Vogue Australia hosted its inaugural Vogue Forces of Fashion and Vogue Summer Ball in Sydney. A day-to-night program that unveiled the forces of 2026 in fashion and culture.
The line-up of Australian and international speakers included Vogue Australia editor-in-chief Christine Centenera, entrepreneur Hailey Bieber, and Australian actors Margot Robbie, Jacob Elordi, Sarah Snook, Joel Edgerton and Phoebe Tonkin.
They were joined by model and entrepreneur Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, designer Catherine Martin, musician Rita Ora, filmmaker Taika Waititi—who is a keynote at this year’s Cairns Crocodiles—photographer Lachlan Bailey, model Tatyana Perry, Australian designer Nicky Zimmermann and Paspaley creative director Christine Salter.
Luhrmann kicked off the conversation series drawing on the power of narrative to shape culture, a reminder that fashion, similarly to film, is about the stories told and subsequent emotions evoked. He emphasised the impact of music, fashion, narrative and film on his career, and discussed the art of collaboration drawing on the fulfilment it brings him to work alongside various talented artists.
“I think of myself as someone whose currency is stories and ideas, and leaving a cultural impression,” he told a packed auditorium at the Sydney Opera House.
“There are no silos anymore. Whatever gesture I’m offering, the artist I’m working with takes it to a place I could never do on my own, they take it to a place of realisation, and they add something to it. That is the most fulfilling part of this work, to work and collaborate.”
Following Luhrmann, Catherine Martin, Joel Edgerton and Sarah Snook delved into the symbolic relationship between film and fashion, exploring how personal style and costume inform narrative, audience perception and character development.
Both Edgerton and Snook were able to draw on personal experiences, speaking to how design details in projects like Succession and The Great Gatsby allowed them as actors to inhabit their roles on a deeper level. Martin honed in on the collaborative alchemy that elevates wardrobe and screen.
Edgerton commented on the role of costume for his role in Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby.
“Clothes and costume are actually the reason that I saw the possibility of myself playing Tom Buchanan in Gatsby,” he said.
“Not only on the outside and the way they felt helped me with character, but even on the details that you don’t see. The lining of the characters suit had mining of skull cross bones, which was a real detailed research that Tom had been in a secret collegiate society called ‘Skull of Violence’ so it went well beyond the external and the way it felt.
“Those costumes were armour, they formed so much of what the character was.”
“The extraordinary thing about an actor is clothes are just clothes until an actor puts them on,” said Catherine Martin. “Until you have a fitting and you engage truthfully with an actor, you don’t have a costume.”
These conversations created a uniquely Australian media moment: creatives who are fluent across industries shaping global pop culture, proving that Australia’s fashion and film voices are essential on the world stage.
This year, at the Cairns Crocodiles, the inaugural Film & Screen track will take place to build relationships, break down silos, talk about finance, and spark work opportunities. The new 2026 program will unpack the forces transforming how audiences are engaging with screen content. At its core, it is a renewed case for the idea that creative ambition and broad audience appeal can thrive together.
Both Vogue’s conversation series and the new 2026 Film & Screen track share a clear line of thought: dissolving boundaries between disciplines and amplifying the power of collaboration with Australia’s creative talent. These conversations illustrate how creative ambition can resonate without compromising on artistic integrity.
The Film & Screen track aims to expand upon this ethos, exploring a shift in power dynamics of engagement, finance, production and audience whilst simultaneously fostering connections that create tangible opportunities. Together, these programs aim to honestly reflect the Australian media landscape where culture, film and fashion intertwine to introduce a new era of storytelling.
“The inaugural Sydney Vogue Forces of Fashion event was conceived to showcase the creatives shaping culture right now. The power of Vogue brought together some of the biggest names in fashion, beauty and film, recognition of both our homegrown talent and Australia’s ability to attract the best to our shores,” Centenera said.
“All these people have worked with Vogue Australia in different ways, and I know them to be true innovators who epitomise the spirit of Forces of Fashion.”
