“People want to physically show what they support,” says the co-owner of the skateboarding/art clothing brand Stepmother , Matt Dwyer. While the pandemic has put widespread pressure on retail, interesting local brands have seen the benefits. Melbourne’s culture of supporting independence and creativity has been really helpful, Matt says. The owner of female-focused skateboarding brand Pearls Clothing , Tobi Stanley, agrees that the pandemic has been helpful to her enterprise

On September 28, 2001, the world was confronted with the existence of one Derek Zoolander (Ben Stiller), an idiot who happens to be a three-time Male Model of the Year. Although the character had already been in a couple of short films produced for the VH1 Fashion Awards in the 1990s, Zoolander –directed, written and produced by Stiller – was his first feature-length outing. And it is wild. After he loses his title to a newer male model named Hansel (Owen Wilson), Derek rece

Genevieve Nardella finds the fashion groove that sets the Conchords apart.

Australian UFC fighter Alexander Volkanovski has successfully defended his Featherweight title against American Brian Ortega in the main event of UFC 266. Fans in Las Vegas’ T-Mobile arena were on their feet as the featherweights went to war in a battle that lasted the full 25 minutes. Volkanovski retained his title via unanimous decision, judges scoring the bout 49-46, 50-45 and 50-44. Volkanovski stayed in control that vast majority of the bout, keeping the fight a striking

Mary Grech is just one of the millions of Melbournians currently experiencing their sixth state-wide lockdown since the beginning of the global coronavirus pandemic. As a senior mental health clinician, as well as a parent and partner, she understands the added pressures this period has placed on Victorians, including couples who’ve found themselves locked in together. “It’s times like these that all kinds of relationships can get stuck in a real rut, which can be hard to exi

“I’ve felt disillusioned and discouraged … I haven’t had inspiration or drive hit me for months,” says artist Amy Zainal. Like many Victorians, she is feeling the effects of months spent indoors. After extended periods of isolation, levels of anxiety and depression are at an all-time high . One important tool in the maintenance of mental health that often goes overlooked: artistic expression. Research has found it can help alleviate psychological distresses and help people de

The Brownlow red carpet was hosted in Perth this year, with some AFL players and their WAGs dressing up from home in other parts of the country. Port Adelaide star Ollie Wines was crowned Brownlow Medallist, but on the red carpet, he was among many who shone. Here are some of the best looks. Lorna McNabb, partner of Oscar Allen from the West Coast Eagles. McNabb dazzled in a gorgeous sky-blue gown covered in a sheer white overlay with beaded detailing and an impressive tra

Silent Hill 2 is a game that’s stayed with me since I first played it, always waiting in that dank crevice of my brain where I’m afraid to linger for too long. It’s a game that probes at my subconscious every so often, and it serves as a constant reminder of what the human psyche is able to do to itself. It transcends the average notion of what a videogame is, and contradicts the player’s perception of the world and of themselves, as all challenging art should do. I pray I’

The Victorian State government is failing to use its considerable legal powers to protect threatened species from extinction, including its state faunal emblems, the Leadbeater’s possum and helmeted honeyeater. Habitat destruction, invasive species and climate catastrophes that include last year’s bushfires are exacerbating Australia’s reputation as a country with one of the highest species extinction rates in the world. Victoria’s principal biodiversity law, the Flora and

Content warning: this article discusses suicide and drug use themes Australian metal four-piece The Amity Affliction have dropped their first new music in over 18 months with the new single, Like Love . The band released the track on Wednesday morning, dedicating it to their “dear friend” Sean Kennedy, former I Killed the Prom Queen and Deez Nuts bassist who died in February this year at 35. The band regularly touches on difficult topics like mental health and suicide, and

Deep into the unbridled chaos of 2020, Halsey decided to do two things: begin work on a new album, and to try to have a baby. The two were fated to become intertwined, and the end result is their finest creative work to date. Taking to Instagram in a surprise post, the singer-songwriter announced their fourth album would be produced by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross of Nine Inch Nails and explained that it would be “a concept album about the joys and horrors of pregnancy and c

With various implausible premises, a daring upheaval of genre convention, and some surprising attention to serialisation, Rick and Morty’s fifth season may be its best offering yet. While the Adult Swim network always focuses on parody and genre, the latest season of their acclaimed sci-fi comedy, Rick and Morty , contains more homages than ever before. The season is steeped in satiric iconography , evident in episode three, A Rickconvenient Mort , which perverts the nostalg