To celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8, we are profiling three of our favourite Australian female creatives that inspire us with their work and outlook.
Kerrie Hess
@kerriehessillustration
Based in our hometown of Brisbane, Australia, Kerrie's beautiful illustrations have been seen on the world stage, featured in Vogue, Tatler and Harper's Bazaar and she has collaborated with brands such as Cartier, Tiffany and Louis Vuitton.
What does International Women's Day mean to you? I think it's just really a time to celebrate all of our achievements as a collective. It's about supporting each other. I absolutely think we are stronger together.
Do you have a muse or a Woman that inspires you? I am inspired by my Mum! She is the person that I always go to for advice. I do call her the Original Gangsta and I think she loves it!
@kerriehessillustration
One piece of advice you would give to younger female creatives? Find your own lane, be authentic and enjoy what you do. Listen to as much advise as possible but have the courage to know what to keep and what to leave.
What is a female focused charity or cause close to your heart? For me it's The Womens Legal Service which gives free legal advice to women in situations of domestic violence. Such an important organisation...
Inga Campbell
@inkling_design
Inga has worked with Louvelle since it’s inception, illustrating the gorgeous girls on our packaging. She is also an accomplished graphic designer and art director working with the likes of Cosmopolitan and The Grace Tales magazine.
What does International Women's Day mean to you? For me it means girl power. A celebration of women and all the amazing things that we have achieved. I really feel a sense of pride on this day and it gives me that extra inspiration to go that little bit further to do something that I want to do. I also want my daughter who is still young to see women banding together, its all about supporting one another and not tearing each other down. I am a firm believer in girls supporting girls.
@inkling_design
Do you have a muse or a Woman that inspires you? Yes, Grace Coddington has always been a person that I have looked to with great admiration. Not only is she a creative genius but she has stood strong in her industry for so long. She has the strength to stand up for her ideas and is always one step ahead when it comes to artistic direction.
One piece of advice you would give to younger female creatives? Just go for it! Don’t self-doubt, if you have an idea or a thought or a creative project in mind. Don’t let that little voice telling you it’s silly or not right or that no-one will like it, get the better of you. If you don’t do it nothing will happen, if you do it and you fail or the idea isn’t taken on board, at least you put it out there. If it fails, you have learnt something in the process. I still need to remind my-self of this all the time.
Female focused charity or cause close to your heart? Fitted For Work is an amazing organisation that helps women experiencing disadvantage get into work. They do this by building their skills and developing confidence in order to gain employment. As part of this they rely on donations of good second hand clothing that can help women in need feel confident to walk into that job or job interview.
Annie Everingham
@annieeveringham
Annie is a visual artist with a colourful abstract aesthetic. Her original artworks are currently sold and exhibited through Australian galleries such as Fenton and Fenton. One cannot help but be captivated when seeing one of her beautiful pieces.
@annieeveringham
What does International Women's Day mean to you? It's a chance to celebrate our many triumphs, and to lift each other up - but to also take stock of where we're at culturally, socially, politically, to make some noise and keep the conversation moving forward.
Do you have a muse or a Woman that inspires you? There are plenty of women I look up to creatively, but in a broader sense, women like Zoe Foster Blake are really having a moment in the sun for me. I love how savvy and fearless she is in business, while totally keeping her humility in check. Also scrolling instagram in a climate that's growing increasingly more image focused, I find her content refreshingly smart, authentic and relatable.
One piece of advice you would give to younger female creatives? Develop a relationship with a female mentor, particularly when navigating the trickier aspects of business. And use your failures to launch you into new directions with purpose. Be resilient, but kind, always.
What is a female focused charity or cause close to your heart? Women's Community Shelters and Women's Legal Service NSW