Look back through the most iconic celebrity portraits of the last 50 years. Chances are, the man behind the camera for many of them was Douglas Kirkland. He’s been alone in a room with Marilyn Monroe clad only in a satin sheet and a smile, met his wife through Audrey Hepburn, spent weeks in the company of Coco Chanel, and has captured the inner spirits of some of pop culture’s greatest enigmas. With a retrospective of Douglas’ work taking up residence at GoMA from September 11 as part of Brisbane Festival 2010, one might think that the iconic photographer’s career is slowing down. But at 75 years old, this affable gentleman is working as hard as ever, with as much passion, enthusiasm and pure joy as when he first picked up the camera at age 10. (more…)
Dreamers
If actors are typically boisterous types, then Sibylla Budd stands apart from the rest. Softly spoken, sweet and self-effacing, she doesn’t fit the mould of someone who seeks out the spotlight and
bares their soul on cue. Yet the Canberra-bred, Sydney-based actress manages all this and more. She has worked gracefully across theatre, film and television roles in Australia for more than
10 years, which is no small feat in such a capricious industry. She also worked on a documentary about Tanzania for World Vision and scored a lead role in Baz Luhrmann’s breathtaking ‘Come Walkabout’ campaign for Tourism Australia in 2008. As we speak, Sibylla is in Brisbane rehearsing for Queensland Theatre Company’s season of Harold Pinter’s Betrayal, opening September 6. While she still gets opening-night jitters, Sibylla says she feels free on stage because theatre is, after all, her first love.
As Shakespeare so eruditely noted, ‘Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them’. While Dion Lee is loath to think of himself as great by any definition of the word, the rest of the fashion world begs to differ. Still only 24, the irrefutably humble fashion designer has managed to deliver two breathtaking collections in the space of two years, the most recent of which was received with superlatives usually reserved for grand couturiers on the catwalks of Paris and Milan. And while Dion’s heart lies firmly in Australian soil, the rest of the world is starting to take notice. (more…)
Brad Pengelly’s menswear label, Jamie Fame, is variously inspired by gothic love songs, dark nights and vampire love, so it’s a bit of a surprise that Brad’s disposition is at the other end of the scale. The 25-year-old self-taught designer is breezy and bright-eyed, likes to surf and is happy to be based on the Sunshine Coast and geographically removed from the heady world of fashion in other cities. His uncomplicated character also informs Jamie Fame’s aesthetic, which is all about clean lines and pristine tailoring, muted palettes and sombre styling. As Jamie Fame secures its 17th stockist around Australia and releases its sixth collection, Brad is finding all the pieces of the puzzle are starting to fall into place. Must be time to launch a new label then …
For those who err on the side of the right brain rather than the left, a mere glimpse of a graph or table can instill fear, palpitations and cold sweats. David McCandless, an award-winning writer, designer and author based in London, has dreamed up a far more creative (and right-brain friendly) way of communicating facts and figures. His new book Information Is Beautiful explores the potential of data visualisation as a new direction for journalism and storytelling. From the ‘Billion-dollar-ogram’, which puts into perspective the amount of spending throughout the world in relation to foreign aid, the GFC and Third-World Debt, to the ‘Mountains out of Molehills’ graphic, which illustrates the number of feared world crises that haven’t eventuated, David’s creative infographics are a wonderful way to make sense out of what would usually seem to be a jumble of information.
Hopes, dreams and hidden stories lie inside the lens of Ryan Lobo’s camera. Whenever he captures a subject, his images encompass one thousand emotions in a single frame. A photographer and filmmaker, Ryan dreams of capturing the intrinsic ethos of grassroots cultures. His fieldwork has seen him follow a Liberian war criminal attempt to search for redemption, cover the illegal organ trade in India, and produce documentaries for National Geographic. Ryan’s photos delicately and honestly capture unusual life stories, including female UN peacekeepers, and fire fighters in Delhi. Based in the Indian city of Bangalore, his blog allows his audiences to peek inside private moments, laden with emotions. His images transcend class, gender and social stereotypes, and instead empathetically focus on the human condition in its most raw form.
Interview and Photography by Mikki Brammer.
The ability to read, and the independence that it affords, is something that many of us in Western society take for granted. So is the ability to work to earn money, to wear shoes, to treat our children, to eat regularly and to voice our own opinion. For millions of women in Bangladesh, these are luxuries of which they can only dream. But one Bangladeshi woman is fighting to make these basic human rights a reality for her cultural sisters. As CEO of voluntary NGO TARANGO, Kohinoor Yeasmin is helping to equip women in developing countries with the skills to raise their voices, earn their own living and create their own joys. (more…)
Elton John called him “the greatest songwriter on the planet”. Successful in that he’s “not too famous” Rufus Wainwright’s acclaimed original music exists somewhere between pop and opera. He has performed on soundtracks for Moulin Rouge, Brokeback Mountain, Zoolander and Shrek and appeared in Martin Scorcese’s The Aviator. More recently, he has released his sixth studio album, orchestrated Shakespeare’s sonnets for the San Francisco Symphony, and presented his first opera, Prima Donna, in the UK and USA. With a healthy dose of camp angst and humour, Rufus describes his music as “a defence mechanism … against this revolting world”. On a more serious note, he would love to be placed in the canon of great songwriters like Bob Dylan or George Gershwin. (more…)
The excited hush of an audience before a live performance, murmuring in anticipation as the orchestra begins to tune and the lights dim slowly to a mysterious glow, creates an energy that cannot be fabricated. The same can be said for the brief pause at the end of a performance, as the audience crashes back to reality after being utterly mesmerised by the activity on stage. As a performer, director, producer or musician, these two moments are like gold. Noel Staunton has built a career out of helping to create such moments, from working as technical director for English National Opera and Opera Australia, to collaborating with maestro Baz Luhrmann on several live events, including the Moulin Rouge premieres in Cannes, Sydney and New York. And as he now begins his journey as artistic director of Brisbane Festival 2010, a familiar excited hush is spreading across the city in anticipation of what the month of September will bring. (more…)
Interview by Frances Frangenheim.
Bholu is a small word for a global company with a giant scope. In its Indian Kaatchchhi translation, bholu is a term of endearment to a small child, which is poignant for many reasons, not least of which because Bholu is founder Jodie Fried’s precious baby. Adelaide-born and currently living in Los Angeles with her husband, Jodie started her ethical interiors company in 2004 when she approached women in India to create embroidery designs on quality Australian wool felt. Starting out with 20 artisans, Bholu has grown to employ up to 380 women who produce beautiful tactile items – cushions, throws, rugs, lampshades, wallpaper, fabric kids toys and linen. Bholu is also helping build schools for underprivileged littlies in India. At the heart of Jodie’s business decisions is a love of India and a responsibility to Bholu’s artisans, which makes the idea of ever giving up when it all gets too hard simply unfathomable. (more…)
Image via Dustin Kirk.
When Jeff Bezos’ entrepreneurial streak and inquiring mind aligned back in 1994, the wheels were set in motion for a business venture that has gone on to change the realm of book selling. An avid reader and a whiz with commerce, Jeff dreamed of an online store where (almost) all of the world’s books could be purchased from one place. Founder and CEO of Amazon.com, Jeff channelled his skills as a financial analyst towards setting up an online bookstore and retail outlet that aimed to stock more product options than any other store in the world. Jeff believes that good ideas and talent should be allowed to cultivate, but advocates that we should aim for kindness to trump cleverness.
Photography by Kris Krugg. The English language finds it challenging to describe the intermingling of economic growth, the promotion of sustainable wealth and the act of encouraging community growth in one streamlined phrase. In Swahili, the spoken language in Kenya, the verb ‘komaza’ describes the action of promoting development and encouraging growth. Committed to reducing the poverty cycle amongst rural Kenyan communities, American social entrepreneur Tevis Howard launched KOMAZA, a non-for-profit social enterprise. Tevis dreamed of creating a system where Kenyan families could grow small-scale tree plantations without relying on existing unsustainable deforestation models. Both a social and environmental tool, the microforestry program is designed to aid farmers in coastal regions, where infertile soil covers the arid land.
Belgian choreographer and dancer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui started dancing at age 17. In an industry where children don ballet shoes almost as soon as they can walk, he was considered a late starter but hasn’t wasted a moment since. Today, at age 34, he is one of the world’s most revered choreographers, creating adventurous new works for national companies across opera, ballet and contemporary dance, as well as for arts festivals and independent projects. Now with his own company, Eastman, he has projects booked at least two years in advance, and darts all over the globe bringing each piece to life with an aesthetic and intelligence that is celebrated as poetry in motion. When he presents his famed ballet, Sutra – featuring Shaolin monks and kung-fu masters – as part of Brisbane Festival in September, expect to feel the applause and accolades ripple through the city. (more…)
As a talented young chef, Michael Caines trained in Exeter, England, before moving to France to learn from the wisdom of culinary greats including Raymond Blanc, Bernard Loiseau and Joël Robuchon. Returning to England, at age 25 he took up the role of head chef of Gidleigh Park in Devon. But just two weeks after he began, his life was turned upside down by a horrific car accident that resulted in the loss of his right arm. Many chefs would have found it virtually impossible to rise from such a challenge but, for Michael, it merely put his life in perspective. Two weeks later he was back in the kitchen. Five years later he had earned Gidleigh Park a second Michelin star. Seven years later he was named Chef of the Year at the Catey Awards. And 12 years later he was awarded an MBE for services to the hospitality industry. Now 41, and still head chef at Gidleigh Park as well as the Royal Clarence in Exeter, Michael, who will soon be in Brisbane for the Hilton Masterclass, is chasing his dreams with as much passion as ever. (more…)
Growing up in the Coal River Valley region of southern Tasmania, Anna Pooley’s fate was sealed at the tender age of eight. In 1985, her grandparents Denis and Margaret Pooley (now Australia’s oldest female vigneron) established a winery with ten rows of Riesling and seven rows of Pinot Noir on their 16-hectare farm at Cooinda Vale. Anna’s first visit to the Pooley vineyards had a profound effect on the eight-year-old. Awestruck by the sweet fragrance of freshly pressed grapes, the wafts of toasted-oak barrels and the aromas of wild yeasts, Anna went home and wrote in her journal that she wanted to be a winemaker. Her romance with wine has not wavered since. (more…)
It’s a breezy winter’s afternoon when Philip Johnson settles down for a chat at one of the precisely set tables of e’cco bistro. Sunlight streams through the large windows, dancing delicately on the pristine surfaces of polished wine glasses. Far from the enfant terrible stereotype associated with many renowned chefs, Philip’s affable presence is no doubt one of the defining elements of his success. From the polite nod he gives to the numerous locals who pass by the restaurant’s windows, to his considered responses to questions he’s undoubtedly answered many times, to the delight that lights up his blue eyes whenever he speaks of his restaurant (or watering hole, e’cco bar), it’s clear that Philip is grateful for the path destiny has paved for him. (more…)
As a hotelier, Chip Conley has met all walks of life and has come across varying degrees of happiness among his staff, his guests and his investors. Founder of Joie de Vivre Hospitality, both Chip’s unique business model and inquiring mind have helped to transform the boutique hotel scene in California. His interest in personal development, combined with the dotcom bust led Chip to question how society values human happiness. He dreamed of a business model world where his company could place higher value on the intangible, rather than relentlessly focusing on the quantifiable nature of business. Drawing on psychological theories such as Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and the Gross National Happiness model developed in Bhutan, Chip encourages people to actively question how they spend their time each day.
Dabbling in careers in the education system, copywriting, advertising, marketing, and new media, British advertising guru Rory Sutherland has a wealth of experience, a healthy sense of humour, and broad perspective when it comes to the business world. A visionary thinker, Rory dreams of a world where money is not just thrown around in an effort to fix problems, but rather, he believes societies should move towards simple and logical solutions. As Executive Creative Director of international advertising powerhouse OgilvyOne London, and Vice-Chairman of the Ogilvy Group UK, Rory takes ideas from the page and turns them into a reality. He is a firm believer that big problems don’t need to have big and expensive solutions and he encourages communities to search for simple solutions in a sea of complicated bureaucracy.
The delicate curl of a flower, the intriguing angle of a building, or the wings of a dragonfly. The whimsy of inspiration can weaves its magic from virtually anywhere – all you need do is open your eyes to see it. French designer of haute couture eyewear Jean-Francois Rey takes his inspiration whenever and wherever it strikes. Designing eyewear for style savants with “an open mind and inquisitive approach to life”, he and his wife Joëlle have taken the concept of spectacles to an entirely new spectrum. The intricate designs of their J.F. Rey and Boz eyewear ranges combine high-end Italian acetate and stainless steel, with semi-precious stones such as tiger-eye, pink opal, haematite and white agate. Through their irreverence, innovation, and penchant for bucking fashion trends, the duo have gained a devoted following around the world. And it all began with a chance encounter with designer Issey Miyake. (more…)
Noosa-raised, Sydney-based clothing designer Sam Elsom is master of his eponymous fashion label elsom.. He could also be described as a ‘brand guardian’ of sorts. Both leading Aussie fashion label Bracewell and global surf brand Quiksilver have entrusted their precious identities to Sam’s keen design eye with dazzling results. His determined gaze has one eye on quality design and the other fixed firmly on ethical practices, from the growing of organic cotton in India to the spinning of sustainable fabrics in Italy, and manufacturing at home in Sydney. He’s even making textiles out of cow’s milk and recycled plastic bottles. His dream is to continue to fly the flag for sustainable fashion. (more…)
