Contributors

Four of the celebrated creatives responsible for contributing to this month’s issue reflect on how a youthful spirit and the realm of sport inspired their vision.

MICHELLE DACILLO

Ahead of the FIFA Women’s World Cup kicking off this month in Australia and New Zealand, Michelle Dacillo worked alongside photographer James Robjant to capture several Matildas players in ‘Fever pitch’, shot recently in London. (See page 100). “I don’t think I’ve worked with athletes before, let alone at this level. They were so laser-focused and their physical and mental dedication left such an impression on me,” says Dacillo, who pared back each look in an effort to convey an authenticity inspired by the team’s playful nature on set. “I wanted these women to feel confident, comfortable and very much [themselves] and so we did a version of their own go-to beauty looks.”

MAHALIA CHANG

“Broome, the town where I grew up, always had a particular and beautiful scent to me: sea salt, pindan and dry heat,” recalls Mahalia Chang when quizzed on her earliest scent-inspired memory. This issue, Vogue’s head of digital content takes to print to pen a piece exploring the connection between scents and memories, from page 144. In her day job, Chang helps lead a team of young creatives across vogue.com. au. “One thing I always admire about the youth in my team is their capacity for change and their willingness to take any challenge head-on,” says the editor. “You have to be able to do a thousand things at once and constantly upskill – I’ve never seen them cowed by a new challenge. They’re just brilliant.”

LILLI WATERS

Photographer Lilli Waters was inspired by the youthful spirit of Saint Laurent’s autumn/winter ’23 collection and aimed to explore “the limitless possibilities of children’s imagination, where wonder and magic collide”. Captured along the scenic yet cloud-covered coastline of Sydney’s Clovelly, Waters hopes these images (from page 130) invite viewers into “a whimsical afternoon on a hill where we explore nature and let our imaginations run wild”. For the Melbournebased creative, a particular encounter left a lasting impression. “There was a magical moment where we witnessed whales jumping out of the ocean right in front of our eyes.”

DR CHRISCHONA SCHMIDT

Manager of Ikuntji Arts Centre, Dr Chrischona Schmidt, says showing at this year’s Australian fashion week was “exciting, daunting and overwhelming” for the First Nations creatives who flew from Central Australia to see their work on display. Ikuntji was the first ever art centre to host a solo runway in the event’s history. “I had to ensure the vision, the launch of the new textile design range, and the artists who created them were always at the core of the project,” explains Schmidt. (See page 42.) The event honoured this year’s NAIDOC theme, For Our Elders. “All the stories, our Tjukurrpa, are handed down to us by our Elders,” says Ikuntji Artists chairperson Roseranna Larry. “We are keeping their stories, their legacy and their art alive.”