‘I always thought we were selling dreams, not clothes.’ – Irving Penn, 1984 In describing his work as a fashion photographer for Vogue, Irving Penn gave the above quote as a response. In doing so he major to capture the growing trend of aspirational fashion; of going beyond simply presenting a picture of a…
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Norwegian woman Marte Deborah Dalelv was granted a pardon last week against her sixteen month jail sentence in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Dalelv had reported being raped by a co-worker in Dubai four months earlier and was subsequently jailed by officials for having extramarital sex, an act that is illegal in the UAE. Following…
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On 25 June, Texas Senator Wendy Davis stood for nearly eleven hours in order to block a controversial abortion bill referred to as ‘SB5’ (Senate Bill 5) being put forward by the Texas Republicans. In doing so, Davis was utilising the political technique of filibustering, discussing the issues surround SB5 at length in order to…
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The rape and murder of Jill Meagher has shocked the Australian people. Now, as the trial against the accused, Adrian Bayley, unfolds and with sentencing set for today, it has become apparent that not only was Bayley known to police, but he held a significant criminal history. This history includes charges of rape, attempted rape,…
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As I write this, I am struggling to breathe through my nose. My sinuses do weird things when I stand up too quickly and my throat is giving my voice a particular quality which would be more appropriate on the end of a 1800 phone call. As you may have guessed, I have the flu….
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I’ve recently moved to Sydney, and having now recovered from an interstate move, I have been enjoying getting my bearings and learning more about what the city has to offer. As part of my explorations, I have noticed a few things that I think are Sydney specific. The first is the public transport system, which…
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Earlier this week I went to a talk given by Tara Moss as part of the Sydney Art Gallery’s “We Used to Talk about Love” series. The talk was really interesting, and Moss was able to provide some fascinating insight into femininity and crime from her experience as a writer and researcher of criminology. As…
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According to the ABS, 1.2 million Australians were employed in the retail industry throughout the period of 2008-2009. At that particular time, this represented the largest proportion of the employed Australian population. Even if you do not happen to be one of these 1.2 million people, chances are that you will frequently interact with a…
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Earlier in the week, a man was introducing the Shadow Foreign Minister Julie Bishop at a press conference. Upon being introduced, Ms Bishop went up to the stairs, preparing to head to the podium and begin her address. However, this was not before the young man who introduced her tried to go in for a…
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‘A man’s home is his castle’ – Darryl Kerrigan (The Castle, 1997) The wise words of Aussie “battler” Darryl Kerrigan remain true today – a man (and a woman’s) home is their council. More often than not, the experience of ‘home’ is shared with another, with the ABS recording 2.6 people per Australian household in…
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When I was younger, I thought the most glamorous job in the world was to be Adriana Xenides from Wheel of Fortune. I thought the second most glamorous job was to be a waitress. This was mostly because going out for a meal was a treat when I was little; an occasion which required me…
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Enjoying a swim is an integral part of the Australian summer, along with eating your weight in Frosty Fruit iceblocks and trying not to burn yourself on the seatbelt clicker as you get into the car. Personally I find that nothing is more refreshing than going for a dip, whether it be at the local…
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As the year draws to a close, people everywhere wrap things up with final celebrations. Office juniors scramble to try to organise a suitable party for their bosses, whilst New Years Eve offers a further chance to use up leftover ham and indulge with a few more toddies as we count in the New Year….
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It is coming to that time of year when a rather overweight man in a red suit allegedly tumbles down your chimney, even though your house is now fitted with reverse cycle air conditioning. Stores are full of carols that do not make sense in the southern hemisphere, along with aisle upon aisle of gift…
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