GRACE DLABIK
“After 23 years of being in the industry of fashion [and] pop culture, I’m finally invited to sit at the table! I plan to achieve a lot,” says Melanesian, Papua New Guinean and Austrian creative director and curator Grace Dlabik, who was enlisted as a key contributor for this issue and asked to help curate a portfolio of progressive commentators for, ‘Raising voices’ from page 92. Via her Melbourne-based company BE. One Creative, Dlabik works to give talented youth – particularly those from marginalised minorities – a platform that allows their voices to be heard. “I started the collective in response to not having these spaces when I was younger, where we could be inspired to become critical thinkers, where we could feel welcomed and a sense of belonging.”
YVONNE WELDON
Wiradjuri woman Yvonne Weldon is an honorary member of the Vogue team, having performed the Welcome to Country at several 60th celebrations last year. This month, the Indigenous thought leader was tasked with reflecting upon the reality of Aboriginal deaths in custody. “The amount of heartache lived through generations is difficult to separate from my heart and put in words from my head,” she says of ‘Matters of fact’ from page 26. Weldon hopes readers will “gain an increased awareness on the lived experiences of the First People of this country. The lens of what people (mis) understand from the negative sensationalised headlines is not what is known. The issues are more than a placard or screen grab.”
SHONAE HOBSON
“I come from a long line of artists, storytellers and makers. For me, art is deeply embedded in all aspects of my life,” says Kaantju woman Shonae Hobson, who at just 24 years of age, holds the prestigious role of First Nations curator at the Bendigo Art Gallery, where she was responsible for curating the Piinpi: Contemporary Indigenous Fashion exhibition. For this issue, Hobson worked with Vogue’s market editor Kaila Matthews on the shoot
‘Off the wall’ (see page 52), which highlights key designs. “I hope that this feature will instil a sense of pride and newfound appreciation for Indigenous fashion and design,” she says. “Each of these garments are so unique and imbued with so much meaning and significance.”