was immediate.
I ask Niamh what it’s like receiving pieces that past customers no longer want. “I’m a hustler. It doesn’t bother me at all,” she says, laughing and adding that she’s even sold on pieces from her own wardrobe. She’s been encouraging her friends who own fashion labels to start their own resale arm. Her advice? “Don’t let other people make money off your creative work when you could just as easily be doing it.”
Pre-loved is good business. When clothes continue to circulate, it not only halts their journey into landfill, but can create more financial value for sellers and brands. The biggest winner from all this? Arguably us, the customers, whose choices when it comes to buying and selling secondhand clothes only continue to grow.
Photo by Zebe Haupt
Photo courtesy of Niamh Galea
TALENT AND ART DIRECTOR
Chela et Cetera
PHOTOGRAPHER
Lula Cucchiara
PHOTOGRAPHER’S ASSISTANTS
Cristina Martînez Recio and Dan Lin STYLIST
Kirsty Barros HAIR
Daniel Jiang HAIR ASSISTANT Fumika MAKEUP
Alana Lucky
COMME DES GARÇONS HOMME PLUS leather chaps from QURATED, stylist’s own boots and tights, Chela’s own earring
With the release of her new percussive single, ‘Algorhythm’, Chela et Cetera channels a decade of experience into a new frontier, reclaiming control over the algorithm’s grip and stepping into a self-defined era.
WORDS BY DAISY HENRY
We dance / We pray / We sweat / We march to the beat of the algorhythm.
From the first opening beats of her new single, singer Chelsea Wheatley, aka Chela et Cetera, delivers a danceable, percussive, playful critique of a hot-button issue. In this case, it’s social media’s algorithmic grip.
She’s not entirely searing in her analysis, either. Sure, as she later tells me, the song speaks to the influence algorithms have on our behaviours and relationships. But she’s optimistic, too. “We don’t need to play into the constant demand of it.”
‘Algorhythm’ marks the Australian-Filipino artist’s first release of 2025. Though it’s not tied to the LP she has slated for next year, she says it’s just as precious. Recorded on Gadigal land, the track took shape around a synth bassline from musician Paul Mac. Chela dreamt up the lyrics and the rest came together swiftly, finished with guitar by OK Mori.
Aside from music, creating a visual universe for ‘Algorhythm’ was a chance for Chela to usher in a new era. She’s the first to admit that in her industry, self-branding is everything, but for this shoot, she prioritised creative expression. “I can be surprisingly shy and prudish,” she says. “But the environment on set was so comfortable, I ended up much more naked than planned!”
Over time, she’s intentionally developed the persona of ‘Chela et Cetera’ as a kind of caricature, allowing herself space and separation from the pressures of being a public-facing artist. That freedom was thanks, in large part, to the team of likeminded creatives she collaborated with, including queer, Latinx
photographer Lula Cucchiara. “It’s a new frontier I’ve explored in liberating my body from the hetero gaze,” Chela explains.
As both musician and art director, she shapes her world on her own terms, guided by her own interests rather than the algorithm. In our conversation below, she dives into her process, the reality of her multi-hyphenate life, and the wild mix of influences that fuel her creativity.
Hi Chela! I know you’re based between Australia and LA. What has the last week looked like for you?
In the past week, I have: worked on some new clothing and art designs that I’ll soon be selling, practiced vocal scales everyday to prep for my next single, helped out as a studio-hand at Squeak E. Clean Studios in Hollywood, dressed up as Daria for Remi Wolf’s Halloween Party, planned to open a speakeasy in the back of my friend Tim’s bookstore in Echo Park, worked as a door bitch at an ’80s themed bar and volunteered at Project Angel Food, who prepare meals for people in need, organised through the wonderful Gay 4 Good. That’s maybe half of it. Never a dull day in LA.
Asking for a friend... how exactly did you get your start in the music industry?
I grew up performing alongside my sister, NJ, who’s a very talented singer. Then, when I was 16, I started a punk band [The Gingers] with my high school besties and we got signed within months, so I dropped out of school to tour and make records. I became burnt out and traumatised by the music industry by the age of 19, so I took a break to work in film before starting my solo musical project years later.
Stylist’s own repurposed tights, breast inserts and shoulder pads
To shed some light on the reality of pursuing a music career in Australia, what have been the biggest challenges and the most rewarding moments so far?
There are many unfair and unsafe aspects of the industry, and finding the right people to work with has taken a long time to figure out. I think trying to remain optimistic and not become jaded is a regular practice. I like to call upon the naive, teenage Chelsea who fell deeply in love with music and keep her spark alive in what I do now. Some of the most sacred moments are being on stage with my friends and experiencing the drug-like high that performing induces, if the sound is loud enough!
You’re a creative in every sense of the word. How has the vision behind Chela et Cetera evolved?
One of the most significant evolutions of my creative output has come from ‘coming out’. Since then, I’ve felt freer than ever to express myself. At the same time, the demand and expectation of one’s privacy on social media is quite invasive. I found myself formulating more of a caricature around ‘Chela et Cetera’, to allow myself enough separation and space from the public-facing aspect of being an artist.
You sing, “Does it make you wonder / Where all your hours went? / Does it make you wonder / Who the hell you call your friends?” It’s very real. What exactly is the song about to you?
It’s about the control that appeasing the algorithm has on so many of us, and how that has affected our behaviours and relationships with each other. It feels like we’re all in a race with numbers in our heads sometimes, but it’s important to remember that it’s all made-up. We don’t need to play into the constant demand of it, and this particular ideal of numerical success it promotes.
I love the creativity behind this shoot. Can you tell me how the fleshy, padded look came about?
We had planned to work with tape to distort my body and face; however, the tests didn’t go quite as well as planned, so Kirsty, the stylist, bought these ‘chicken fillets’ aka titty padding, and had the idea to put them into stockings. To me, it’s a new frontier I’ve explored in liberating my body from the hetero gaze, breaking free of opinions I’ve had placed upon me in the past, and toying with shape in a similar way to hormones, surgery or fillers.
“I found myself formulating more of a caricature around Chela et Cetera.”
Your music has been described as “channelling Grace Jones’ percussive sensuality and Prince’s raw electricity”. Where else do you look for inspiration?
Certainly they are two of my idols. I also draw a lot of inspiration from a range of creatives and characters, such as John Waters, Mowgli, Moni Haworth, Dennis the Menace, Vivienne Westwood, Harmony Korine, Virgil Abloh, Pierre et Gilles, Janet Jackson, Stephen Shore, Jim Greco, elderly Chinese folks who do Tai Chi in the park...
What role does self-branding play in being an artist these days?
It’s everythang! Yesterday, someone I met at the bookstore I work in followed me on Instagram and said, “Wow, I feel like I just got immediately drawn into your world,” and it was validating in the sense that I try to post what I personally like, not just what the algorithm demands. I love the aspect of shared worlds on social media and how much you can learn about someone from what they choose to share.
When do you feel your most confident?
There have been many moments when I’ve felt incredibly embodied and euphoric onstage, and it’s the same when I’m skating, dancing, or if I’m walking down the aisle of the supermarket wearing a fit that I dig with matching undies underneath! I’m also so grateful for how I can feel with the closest people in my life.
What would surprise people about what you do?
Probably how independent and multi-tasking I need to be. I feel like a one-stop shop sometimes and it can get exhausting. I’m constantly zig-zagging between songwriting, producing, scriptwriting, screenprinting, filmmaking, painting, styling, choreographing and directing. Needless to say, I’m looking forward to more collaboration on the upcoming record!
ALISON PYRKE shoes
WORDS BY DAISY HENRY PHOTOGRAPHY BY LEKHENA PORTER
When I first interned at Fashion Journal in 2022, I never imagined the world that was about to open up to me. I got to interview iconic Australian designers, weigh in on topics circulating the zeitgeist (a memorable one was road-testing ‘manspreading’) and attend important, intimidating events like brand launches and gallery openings. Three years on, as FJ’s Assistant Editor, I can safely say it played a crucial role in launching my career.
There’s a certain bond that forms among former interns. It’s not uncommon to find yourself on an email chain or at an event with a stranger, swapping stories about the time you each interned in the FJ office. It’s a password to something greater – a community of sorts, an instant friendship, a favour you can always ask.
Year after year, the interns who’ve graced the office have brought their own distinct perspective – whether that’s a passionate accessoriser calling for men to embrace a ‘slutty shorts summer’, an international model-turned-writer baring all, an expert thrift shopper grappling with post-uni life, or a multi-hyphenate creative full of hidden talents.
The class of 2025 has truly taken the baton and run with it. Now we’ve reached the end of the year, we’re asking some of our former interns about their summer plans and what comes next.
Parth rahatekar
You grew up in India before moving to Melbourne. How does your culture show up in your personal style?
I love India’s textile and artisan heritage. Almost all my clothes are custom-made with fabrics I have sourced directly from generational artisans who visit major cities for bazaars. The maximalism of India is something I will always champion.
If an outfit is mind-numbingly boring, what’s your secret to make it interesting?
I think everyone should be afraid of being called basic and bland. I know I am. I wear accessories with a brazen disregard for rules, a penchant for bling and a bashful attitude. I just do what would be the least expected and roll with it.
You also moonlight as a poet. How does writing poetry demand different things from you, compared to an article?
Poetry is for processing and healing, the rest of my writing is for expression. My ‘research’ for poetry is more inward than perfunctory. I never know what I’ll unearth or what I’ll connect with.
What was a highlight for you while interning at FJ?
The back and forth for AC settings! WordPress backend beating my ass! Finding out the lamb kebab place I liked for lunch was actually vegan the whole time?
As a queer person, do you see fashion as a way to take up space?
I actually don’t think I’m interested in ‘taking up space’. I don’t buy into the myth that a space isn’t mine to inhabit in the ways I believe I deserve to, queer or not. I’m more interested in creating more spaces for shameless existence. My fashion is just an extension of all the geographies and people that make me, me.
One of your early FJ pieces declared to men that last year was a ‘slutty shorts summer’. Will this be another slutty summer?
Men, it will always be a slutty shorts summer, but this year, I want you to [REDACTED], [CENSORED] and [TRUNCATED] as well as try to [REDACTED] [CENSORED] [*********]. You know?
What are your summer plans, apart from wearing tiny shorts?
I’ve had a big year, so I’m staying put for my first real Aussie summer. I’ll be cooking up new poetry workshops, looking for jobs in writing and marketing, and spending time with family who are coming down for my graduation.
You moved to Melbourne three years ago from New York. What do you love and what do you hate about each city?
I hate, despise and loathe Melbourne’s public transit system. For the absurd price of $5.50 per ride, I get to be late to every event, regardless of how early I leave. Now to the love. Potentially controversial opinion, but my favourite vego-inclusive restaurants are in Naarm.
The idea of New Yorkers being ‘kind but not nice’ is very true. I felt connected to my community in New York in an unspoken way, especially when living in Brooklyn. Moreso than here, I think. That said, New York has a disproportionate number of nepo babies and trust fund kids working in creative industries.
Why did you pivot from modelling to writing?
S a Maryel Sou S a
Maryel
Sou
There were a lot of reasons I took a break from modelling: discontent, chronic illness, the pandemic, my studies, career stagnation. Ultimately, I wanted to, needed to prove to myself that I could be more.
What was the craziest outfit you’ve had to model?
Gucci sent me down the runway for the AW18 show in a Lucha Libre-inspired balaclava, a velvet dress with metal embellishments, trainers, tons of bangles and bejewelled nipple tassels. Definitely not the craziest outfit ever, but I googled the show to get a refresher on the details and apparently, my look scandalised the Daily Mail
What was your favourite article you wrote while interning at FJ and what was the hardest?
Favourite article: ‘Oops, I gave my algorithm an eating disorder’, from Issue 195. I’m incredibly proud of the content of the piece, but it also boosted my confidence in being able to culturally read the room. Given that SkinnyTok blew up just a few months later and loads of similar commentary started popping up, I felt like an oracle.
Hardest article: ‘I dreamt of becoming a high fashion model, here’s what it’s really like’. Writing it was like exorcising all this nasty energy that had been festering for too long. But after it was published, I went home and had a full-on panic attack – like, screaming, crying, throwing up. Even though my job had been in front of the camera, this piece was the first time I’d been visible as the subject, not the object and that was unnerving.
Describe your ideal summer morning.
It’s 7am, sunny and 25 degrees in Noosa. My boyfriend and I hike to Tea Tree Bay, where I swim in an Emma Mulholland on Holiday bikini and, for once, I’m not stung by bluebottles.
Chloe r ou SS y Chloe r ou SS y
You’re a true media multi-hyphenate, working across short film, photography, writing and audio. Is your dream to freelance, or do you have a specific job in mind?
My ultimate goal is to be a full-time fashion editorial photographer, but I’m keen to try a range of different roles as I begin post-grad. I’m also down to help crew on my friends’ projects for the time being and see what other roles I’m interested in. I love that media is so broad and there’s a lot of merit to being able to wear different hats. I’d never want to box myself into one role only.
What project are you most proud of from this year?
My capstone photo series, Final Performance. The central motif is a Chinese opera singer figure who haunts a modern woman. This is one of my many works informed by my mixedrace background, and it came from a very personal place.
You always have the coolest hair. Where do you get it done?
I’ve always been a DIY girlie, using red and purple box-dye, and giving myself layered cuts at home. But I did accept that bleach may be out of my wheelhouse. I went to Viju Salon where I showed my amazing hairdresser, Moa, some inspo pics of the calico hair trend. This included hidden bleach, sectioning for copper and bleach, and a raccoon tail on the side.
I’ve managed to upkeep it home by using the Good Dye Young (a brand by the queen of orange hair and one of my idols, Hayley Williams) semi-permanent dye in the shade Toxicity, and a purple hair mask from the chemist for the blonde parts. This does take effort and time, but it’s always worth it.
What’s your bubble tea order?
I’m actually huge on making drinks at home; it’s one of the highlights of my morning! I’m huge on matcha, Thai milk tea, dalgona coffee (yes, even in the big ’25), all that jazz. Tapioca pearls, however, are a bit of a pain to cook at home, so if I’m craving it, I’ll get a jasmine or oolong milk tea with black pearls, herbal jelly and egg pudding.
What would your advice be to future FJ interns?
Whatever you have the least experience in, whether it’s writing or social media production, take the opportunity to go outside your comfort zone. And don’t be afraid to share your ideas! It’s a judgement-free space and the perfect opportunity to take risks and collaborate with a really talented team.
a riana r igazzi
Congrats on completing your master’s! Between studies, internships and work, you’ve been busy. Do you have a life outside of the hustle?
Thank you! This past year has felt so surreal and I’ve really pushed the limits of how much life I can fit into each day (my Google Calendar is scary). It’s been hectic and I’m very ready to slow down.
Having worked in the theatre industry before transitioning into journalism, I have so many talented friends, and my free time is usually filled with seeing shows. Otherwise, lots of pasta, wine and debriefs with my friends or my ridiculously huge Italian family. And op shopping. A concerning amount of op shopping. It’s my vice.
Are you feeling ready to enter the full-time workforce?
While I’m definitely ready to put the uni chapter to bed, the post-grad anxiety is very real. As a woman inching into her mid-twenties, the noise of what path to choose when everyone tells you this is your period of freedom is sickly overwhelming. Do you lock into the corporate grind or backpack across Europe?
I don’t know! I’ve been trying to trust my intuition, put myself out there (even when it feels humiliating) and ultimately put my wants into words. I mean, my life has worked itself out in the past, so something has to work out again… right?
Your internship fell over Melbourne Fashion Week. What was the most shocking thing you saw on or off the runway?
I really hit the intern jackpot! Seeing Perple’s designs at the Opulent Tastes Runway was definitely the highlight. Although witnessing Charlene Davies’ street style IRL made my jaw drop. The baguettes in the bag shoes? The bok choy! It changed my life.
You’ve become known in the office for your affinity for pairing a skirt over pants. How did you feel the first time you tried it?
I fear it has become my entire brand! In the winter of 2024, every image I had saved on Pinterest was a skirt over pants. But every time I tried it, I felt incredibly try-hard. It wasn’t until my solo trip to Japan that I threw a skirt over my pants and never turned back. Being alone in another country is incredibly empowering but you don’t need to be travelling to channel that. Life is too short not to have fun with your style.
What will you be doing over the summer break?
I’m a freakish workaholic, so this summer I’m forcing myself to shut the laptop and learn to relax. So, lots of beach and lots of reading. I’m also craving a new chapter and sensing a bit of a personal rebrand… Maybe I’ll go blonde? (I won’t).
Can you feel it? Breathe in, breathe out. The end of the year is almost here. Ditch the alarm, sit outside in your underwear, pen in hand. Good luck.
Hidden in this wordsearch are 15 words that, all together, paint the picture of our ideal summer.
