EDITOR’S LETTER
The fashion industry has been much criticised for its role in promoting super-thin models and therefore an unhealthy body image for young women. Fortunately, Australia lends itself to an outdoor lifestyle full of physical activity, which may explain why some of today’s biggest social media starlets are personal trainers hailing from here. Let’s call them gym-istas … they rule Instagram and YouTube with their workouts and chiselled results.
The queen of the gym-istas is Kayla Itsines, a 25-year-old global fitness phenomenon from Adelaide who, with her partner, has amassed a $46 million dollar fortune selling her Bikini Body Guide (BBG) e-books and app workouts. Her global disciples are part of a BBG community who have connected through her training guides and support one another. The #BBG hashtag has been used among them more than 4.5 million times. Kayla is not only a smart businesswoman and a positive influencer, but an empowered and healthy female role model who doesn’t drink or party, and whose squeaky-clean image has appealed to brands including Apple and Adidas.
To me, this is represents a modern type of modelling and Vogue is proud to support Kayla and this healthy body movement. While we can’t all hope to have a stomach like Kayla’s (see page 138), at Vogue we encourage women to strengthen their bodies and to engage in physical exercise so they can live at their best. The extraordinary women in the Rugby Sevens team love life, are performing at their best and winning. I first met some of the Olympic gold medallists last year at the Sydney Sevens tournament. With this year’s tournament around the corner, we celebrate the team and explore the secret to their success in what was a completely male-dominated sport.
Katie Page, CEO of Harvey Norman and long-time supporter and promoter on women in sport, points to all the codes in which female participation is making a mark and reminds us that it takes time to build these sports with followings and sponsorships and so we “should all keep our foot on the pedal” – see page 62.
Amanda Seyfried is all systems go with a new baby on the way, along with roles in the new Twin Peaks series, an as-yet-untitled Nash Edgerton project, and new film The Last Word.
Amanda is a bombshell: funny, with a down-to-earth attitude and she has never looked more beautiful than she does newly pregnant on our cover this month and the story starting page 98.
It’s not too late for a New Year’s resolution. Enjoy.