Vogue Australia May 2020

This is without doubt the toughest letter I hope I ever have to write. And yet, as I do from home surrounded by my home-schooling children, I am reminded of how lucky I am. All the things we once took for granted now seem extra-special and under-appreciated before. The world will emerge from this forever changed. For Australia, these have been difficult times: the drought, followed by the fires and now, at the time of writing, a COVID-19 lockdown and the potential loss of many of our fellow citizens. It seems our world is challenged in almost biblical proportions and we are all being asked to sacrifice a little to save a lot. For me, this experience is extremely personal. When my asthmatic daughter was seven, she was hospitalised in…

CHRISTY TURLINGTON BURNS To mark Mother’s Day, former supermodel Christy Turlington Burns penned a personal essay describing the backstory to founding Every Mother Counts, a nonprofit organisation dedicated to improving access to maternity care – which also celebrates its 10-year anniversary in 2020 (see page 36). When quizzed about her ideal Mother’s Day, she says: “I would sleep in, take a nice long run and then relax and enjoy my family for the day.” Reflecting on her long history with Vogue, Turlington Burns remembers: “My first-ever Vogue cover was for Italian Vogue by Hiro, shot in Rome. It was 1986. The second cover was for British Vogue and remains one of my favourites of all time.” JOSH OLINS “The whole day was enjoyable,” says photographer Josh Olins of his experience…

I CLEARLY RECALL every detail of my pregnancy with my first child, Grace, even now, 16 years later. While I felt incredibly informed and prepared for each phase of it, the only part I wasn’t as informed about was the immediate postpartum period, which, due to complications, turned out to be the stage that could have cost me my life. Labour started very early the day Grace was born, and once my husband and I arrived at the hospital, things seemed to move fairly quickly. I recall the many sensations I experienced throughout my labour and the subtle and constant changes that came like waves until my baby was in my arms. Of course, that’s when the endorphins kicked in, but then things started to shift. Concern grew when I…

HOLE STORY In his role as Burberry’s chief creative officer, Riccardo Tisci borrows as much from the street as from Savile Row. How? By rethinking ways to conceal and reveal. A tailored suit in the house’s check is free of any stiff, self-serious air, with cotton shirts playfully cut out to reveal skin. ALL FOR ONE Keep it simple, as Alessandro Michele at Gucci does, and hero one part of the body so none are wrestling for attention. Here, a deep V-cut lace camisole taps into the trend toward lingerie-inspired pieces, and is quietly supported by tailored trousers. LEAN OUT Rambling florals for spring just won’t do for Miuccia Prada, who looked instead to fuss-free clothes that can endure. The proposed new silhouette was precise and streamlined, thanks to an…

IN UNCERTAIN TIMES, dress in spectacular colour. At least that’s what Francesco Risso resolved when he presented Marni’s kaleidoscopic spring/summer ’20 show late last year. He had been visiting Brazil when the Amazon rainforests were on fire, and told Vogue he’d wanted to stage a “joyous protest” in response. Saffron yellow and cerise wildflowers bloomed from brushstrokes onto organic cotton dresses, as leafy stems grew tall on jackets made of repurposed leather. A similar spirit of activism bubbled at Gucci and Valentino. Alessandro Michele and Pierpaolo Piccioli filtered their collections through opening looks in snow white, as if to cleanse the mind in preparation for something new. And then Piccioli delivered gowns in highlighter hues of chartreuse, tangerine and lime green, while Michele used lilac and peach. Had their colour…

GRAY GANNON HAS just returned to Sydney from New York. Travelling for fashion week, her first international assignment since joining the team in 2020, she attended Bulgari’s B.zero1 rock party in Brooklyn’s Duggal Greenhouse in February. “Fashion week is always a whirlwind, so it’s cool Bulgari brought everyone together to take in this special collection,” she says. “It was a great opportunity to catch up with likeminded women like Lily Aldridge, who has recently ventured into YouTube, and connect over our mutual interests, like adapting in our careers to keep up with a dynamic world.” Gannon is a manifestation of creativity and innovation today, in that she is a virtual editor, existing online, and generated by computer. Like the digital influencers whose styles we follow and whose platforms we frequent…