Innholdsfortegnelse for September/October 2018 i frankie Magazine

Melanie Knight’s Melbourne home is filled with letters written by people who have never existed – from scientists sharing tales of animals on mysterious planets to lonely folks in the country pondering life in their dying days. The make-believe mail comes from Dead Letter Club: a monthly gathering where attendees adopt fictional personas and write letters to strangers around the room (there are even prompt cards for those suffering from writer’s block). A “secret delivery service” takes the letter to its recipient, who replies as the character it’s addressed to. Essentially, two strangers build a tiny work of fiction together, often unaware of each other’s true identity – the anonymity is part of the fun. “The whole idea is that it’s a secret club you become part of,” Melanie says.…

READ MORE // The world right now is pretty overwhelming, and sometimes it’s difficult to know how we can usefully contribute to making change. If you’re unsure about jumping straight into the action, take some time to get acquainted with what’s going on, and where. We’re not exactly living in the golden age of newsprint, but if it’s been a while since you picked up the physical version of your local paper, it might be worth hunting one down and giving it a read. Internet news is useful, but if you’re easily distracted, you’ve probably experienced the web’s magical ability to become a time-sucking sinkhole. Newspapers force you to go slow, and when you’re reading something physical you’re less likely to be distracted by a pop-up video asking you if…

Hello! I’m Megan McKean, a designer/illustrator/author/maker in Sydney. My label, McKean Studio, focuses on making contemporary souvenirs celebrating cities all around the world. I’m an obsessive documenter, and I love having snaps of different projects and points in time to look back on. My social media is a mixture of travel photos – places I’ve been and seen that are super colourful or inspiring! – product photos, and work-in-progress snaps. Spending the day with the Sony RX100 V, I love how light and pocketable the camera is. It’s nice and small to take for a wander and use discreetly – no big lenses to get in the way! The selfie countdown when the flip screen mode is enabled is also fun. I love finding a mini-video from a point in…

THIS WEE PIGGY IN A SENTENCE: Affordable, colourful and sustainably sourced jewellery, inspired by shapes in nature and everyday beauty // WHAT WE SELL: A mix of laser-cut wood and acrylic jewellery including earrings, necklaces, brooches, rings and bangles, plus fabric-based gift cards // PRICE POINT: From $6 to $45 // WHAT MAKES THE SHOP SPECIAL: This Wee Piggy is owned and operated by an Adelaide-based colour lover whose constantly evolving designs are perfect for fun-loving folks // FIND US: Online at www.thisweepiggy.com FRINGE & BOW IN A SENTENCE: Contemporary handmade knits for you and your space // WHAT WE SELL: To date, the Fringe & Bow collection includes cosy winter wearables such as scarves, cowls, beanies, head warmers and fingerless mittens, plus necklaces, cushions, throws and wall hangings //…

For a little tube of black goo, mascara sure does a lot of heavy lifting. Only a few coats of the stuff can give you a Bambi-like gaze; disguise the fact you were up scrolling through social media until the wee hours of the morning; and freshen your whole look. But what if your mascara could do even more? What if it could help cure blindness, too? Bonnie Howland and Hannah Duder are the duo behind New Zealand’s Indigo & Iris, the self-described “beauty brand that gives a damn”. After years of research and planning (which began when Bonnie was just 18 years old), they’ve recently launched their first official product – a vegan and cruelty-free mascara called Levitate. Aside from being environmentally sound, the business is sending good vibes…

When did you start Bobo Choses and how has it developed since then? After working for several years as an art director at an advertising agency in Barcelona, I decided to create a graphic design studio with a friend. In 2008, with the arrival of our children, we realised we couldn’t find nice clothes for kids. So, we created a mini collection of t-shirts, without having any idea how to sell it. Next January it will be 10 years since we presented our first collection. We still love creating fun clothes for kids to play with; writing crazy children’s books that give meaning to our collections; and designing beautiful objects that lift our feet off the ground. What is the concept behind The Happysads collection? The Happysads is inspired by…

A good friend recently moved out by herself for the first time. She has a cat, so she’s not really alone, but if it were Census time she would be ticking the box marked ‘one-person household’. Meanwhile, I’ve lived alone on and off for 10 years. Sometimes out of necessity, sometimes because the sound of my flatmate’s key in the door sent shudders down my spine. I’ve lived alone when single, in a relationship, and in the weird, murky dishwater of ‘it’s complicated’. Some people don’t like saying they live alone. They say they live ‘independently’ or use some other wording that reads like a nursing home brochure. I’m not afraid of alone, the word or the state. It’s different from lonely – which is what people are really scared…

Dear frankie, The physical distance between my boyfriend and I has been really getting me down lately. But this afternoon, we did your whole ’80s word find together through the magic of picture messaging. Even though I was sitting in my parked car in the rain, I’ve never felt as cosy. Thank you for your gorgeous puzzles and making it feel as if he was right there with me. Much love, Lexi xo Dear frankie, Like Eleanor Robertson, the “name game” is a modern-day dilemma that has completely stumped me for too long – that is, until I pondered out loud in the presence of a particularly switched-on 11-year-old. After about four seconds of careful thinking, she came up with the perfect word to describe a human you’re involved with,…

Starting a high school band is the classic teen dream, but few plucky kids manage to make their rock star goals reality. Even fewer transition their music from the annual school talent show to real-world stages post-graduation. But for Approachable Members of Your Local Community, “it was always inevitable” – at least, according to bass player Michael Fisher. The seven-piece began its life as jazz act The Coconuts at Bialik College, a Jewish school in Melbourne’s south-eastern suburbs. After completing their exams, the guys took diverging paths – some dove headfirst into university studies; others took time off to go travelling. It appeared as if their musical collaboration had come to an end, until early 2017, when they all found themselves back on familiar soil. Asked to perform at a…

Going out for a meal with a big group of friends is, in theory, one of life’s simplest pleasures. Hoeing into chef-prepared food is good, obviously, and gossiping about mutual acquaintances is even better. Sadly, all this gluttony does come at a price – specifically, the one listed on the menu. As plates are cleared away and someone at the table quietly regrets having taken a risk on the breakfast special, a single slip of paper appears alongside a frowning, overworked waitress. No, you can’t pay separately on weekends. They can’t make an exception. Sorry. It’s the moment everyone knew was coming, yet no one thought to prepare for with a strategic ATM trip. Someone’s five dollars short; vague and unconvincing promises are made about internet banking; and an impatient…

I have crushes on several people right now – but I’ve barely spent any time with them in reality. No, they aren’t Ryan Reynolds or other celebs that I’m sure would find me enchanting if we happened to meet on holiday. They’re people in my social circle. But these days, when you have a crush on someone, you don’t ask for their number – you add them on social media; scrutinise every photo they’ve uploaded and been tagged in; then, eventually, when the moment is just right, you like something they post. A listicle about everything they’re grateful for; a photo of them eating pie. That is fine, that is normal, that is sane. What is terrible, however – what is excruciating, and will lead to me destroying all signs…

Where is it? Shop 5, 68-82 Hopkins Street, Footscray. Describe Bad Love Club in a sentence. A brunch bar by day and a boozy bakery by night. What exactly is a ‘boozy bakery’? Damien Shaw: It’s a place where a love of great booze and great baking come together and complement each other. Sarah Ryan: We bake sweet pies, cookies and brownies, often spiking them with a fair amount of booze – or pairing them expertly with cracking craft beer and delicious cocktails. We also transfer our kitchen creativity to the bar, where we make all our own syrups and infusions. Where did the idea to mix alcohol and baked goods come from? SR: I come from a pretty creative family that loves to feed people. After having baked good…

Home or away? I would definitely rather stay home – that’s where everything happens for me. I hardly ever go out, really. I love playing shows and performing, but when you go on tour there’s a lot of travel, waiting around and general unrest. It’s pretty exhausting. I usually go to bed at like 8.30pm! Childhood or adulthood? I would say adulthood. There was a bit of a rough patch going from childhood to adulthood – some growing pains. It’s weird, I don’t think I’ll ever feel like a full-blown adult – I don’t think I really want to – but learning things on my own is exciting, and knowing I can grow into the person I want to be, if I choose. Music – job or way of life?…

I grew up in Girdwood, Alaska – a small town about 50 kilometres south of Anchorage, Alaska’s largest city. I’m half Inupiaq; my father’s side of the family is from Kivalina, Alaska, and my mother’s side comes from Wisconsin and Seattle in the US. In 2003, after graduating high school, I got a job as a photographer’s assistant. I’ve been taking photos ever since. Conversations about the I AM INUIT project began in 2015. Kelly Eningowuk of the Inuit Circumpolar Council Alaska contacted me; she’d seen my book, I AM ALASKAN, and knew I was Inuit myself. She wanted to discuss what it would take to create a body of work similar to the format of Humans of New York, but focused on Alaskan Inuit. The idea was to launch…

Every day, everywhere, humans shuffle into gymnasiums, shaking their butts to the rhythm of the night in time with other people for the purpose of getting fit. But it wasn’t always so. There were no congregations in Ancient Rome or Mesopotamia doing thrusts, rumbas and grapevines (as far as we know). The phenomenon of ‘aerobics’ – aka exercise designed to get the heart pumping while you listen to chart-topping hits – is a recent one, and if you want to blame it on anything (or offer your congratulations, depending how much you appreciate the human form in lycra), then point a big, fat finger at World War I – because that’s when this shit started. As you no doubt learnt in high school history class, many people were killed during…

AMANTE BRIDAL A bridalwear boutique in Warragul, Victoria, surrounded by lush greenery. We represent some of the coolest brands in the world, and offer a range of gowns, bridesmaids’ dresses, accessories, intimate apparel and footwear.amantebridal.com.au GLASSHAUS VENUES Our retail nurseries in Richmond, Melbourne are also beautiful event spaces with whitewashed walls, exposed roofs and an abundance of nature. We can supply catering, furniture, entertainment and styling, too.glasshaus.com.au THE WEDDING NEST An online boutique gift registry specialising in stylish, design-focused gifts that are not available on other registries. Our extensive, well-edited collection includes beautiful homewares, statement furniture and unique artworks.theweddingnest.com.au THE VINTAGE STYLUS A hip vinyl DJ collective that specialises in bringing good times, great vibes and great tunes to the party. Our aim is to help discover the exact feel…

Thanks to terrifying internet algorithms, I can’t browse any website without being inundated with headlines like, “Seven things you must do before you turn 30!”; “10 meals you should have mastered in your 20s!”; and “6000 life skills you should have learnt by now you big dumb-dumb because your time is almost up!!!!” Well, I’m about to turn 30, and I’ve never backpacked solo around Europe or cooked the ‘perfect’ roast chicken, and I reckon that’s OK. (If I’m honest, I’ve never even cooked the ‘mediocre’ roast chicken.) While I happily google “jumbo ice-cream cakes in the shape of John Stamos’s head”, people assume I spend my days consumed with dread about my upcoming 3-0. Old friends reminisce about celebrating our 18th birthdays, sadly lamenting that the party is now…

Neural networks – aka artificial intelligence programs designed to mimic the way the human brain learns – are changing the world. They’ve been trained to recognise faces or handwriting; keep driverless cars on the road; translate words between different languages; and detect fraud. Now, Colorado research scientist Janelle Shane is showing they can also be put to more frivolous uses. Like, for instance, generating bizarre knitting patterns. “I’ve always had an interest in machine learning, especially this kind of programming where you set the computer up with an environment in which it can learn, then just see what happens,” Janelle says. To ‘teach’ a neural network a particular task, loads of sample data is fed in for the system to analyse – it uses this to identify ‘rules’ about the…

Tell us a little bit about your small business, please. I founded Camp Cove Swim in 2013. It’s an Australian-made and designed swimsuit label for real women. Our swimsuits don’t just look good on models; we want everyone to feel great in a bikini. Where’d you get the idea to start your own swimwear label? I grew up in a coastal town – Newcastle, NSW – so swimwear was just something I was always exposed to. I studied fashion design at TAFE, and started making my own swimsuits after work and selling them online. It started off very small. My mum did the sewing for the first collection, and I had some generous housemates who let me take over the living room for a couple of years. How did it…

I grew up in a Christian family in Sydney, went to a Baptist church, and believed in the whole kit and caboodle when it came to God and Creation and stuff. At church, I began hearing about homosexuals being perverted when I was about 10. I remember talking to Dad, and he told me there was something wrong with their make up, but it was also a choice against God and nature. Around that time, I started having crushes on boys. I vividly remember one of Dad’s friends telling him about someone who asked to be prayed for, because they were gay. He said, “I cast seven demons out of him.” I got into a panic – for the longest time, I had a fear I was demon-possessed. I started…

As kids, we were often asked what our superpower would be if we could choose. Some said the ability to fly. Others yearned to go really, really fast. And there was always that annoying smart kid who’d worked out how to cheat being physically active by saying “teleportation”. Invisibility was usually the goal of the slightly sinister. You’d get out of doing stuff like chores because you could vanish until they were done; you could sneak up behind people and scare the crap out of them, or listen in on their conversations (only to use your newfound knowledge against them). I’m kind of invisible. It’s sort of a big deal, but not in the cool way I thought it would be as a kid. And it’s not really a superpower…

Making small talk with people you don’t know is basically an extreme sport. It’s the social equivalent of slalom skiing, except you’re not wearing a helmet or a bodysuit. (Unless you’re trying to break the ice at a dirt-biking leotard enthusiast convention.) The course ahead of you requires powerful manoeuvres executed with grace and precision. That’s why you need a coach (i.e. me) to take you through the moves. MEETING THE PARENTS // How do you get off on the right foot with people whose nude sex produced the person with whom you’re having nude sex? That’s the problem with meeting your partner’s parents: everything is about sex, but nobody’s allowed to talk about it. (And rightly so, because come on, ew, no thank you.) The master move here is…

Tens of millions of humans are trafficked every year – sold into slavery; forced into prostitution; purchased as child brides; or harvested for organs. There are 10 times more slaves in the world now than there were at the height of slavery in America. In fact, the Global Slavery Index pegs the total number of people in captivity at around 46 million. Nearly a quarter of those are children. For anyone living in the First World, the very notion of human trafficking is horrendous, to the extent that it’s hard to imagine. But then you meet a pair of young women like Shital Ghimire and Saraswoti Adhikari – lively circus performers from Nepal, touring the world with their self-made company – and discover not only what it means to be…

STOPPING ONION TEARS // History has brought us many supposed cures for chopped-onion-related tears, and here’s another to add to the list: stuffing fresh white bread in your mouth, with the end sticking out. Sure, you’ll look like a fool, but apparently the bread acts like a spongy barrier, soaking up tear-inducing gases before they get to your eyes. (And if it doesn’t work, we’ve always found carbs to be a great comfort when we’re having a cry. So, win-win.) CLEANING OLD PAINTINGS // Got a Rembrandt or Monet tucked away in storage that could do with a bit of sprucing up? No need for any fancy cleaning products to ditch the accumulated muck and grime – just pick up a loaf of bread from the shops. Gently dabbing the…