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Chef Emmanuel Mollois stops by

Emmanuel Mollois has cooked in some of the best restaurants in France and Melbourne and now owns Choux Café in Swanbourne; a small patisserie which was recently crowned ‘best in the west’ by the Sunday Times. He has just released his first cook book titled Et Voila! Chef Emmanuel Mollois will also appear alongside Master Chef Runner up Poh Ling Yeow in her new program Poh’s Kitchen which will air on ABC1 in February 2010.

Where did you grow up & where do you hang your hat?

I grew up in Vendee, a little town called St Hilaire de Riez on the West Coast. I usually leave my hats all around my house in Subiaco, Western Australia. I’ve got lots of them! My favourite hat is a World War 1 helmet that my brother gave me. When I’m not exploring obscure recipe books from earlier centuries, I’m reading about history. I collect lots of antiques and this particular hat is very rare and precious to me.

Tell us about your new book Et Voila!

Well, great, easy-to-follow, beautiful pictures from Karin, truly a book everyone should have and use, ha ha! The book takes you through the basics of pastry making and then has recipes for the most popular French pastries. It covers croissants, éclairs, lemon tart, crème brulée, madeleines, and cherry clafoutis plus some of my own creations. To me, there are no ‘secret’ recipes. I want to make my knowledge and the knowledge of the talented chefs who came before me accessible to the home cook.

Are you looking forward to appearing alongside Master Chef Runner up Poh Ling Yeow in her new program ‘Poh’s Kitchen’ on ABC 1 starting in February 2010? What can we expect?

You can expect a lot of me! You will see pastry, fish and sauce, all in my French style. But the main ingredient for the show is lots of laughter. Working with Poh is fun. She approaches food from a totally different background to me so when we get together we are always learning new things.

What and/or who inspired you to become a chef?

My Dad kind of pushed me into it, my dear uncle Fernand taught me his love for cooking, and I haven’t stopped since 1985! I originally wanted to be a cartoonist but, after a summer working with my uncle Fernand at his catering company, I started to like the idea of working with food. He was smart, he got me into the creative side – the decorative side of food – and this is what inspired me.

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Ash Grunwald interview

Ash Grunwald is a soulful bluesman in the most pure sense. Raised in outer Melbourne, he first picked up a guitar at the sprightly age of ten. Grunwald grew up listening to classic bluesmen like Muddy Waters, Robert Johnson and then later BB King, James Brown and Jimi Hendrix. This melting pot of blues and soul provided inspiration for what would become his signature eclectic style.

Mucking around busking in his teens, Grunwald formed group The Blue Grunwalds and released the album Groove Cafe. Once he’d found his feet a little more firmly in the music scene he started the trio Groove Catalysts in 2001. While both these groups brought success Grunwald was drawn to the solo acoustic side of things.

In 2002 Grunwald released his first solo album Introducing Ash Grunwald and took out that year’s Melbourne Blues Performer of the Year. This prompted the follow up record I Don’t Believe (2004). Then came Live at the Corner (2005) and this met with wide acclaim, taking out Album of the Year at the Australian Blues Awards.

Grunwald continues to tour widely, showcasing his unique one man band style of the blues. His latest album Fish Out Of Water is a thrilling hybrid of styles and sounds.


Where did you grow up & where do you hang your hat?

I grew up in the burbs of Melbourne and half in the country when I was in my teens.  At the the moment i’m living on the road with my girl and baby.  We plan to move up around Byron Bay at some stage but its pretty fun living on the road.

In your own words, what do you do?

I’m a one man band that plays groove based modern blues music.   My sounds and themes have a pretty Australian feel.

Where did you learn your craft?

In the inner suburbs of Melbourne.  I used to go to a lot of gigs around town on my nights off and learned a lot about blues from some of the great players there.  I found my own sound out on the road by just gigging as much as I could in as many dfferent places as possible.

Who and what inspires you?

My lyrics are very reflective of my life experiences and the basic human condition so I would have to say, life.  How to live it, whats the best way forward, whats the point of it. These are the kind of questions that inform my music.

Childhood Memories:

TV Show –  The Goodies
Hobby – Surfing
Food – Vego curriesm Morrocanm Thai Indian
Fear – Day job
People – I believe that our love of other people is one of the innate things that allows us to overcome adversity without big teeth, strong muscles or being nimble.
Defining moment – The birth of my daughter.

Schooling memories, chore or cherished?

Chore,  I had a pretty good childhood, but being an adult is heaps more fun.  I play more now than I ever did as a kid.

Tell us about your new album “Fish out of Water”?

I had a great time collaborating with Countbounce who co-wrote many of the songs, created all of the beats and produced the album.  Its got a pretty fresh modern sound, I reckon.  Its my favourite by far.

Who does Ash Grunwald listen too?

I almost never lsten to blues any more, funny enough.  At the moment its mainly groove based stuff.  Fat Freddy Drops latest has been getting a spin while I’ve been touring England.

Where is the most beautiful place in Australia you have visited?

In truth it’s hard to name one.  I love the Australian coast so much and have had good times almost everywhere,  I think around Margaret River and Byron Bay I get the best feeling.

From the hours of 9am to 5pm, what do you get up too?

Usually travel.  If its a day off, and I’m lucky, a surf,  But almost everyday I’ll be hanging out with my girlfriend and our 9 month year old little miracle.

Where can people see you perform?

Australia, England and Canada mainly, but I’ve played in many other places.

For love or money?

If I did it only for the love then I’d have to do a day job for money, and that wouldn’t be nearly as good as doing what I love for the money.

What future endeavors are in the pipeline?

More collaborations and a few more holidays hopefully.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

I really don’t know.  Hopefully doing exactly the same thing but at a higher level in the places that I’m developing like England and Canada.  I’d like to somehow create a couple of clones of myself so one could just gig his arse off, one could be living in Byron being the perfect family, and one could be surfing remote point breaks for months on end.

If you could invite 3 people to chat over coffee, who would they be & why?

Tom Waits would be the most interesting dude I could think of to talk to – he’s an amazingly inventive songwriter and character.  In the same boat I’d put Hendrix and Biggie Smalls.

Coffee or Tea?

I’m definitely a coffee dude, basically because I’m always tired.

Alice Nelson is one talented author

Alice recently caught up with Two Flat Whites to discuss life, passions, future endeavours and her new novel ‘The Last Sky’. The Last Sky moves between a love story in wartime Shanghai and a failing marriage in Hong Kong during the handover to China. A very ambitious and resourceful young author. Don’t forget the name Alice Nelson!

Where did you grow up & where do you hang your hat?

I grew up on Cottesloe Beach in WA and always find myself drawn back there, though I’ve lived overseas for extended stints – in New York for the longest. I’m living in Perth at the moment but am just about to head to rural France for several months for a writing sabbatical of sorts.

In your own words, what do you do?

Joan Didion once described writers as lonely, resistant rear rangers of things, people who spend their most absorbed and passionate hours arranging words on pieces of paper. That’s certainly part of it but there’s a tremendous joy in imagining, in telling stories, in entering into the sweet obsession of writing when it feels like there is nothing outside the world of the page. It’s a solitary occupation but you also have to be terribly interested in people.

Where did you learn your craft?

From reading mostly – I think that it’s impossible to be a writer if you are not voraciously, obsessively passionate about reading all kinds of literature. I used to copy out Ernest Hemingway in the vain hope that I might learn how to write the perfect sentence! I’ve studied creative writing at university, both in Australia and in the Masters program at the City University of New York, and while I’m not sure that you can actually teach the craft of writing, I found both experiences incredibly valuable. The discipline of having to produce work constantly, the thick skin you develop from the criticism, the contacts you make, are all so important.

Who and what inspires you?

Writers who are constantly doing new and innovative things with their craft, who aren’t afraid to challenge themselves. People like Anne Michaels, Pablo Neruda, Michael Ondaatje, Joan Didion, Marguerite Duras, Gail Jones, Brian Castro, to name just a few. The African refugees I know through my work with the Coalition for Asylum Seekers, Refugees and Detainees – incredible men and woman who have often survived unimaginable violence and loss and still look to a happier future.

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The Drone’s Dan Luscombe talks music!

The Drones have become a bit of a household name in Australia these days and it’s not too difficult to understand the appeal.  Combining great musicians, blistering live sets and a relentless tour schedule the band has well and truly established themselves as one our best musical exports.  I had the pleasure of seeing them at their last Brisbane show and must admit that despite being only a fairly recent convert I was blown away, which was why when the opportunity to interview guitarist Dan Luscombe via email on one of the bands short returns to Australia (they headed back to Europe two weeks later) I was pretty darn stoked.

Now to digress a moment here I have a confession to make – this was my first interview and I wasn’t altogether sure what I was doing.  It seems relatively straightforward, and while in actuality it really is, for those who haven’t done it before it can take way too much time.  Having dredged my mind clean for questions I decided to put it to a panel of advisors (my girlfriend’s half-drunk house mates) who represented musicians and non-musicians alike, but most importantly were considerably bigger Drone’s fans than myself.  In the end I think we came up with something resembling a good list, but there’s always that fine line between stimulating and nonsense.  You be the judge.

Back to Dan though: Dan has been well respected on the Oz music scene for years but many people don’t know much more about him besides the fact that he didn’t join the Drones until late 2006, when he left his former outfit Alpha Male to replace Rui Pereira.  Besides Alpha Male, Dan’s also played in the Black Eyed Susan’s, Four Hours Sleep, the Paul Kelly Band and Stardust Five (w/ Paul Kelly, Dan Kelly, Bill MacDonald and his brother Peter Luscombe, 17 years his senior) and teamed up with Paul Kelly again to do the soundtrack to the Ray Lawrence film ‘Jindabyne’.  Perhaps a good way to get to know Dan and the rest of the Drones though (besides this interview!) is through Dan’s tour blog from the 2007 European tour @ http://dronesdiary.blogspot.com/.  It’s a great read that makes you simultaneously smug and jealous from start to finish.  At the risk of over-prepositionalizing any more sentences though I’ll let Dan do the talking.

So you’ve been touring all over the world recently, and you’ve done all this before.  How has this most recent European Trip compared to your others, most notably the 2007 one? What’s the general ratio of work time to play time?

Well, thankfully we haven’t been at the mercy of a fairly shoddy booking agent since that tour. And I’m being pretty generous in that description. The work to play ratio is a grey area. If sitting in the van comes under the “work” banner, and it probably should I guess, then it’s about 80/20!

Favourite travel destination?

I’d say Paris. We’ve got a few buddies over there, and they provide a very homely atmosphere. Nice lookin’ joint, too.

So Just what happened to Gorka and Van Morrison? (Read Dan’s blog for details). What measures have you taken to ensure this tour doesn’t end like the last one?

We’ve taken the necessary measures, put it that way. But one can never expect things to always go smoothly. “Be prepared” is not just a Boy Scout’s motto. I’m not sure what happened to either Gorka or Van, but I sometimes lay awake at night, wondering.

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MasterChef is heating up – Julia Jenkins is sizzling

While MasterChef Australia is heating up, Julia Jenkins is hard at work trying to get the edge over her fellow contestants. Julia takes a hard earned break and chats with Two Flat Whites. She is obsessed with food, and it wasn’t until she was in her late teens, Julia confesses that she was an extremely fussy eater and could never have imagined herself becoming a cook. The race to the finals is only week’s away, check out more right here.

Where did you grow up & where do you hang your hat?

I grew up in Perth, Western Australia but moved to Melbourne almost two years ago.

In your own words, what did you do before MasterChef Australia?

Before Masterchef I was working as a Marketing Assistant at a cinema company. It was a great job and a fantastic company, but ultimately it wasn’t where I wanted to be. Basically, it wasn’t food.

How did you become involved with MasterChef Australia & was it a lengthy process?

I resigned from my job at the beginning of the year and was in the thick of deciding what I wanted to do with my life and how I wanted to get into the food industry when I heard whispers that Masterchef was coming to Australia. I applied, managed to get through the lengthy audition process, and the Top 50 week, and here I am. I don’t think I ever expected to even get the first call back, let alone get through to the finals!

What has inspired you to become a chef?

I adore food. I love cooking it, reading about it, tasting it, eating it, cooking it, and talking about it. I have met so many passionate and knowledgeable people in the industry and they have really inspired me to follow this path.

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Kate Ceberano sits down with Two Flat Whites

Award winning singer and songwriter Kate Ceberano gets comfortable to talk with Two Flat Whites. One of the great voices this country has produced, Kate has teamed up with multiple ARIA award winner and Grammy Award winner Mark Isham to create her first jazz album in 20 years. An album that could only be aptly titled, ‘Bittersweet’.

With five Platinum albums, four Gold albums and over 1 million albums sold in Australia alone, Kate Ceberano has performed countless sell-out tours, starred in acclaimed feature films and hosted her own television show Kate & Friends. Kate’s bittersweet musical journey is set to continue. So grab a warm beverage and enjoy the interview.

Where did you grow up?

Melbourne

You live in Melbourne – what do you love most about that now?

I always love Melbourne this time of year. The turning of the leaves and the early dark nights. It reminds me of warm kitchens after school, tram rides home through Hawthorn, Kew and Balwyn and the smell of rain. I also love the city and the drama of Southbank counterpointed with the Botanical Gardens.

In your own words, what do you do?

I am a performing artist.

Where did you learn your craft?

On the road, in pubs, small theatres, cafes and bars. Later, concert halls, arenas and film studios. It has never ceased to inspire me and thrill me the learning part of my craft. Each new skill challenge or obstacle has been a red flag. I never ever think that I know it all. The contrary, I always approach new experiences knowing nothing… more fun this way. Open heart, Open mind…

Childhood Memories:

TV Show – Bewitched

Hobby – tap dancing

Food – grandma’s chicken and banana cake

Fear – being left out

People –teenage girls in gangs have always made me wary

Defining moment – the first harmony I ever heard

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My Year Without Sex – Sarah Watt interview

Our friends at 3CR interviewed writer and director Sarah Watt in her new Australian film ‘My Year Without Sex’. Starring Matt Day and Sacha Horler, if you are looking for a laugh, the humour is wry and infectious.

‘My Year Without Sex’ comes out in Australian cinemas on the 28th of May. How are preparations going in the lead up to release? Is anticipation building?

Yeah, I think so. We had some preview screenings this weekend. So, people are starting to see it, which is very exciting – and nerve wracking!

I happened to catch one of those preview screenings and I’m happy to report that there was a lot of laughter in the cinema – at all the right parts.

That’s good! That’s very good.

The title of the film came from the fact that you didn’t want to direct another sex scene – why is that the case?

It came out of a joke about directing sex scenes. I think they’re very hard to do well. Often, they’re done really badly. It’s hard not to be clichéd so; I didn’t want to try, because I don’t think I’m a good enough director. But then, how do you make a film without a sex scene in it? You just call it, ‘My Year Without Sex’! So, it was kind of a joke at the start but in the end it worked really well with the content and the themes that I wanted to explore about consumerism and anxiety and all those things. Sex kind of belongs in there.

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Dungog Film Festival – Allanah Zitserman

The Dungog Film Festival is an annual 4-day festival held in the cosy northern NSW town of Dungog – in the Hunter Valley region.  It screens only Australian movies (both unreleased and classics), and puts an emphasis on bringing the film-maker and the film-goer together.  As the festival is about to launch into its 3rd year (28th May to 31st May 2009), Two Flat Whites had a chat to festival director and co-founder, Allanah Zitserman.



First of all, the whole concept of the Dungog Film Festival (DFF) is just so un-pretentious and refreshing. The relaxed and welcoming vibe you guys have created feels very Australian, was this exactly how you and Stavros Kazantzidis (co-founder of the DFF) envisioned it to be? How did this idea come about?

Yes, this was the basis of our original vision for the event. Stavros and I came at it from two key perspectives; the filmmaker and the Aussie filmgoer. We thought about what would we want from an Australian film festival and four key things sprung to mind. One was that we wanted an event that was non-competitive, stripped of any rivalry. We felt that just having the opportunity to be a part of the local film industry was a prize in itself. We also felt that in order to move into the future of cinema we needed a context of our past and that was the reason for showcasing films from the past and including established filmmakers in the program. We wanted an event outside of the hustle and bustle in a friendly relaxed environment. Finally we wanted to put the focus on the dynamic and diverse and extremely valuable Australian film industry. With these four ingredients we hoped that we would create a completely original event that helped bridge the gap between filmmakers and filmgoers and at the same time bring the film community closer together.

It sounds like the entire population of Dungog embraces the festival with open arms. In fact, with only 50 actual tourist beds in the town, the people of Dungog offer cheap accommodation for visitors, in their own homes.  Shop-keepers adorn their window-fronts with Australian film-themed displays.  Cinema has always had the potential to create a feeling of unity amongst a community.  Do you feel the giant multiplex cinemas so prevalent today have taken away some of that purity, or magic?

We are very lucky to have such a great community to work with in Dungog and their commitment and involvement in the festival has been part of what makes it so unique.  There is something magical about going to a community cinema, whereas multiplexes provide a very different experience for cinemagoers. I think that each has a place in today’s society but there’s no doubt that with community cinemas there is an intimate feeling like you’re going to a friends place to watch a film which is refreshing.

Whilst the DFF seems to be all about relaxing and watching movies in a picturesque country town, it is also a great opportunity for film-makers to build some hype on their unreleased films. The buzz surrounding the screening of ‘The Jammed’ at last year’s festival went a long way to securing national distribution for the film. What has this meant for the level of interest you now receive from film-makers, as well as distributors?

The festival is set up for helping build a healthier local industry. It aims to connect screen industry practitioners and give films looking for distribution a platform to be discovered.  Dungog achieves significant national coverage and can be very useful in assisting distributors with their release strategies. Last year Unfinished Sky was included in 85% of national coverage achieved for the event. This contributed to the film becoming the second highest Australian-produced box office earner of 2008. The level of interest from filmmakers that don’t have distribution has increased but the distributors are still playing it safe choosing city based festivals over Dungog. I believe this will change as the festival matures.

Speaking of distribution, I read that you and Stavros started your own film distribution company, the Australian Film Syndicate (AFS), as a result of the growing success of the DFF. The AFS handled the distribution for the recent Australian film ‘The Combination’. The film was only screened in specific suburbs in Sydney and Melbourne – areas in which you felt people would be interested to see the film. This is quite an original strategy. Do you feel that it worked well for ‘The Combination’, and will this be a strategy the AFS will use into the future?

The strategy for The Combination was very effective. The film was the Number 1 earner against US product at the NSW sites it was playing in its first few weeks.  We believe that each film requires a very unique strategy that makes sense to reaching its desired audience. AFS is not interested in formula distribution it carefully constructs its release strategies specifically to the target audiences.

It’s no secret that the relationship between the Australian film industry and the general Australian population isn’t very healthy. Over the last 10 years, just 4% of Australia’s box office revenue has come from Australian films.  Do you see a positive future for our film industry?

There’s no denying it has been a pretty bad few years for the Aussie film industry. I do believe that things are changing and we are already seeing that with the strength of the work being released in 2009. I also am encouraged about the marketing focus being made by Screen Australia. I’ve always felt part of the issue is the fragmentation within the local community.  Part of the reason Stavros and I decided to start the festival was to help build bonds within the film community. Encouraging dialogue, making real connections and being honest with each other will help us inspire each other creatively and together we will find ways to help build a healthier industry.

Final question – what were some your personal highlights of last year’s festival, and what are you most excited about for this year?

The opening night with Unfinished Sky was a real winner as was the NSW Mining’s party on Saturday Night — people are still talking about it.  The whole program this year is super exciting. I can’t wait for audiences to sink their teeth into it.

Dungog is located 228 km north of Sydney – 3 hours by car or train.  You can find all ticketing, accommodation and festival program information on the official Dungog Film Festival website.  We hope to see you there!

Interview by Ryan Nance.

Warwick Thornton talks film!

Warwick Thornton loves the nervousness and adrenaline in putting together a film. Warwick has won a number of awards including Best Emerging Talent; he also won Best Short Film at the 2007 Inside Film (IF) awards in Queensland as well as the 2008 Best Short Film award at the prestigious Berlin International Film festival for his short film ‘Nana’. Warwick Thornton is currently preparing for his first feature film to hit the big screen, Samson and Delilah which features in cinemas around the country on the 7th May 2009.

Where did you grow up & where do you hang your hat?

Alice Springs

In your own words, what do you do?

Work to fill my fridge.

Where did you learn your craft?

On the job at CAAMA in Alice Springs. Then studied Cinematography at AFTRS in Sydney.

Who inspires you?

Inspiring people.

Childhood Memories:

TV Show – Captain Harlock, Astro Boy

Hobby – Moto cross desert racing

Food – Soya chicken

Fear – High places. Low places.

People – Drunks & dope heads.

Defining moment – Realising I can do whatever the fuck I want.

Schooling memories, chore or cherished?

Chore: Evil teachers
Cherish: Angel teachers

Where is the most beautiful place in Australia you have visited?

Coober Pedy

From the hours of 9am to 5pm, what do you get up too?

Get up, have a coffee, take my daughter to school. Work a bit, make lunch, wander ‘round. Work a bit more, sometimes. Pick my daughter up from school.

You seem to have a passion in making movies about your community & sharing this on the big screen. What messages do you want people to digest?

No messages – just that we all belong on the same planet and should look out for each other.

Love is the most important thing. And survival. It was really important in Samson & Delilah that they survived through their love for each other and that they saved themselves and solved their own problems.

Who are your favourite film personalities? And is there anyone we should keep a look out for in Australia?

I don’t really have favourite film personalities. The little girl in My Year Without Sex is pretty cool.

Where can people see your work?

In cinemas from May 7th – Samson & Delilah.

For love or money?

I love money.

What future endeavors are in the pipeline?

Breath, eat, drink.

Shooting and directing a doco series Art & Soul about Aboriginal art with Hetti Perkins.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Alive, happy, older.

If you could invite 3 people to chat over coffee, who would they be & why?

My wife Beck, daughter Luka and producer Kath and all their split personalities.

Coffee or Tea?

Bushells Leaf Tea, two white sugars and powdered milk.

You can also check out our film reviews written by two of our young writers.

Samson & Delilah – Film Review by Hayley Van Es

Samson & Delilah – Film Review by Ryan Nance

Cathryn Wills from Mimco chats with Two Flat Whites

Two Flat Whites recently had the pleasure in interviewing fashion identity Cathryn Wills who is the Creative Director at Mimco. Cathryn started her fashion career at Benetton working the retail floor, then moved to JAG Australia, before heading back to school, to study fashion design at RMIT. Upon graduating, Cathryn was employed by Country Road in the knitwear team, eventually becoming Design Manager for the category. She then worked as a freelance designer for several businesses.

It was at Mimco where Cathryn Wills found her niche, starting her career with the brand as a freelance knitwear designer in 2004, and working with the founder and former owner, Amanda Briskin. After nearly 5 years with the business, Cathryn is now the Creative Director, overseeing design, visual merchandising and marketing directives. With a love for the world of creativity in all its forms, Cathryn believes that the approach to design should be innovative and spirited – always with the aim to surprise and inspire.

Where did you grow up & where do you hang your hat?

Adelaide, Canberra, Melbourne, upstate New York, back to Melbourne…..now in the Docklands.

In your own words, what do you do?

Have ideas, write stories, draw pictures, manage a team, critique & refine designs with the team, work on all creative aspects of what the Mimco brand says to the general population from store design through to product.

Where did you learn your craft?

On the job, over the years from a multitude of people, and formally at RMIT doing a 3 year degree in fashion design.

Whose work do you relate to most? Who inspires you?

Art, fashion styling & writing speak louder to me than fashion design on its own.  Del Kathryn Barton, Samantha Everton, Carrie Chau….   The editorial genius & styling of Numero, Another Magazine & Purple Magazine.  People on streets everywhere, with special mention going to downtown Shibuya.

What inspires you to create?

The pleasure of having ideas, collaborating with creative minds in the team & seeing all of these concepts manifest in a tangible ‘thing’ is very rewarding – and each time, making it better.

Tell us about your speaking opportunity this May with Fashion Palette?

Fashion Palette approached me to speak about Mimco & my experiences that bought me to this point.  The premise of speaking to an audience of students & burgeoning designers was appealing to me, as it’s a forum that supports new, young talent.  I think it’s important we nurture ideas & creativity – there’s too much homogenization out there!

What can we expect in fashion this winter?

We’re all about the mix of an Uptown Viking & a Shambolic Princess this season at Mimco.  Tribal references of fringing, studding, scarification inspired laser cutting, water creature shapes such as swans & mermaids – clash with an old manner house, eccentric mood of crystals, pearls, tweed, patent & glazed leathers.

What advice can you give to an aspiring young fashion designer?

Be proactive about your path – decide where you want to be & work towards that goal.  Work hard, listen, watch, and learn.  Go above & beyond the call of duty.  And learn to type & draw, best two things I did for my career!

Childhood Memories:

TV Show – Countdown

Hobby – drawing & roller-skating

Food – Carvel Ice cream cakes for birthdays

Fear –   The Dark….still not my favourite thing

People – Mum, Dad & my 3 sisters

Defining moment – Moving to New York, being forced to come out of my shell…there is no escape in American schools!?

Where is the most beautiful place in Australia you have visited?

Byron Bay

From the hours of 9am to 5pm, what do you get up too?

A multitude of things, all of which occur in the Mimco office…meetings, range presentations, more meetings, store visits, research, thinking, running, ranting, raving.

For love or money?

Love….but money always helps with the shoe collection.

What future endeavors are in the pipeline?

Lots of creative projects at Mimco….and if I can get some balance into my life, then a warm blooded pet, as fish are not doing it for me any more.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Poolside, doing my business remotely.

If you could invite 3 people to chat over coffee, who would they be & why?

Plato, my dad Stafford Wills, Picasso..…all no longer in the land of the living, we’d talk mathematics, philosophy & art and how they’re all connected.  Well, they’d talk, I’d listen.

Coffee or Tea?

Coffee with rice milk.

As the last of fashion week models stomp down the runway on 1st May 2009, the inaugural Fashion Palette Event will open its doors to the public at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, running from the 1st to 2nd May 2009. Cathryn Wills will be one of the guest speakers, don’t miss this great event, buy your tickets right here.

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