Elaine George nee Tanaka is a proud Arakwal woman from the Bundjalung nation in northern NSW. She was the first Aboriginal fashion model to appear on the cover of Vogue magazine, in the Australian edition, September 1993.

In 2023, Elaine features on episode one of Documentary released The Way We Wore, a three-part documentary series of Australian fashion featured on Netflix + Stan.

She is on the board of First Nations Fashion and Design. She is the Ambassador and Model Mentor for BlakList – Next Gen program, and was recognised as IMG Changemaker in 2024.

Kiara Bulley is a fashion academic, designer, maker and illustrator. As a practitioner, she develops collaborative creative work through The Stitchery Collective and her own locally produced fashion label Bulley Bulley. 

In 2019, Kiara and her sister Bianca launched their fashion label Bulley Bulley. With backgrounds in costume and fashion Bianca and Kiara have a resonating love for the dressed body and are intrigued by the stories and history woven into clothing and textiles. Their work often explores the boundaries between getting dressed and playing dress-ups. They enjoy playing with what fashion is, can be, and the ideas that come out of experimenting together. 

James Caswell is a Brisbane-based photographer and artist whose work spans the fashion and music industries, alongside artistic conceptual endeavours. His portfolio elevates the everyday through highly considered compositions and exploration of form, and showcases rich depictions of his subjects and the details within. 

James’ extensive fashion portfolio includes campaign, runway and high concept editorial work. His artistic practice explores collage and image manipulation. These pieces have featured in several group exhibitions, a solo show at Merivale Studios and a series of work showcased at James St Up Late.

Thea Basiliou founded the multi brand Ann St boutique Blonde Venus in Brisbane in 1990 and co-founded the lifestyle store The Outpost in 2006.

As a creative director and a progressive buyer, Thea introduced many exciting international brands to Australia including JW Anderson, Roksanda, Mary Katrantzou, Chalayan, Simone Rocha, Claire Barrow and Jacquemus.

Being passionate about new, local design, Thea also championed many Australasian brands from their early collections including Akira, Zimmermann, Karen Walker, Lover, PAM, Toni Maticevski, Dion Lee, Christopher Esber, Gail Sorronda, Pageant and Verner.

Her passion for the arts has led to a strong art and design cross pollination. Blonde Venus hosted art exhibitions, music and film events to encourage a nexus between the arts and fashion communities.
Thea has consulted to Australian Fashion Week on the National Selection Panel, the Brisbane Fashion Festival and Queensland Government and worked at Melbourne Fashion Festival as the Program Manager.

She has mentored and lectured fashion design students at at QUT, TAFE, Billy Blue Brisbane, RMIT and Collarts Melbourne for over 20 years. Thea is currently lecturing at RMIT and Collarts Melbourne and freelancing across the fashion landscape in styling, writing and mentoring.

Kat Walsh is the founder of Practice Studio. Part design workroom, part retail store, Practice Studio is a unique space within the Brisbane fashion landscape, spotlighting the work of innovative emerging designers and providing a way for consumers to form more meaningful connections with the clothes they wear. Trained as a designer, Kat also makes, mends and alters clothes in-store. 

Filipino Australian Gail Sorronda launched her eponymous label in 2005 at Australian Fashion Week after winning the Mercedes-Benz Start-Up award with her graduate collection, Angel at my Table. 
In 2012, the designer opened the doors of her first permanent flagship boutique in James Street, Brisbane. 

Gail Sorronda marked 20 years of her eponymous label this year with Chromophobia, a retrospective collection unveiled through a darkly poetic runway presentation drawing on two decades of creative practice at the edge of fashion, performance, and visual art.