People

Chef and food advocate Simone Watts has done it all—cooked, farmed and travelled the world—and now she’s landed at Barragunda Dining on the Mornington Peninsula, transforming the way we think about food. 

Ahead of International Women's Day on Saturday 8 March, we chatted with the powerhouse trio of ladies leading one of Australia's hottest restaurants right now.

Sydney fashion brand Double Rainbouu has collaborated with Tinder on a limited-edition, three-piece collection celebrating love and individuality—just in time for Sydney Mardi Gras.

When searching for your next podcast binge, turn to Australia’s greatest storytellers—Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices—for a truly enriching listen.

Urban List Guest Editor Sianna Catullo, a Narungga woman, on amplifying First Nations voices and allyship ahead of 26 January, 2025.

James is a proud triathlete, model, actor, disability advocate, Wiradjuri man and lululemon’s newest Ambassador. He shares lived experiences to champion inclusion and representation in media and fashion. Here, in partnership with lululemon, he unpacks how to dismantle stereotypes this year and beyond. 

Keen to live life more sustainably without compromising on style and those experiences that make for a thrilling social life? Us too. 

Pride month 2021 is here and big brands are switching gear to monetise the rainbow. In the last decade alone it’s clear to see companies have caught onto the fact that LGBTQI+ folks, well... actually buy things. In fact, we buy quite a lot of things. Enough things, companies have realised that it might actually be worthwhile to try and appeal to us so we start buying their things as well. And thus, Rainbow Washing was born. 

Join the Urban List team as we commit to a week-long detox from single-use plastics

Ahead of World Mental Health Day on October 10, we want to hit you with a pretty cool initiative we’ve come across that’s definitely worth your attention.

If we want to keep enjoying this dreamy set-up for years to come, we need to get serious about enhancing it, and the City of Gold Coast wants your help to make it happen.

When you think of significant Australian dates to mark in your calendar, what comes to mind may be Christmas, Easter or Labour Day. Any holiday which gives you a day off is a day that one recalls when thinking about the calendar year—and how to leverage your annual leave to have the most days off in a row, while using the smallest amount of annual leave. 

I didn't know what to write for International Women's Day, so I did what any full-grown adult woman would do: I called my mum for advice. While riding the bus home from work, tired, my mum simply said, "Tell the truth." So here it is.

No matter how many snags you throw on the barbie and games of beach-cricket you play, the resulting centuries of dispossession and dislocation cannot be denied.

The collective strength of Blackfullas across the country, united in our fight against Australia Day, offers solace and a sense of belonging amidst the chaos in Australia. 

It was never the date to celebrate.

VR tech to restore the feeling of lost limbs and exercise therapy that employs AI—we’re living in the future, baby—and the Lexus Design Award is here to showcase and bring to life this world-class tech.

How do the pair find time to inject subtle luxury into their jam-packed schedules as parents and sustainably conscious empire-starters?

Who would have thought that one would need to source native Australian produce from an international market?    

The crew at Kathmandu have a heap of new high-quality gear to help you do whatever you want this summer—whether that’s sweating it up on the beach, boogying at festivals, hitting the park for a picnic, or going bush. 

As we face a future beset by environmental, economical and cultural challenges, decisions that used to be simple aren’t so simple anymore. Just grabbing a coffee in the morning has become a minefield of potential issues—are those beans ethically sourced? Is that takeaway cup compostable? Is the cafe locally-owned? Can we really afford our daily caffeine habit? 

Yorta Yorta rapper Senator Briggs articulated it perfectly when he posted—“There was always going to be work to be done, now we’ll know where to spend our energy”.

As the date of the referendum on a representative body quickly approaches, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across Australia find themselves in a familiar and unsettling position.

If you’re committed to voting ‘yes’, read on for your guide to Yes Marches taking place around Australia's big cities.

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This year, the theme is Be Brave. Make Change — a challenge for non-Indigenous Australians to really tackle the unfinished business of reconciliation across Australia. 

Your allyship is valuable, and the work that goes on behind closed doors is the work that ends up changing the cultural climate. 

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, the artificial intelligence and chatbot boom we’ve experienced this year should come as no surprise.

This year’s International Women's Day theme is ‘Cracking the Code, focusing on innovation for a gender equal future and closing the digital divide’. 

Whether you’re a baby feminist or a seasoned equality fighter, this list covers the freshest feminist reads from Australian and international authors alike. From mind-blowing factual works to eye opening fiction and even a few timeless classics, put your reading glasses on and add these prime publications to your to-read list.

While the rainbow celebrations, glitter-fuelled performances and drag icons and legends that are set to fill your world are no doubt the highlight, we love that this time is also a chance to really champion, get behind and amplify LGBTQIA+ voices and stories even more. 

“Australian First Nations music is a powerful force that has existed for tens of thousands of years."

For artists like Isaac who are drawn to creating, music is undeniably in their blood, so we've teamed up with Australian Red Cross Lifeblood to dive a little deeper and uncover the passion for collaboration, live performance and a drive to contribute to the world around him that pump an unmistakable rhythm through his veins. 

We’ve linked up with Australian Red Cross Lifeblood to take you on a deep dive into Australian artists with music in their blood, and there’s no better place to start than with LK (her dad is Paul Kelly, and if that doesn’t suggest she was born with music flowing through her veins, we don’t know what does.)

As part of The Run Up, we chatted to Michael about his journey—what keeps him coming back to running time and again despite the challenges, what it’s like to represent your country on the global stage, and what it is that makes him run happy. 

As part of The Run Up, a project to unearth the stories of some of Australia's most passionate runners to get you motivated to lace up, we chatted to Green about why he values running so highly and the role it has played in his past as well as shaping his future. 

As part of The Run Up, a project to unearth the stories of some of Australia's most passionate runners to get you motivated to lace up, we chatted to Bell about what sparked a passion for this extreme sport, what motivated her to tackle a world-first challenge, and how the physical act of running ties in crucial to her mental and overall wellbeing.   

January 26 was never a day of celebration.

From community and structure, to how life has changed in the whirlwind eighteen months since that first run, we chat with Wintle about his run up into a new passion. 

Producer Caitlin Booth takes spent a week embracing more sustainable practices, drawing inspiration from 7-Eleven’s recent sustainable glow-up.

Essential reading.

From TikToker’s like Dylan Mulvaney and nonbinary actors like Emma D’arcy, this year has been massive for trans representation—so let’s keep the ball rolling.

So you want to live a greener life but don’t know where to start? Since we’re all on our phones anyways, why not add more sustainable content to your Insta feed? From drool-worthy, plant-based recipes and where to find the best keep cups to fashion and zero waste hacks, we’ve got you covered with a list of accounts that are bound to motivate and inspire you to live a more sustainable lifestyle.

Style shouldn’t cost the Earth, so now’s the time to adopt a new mantra: buy less and choose well.

Welcome to 30 Faces, a celebration of 30 individuals changing the world by 2030. A destination to unearth how they got here, what fuels their passion, and to educate and inspire your own journey towards a future made better. 

It’s pretty remarkable to think an entire movement can be born from a powerful Instagram post. But that’s exactly what happened when Sydneysider Chanel Contos created an Instagram poll in 2021 asking her followers if they or someone close to them had been sexually assaulted when they were at school. Within 24 hours, over 200 people replied ‘yes’. 

Drawing from incredible native ingredients, there's a wealth of beauty and wellness brands on the market from First Nations owners, with plenty directing profits back to First Nations communities.

When we think of a model, we conjure a standard vision in our minds. You know the one. For decades, model status has remained tall, thin, white, able-bodied and cis-gendered. Not always, but most of the time. 

Have you ever wondered how someone landed that dream job? What about the jobs you never knew existed? 

The Iconic is embracing modestwear with a new section dedicated to modest fashion. 

You’ve got Azalea Banks’ 212 blasting through your headphones, you’ve just clocked your fastest km to date, and you’re rounding out your morning run with an epic view of the sunrise. Feels good, doesn’t it? 

The statement is a formal declaration calling for the constitutional recognition of First Nations people.

Just a few days ago, I saw a tweet from Yorta Yorta rapper Adam Briggs that resonated with me. “Reconciliation is for white people. [They] are the ones who need to reconcile”. I laughed, but then thought I couldn’t have said it better myself. I can’t speak on behalf of all First Nations people, but in my opinion— the celebration of reconciliation and the surrounding events are problematic. Here’s why.

Innovation throughout the fashion and beauty industry is at an all time high this year with brands waking up to a new age of inclusivity. 

Today, Monday 17 May, is International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Interphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT), a day which has been celebrated every year since 17 May 1990 when the World Health Organization declassified homosexuality as being a mental disorder.

We’re shining the spotlight on climate activists, First Nations rights advocates, eco innovators, sustainable fashion designers, disability rights champions, body positivity campaigners—anyone who is taking the leap to be the change they want to see. And now we want you to be part of the search to find our 30th face shaping the next decade. 

The best thing to do when you’re unclear on how to use terminology to talk about the trans people you know is to ask them!

Skincare is getting a sustainable glow up. There’s new energy bubbling in 2022 with customers making conscious choices and brands who are transforming our skincare routines and beauty cabinets for the better. 

To make true strides to social justice for all women, we need to be receptive to all types of lived experiences for women.

Bless your ears with these incredible LGBTQI+ podcasts that will make you laugh and cry with their raw, honest and hilarious storytelling. From celebrity hosts and guest stars to award-winning journalists and activists, these queers podcasts are seriously binge-worthy.

An edu-gay-tional journey back in time.

When it comes to finding love, every person, with a disability or not, should have the right to seek and explore social connections online.

While generations of men have grown up believing that ‘boys don’t cry’ a new nationwide campaign is out to flip the script and break down stereotypes all in the name of men’s mental health.

As self-professed foodies, we’d have to say that one of the most underrated of them all is the hard-working and often unthanked food delivery drivers that fuelled us during the pandemic and beyond. 

We’ve wrapped up seven easy ways you can pay it forward to those who need it most. 

Top of our list this year for a gift that gives back is The Hunger Project’s amazing Hamper for Change.

We reached out to our foodie-obsessed team and asked them their most memorable delivery driver moments from the pandemic. 

Today is International Day of People with Disability—this year’s theme is “Leadership and participation of persons with disabilities toward an inclusive, accessible and sustainable post-COVID-19 world.” It’s a day for disabled people to be centered and celebrated, and for us to reflect on the achievements within the disability communities.

Joining the strong list of Indigenous-owned labels that are sparking conversations across the country and decolonising our wardrobes comes Athe Threads, a Torres Strait Islander clothing label out of Meanjin (Brisbane) that was created to share and celebrate Torres Strait Islander culture.

Around this time each year, the non-for-profit Polished Man campaigns for a world where no child experiences violence, and if you’ve ever thought about getting involved, 2021 is the year to do so. It starts by painting a nail.

While Australia has been making positive strides to support LGBTQI+ communities in recent years, there is still a significant amount of work to be done to achieve true diversity and inclusion, especially in workplaces across the country.           

When people talk about the next generation of game-changers creating a better future for all, they’re talking about people like Bianca Hunt. At just 25 years-old the Kamilaroi, Barkindji, Ballardong and Wadjak woman has just launched AGNT BLAK, the first talent agency of its kind that is owned, operated and exclusively represents First Nations people.

It’s not every day two life-long mates cultivate one of the biggest game-changing brands in the country. 

When it comes to the beauty industry, sustainable and eco-conscious aren’t often the first words that come to mind, which is why we’re just a little bit obsessed with Anna Ross, the boss babe behind vegan and cruelty-free beauty brand Kester Black.

For those who aren’t familiar, NAIDOC Week honours the rich history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. And although the awards for 2021 have been postponed, the chosen theme still rings true.‘Heal Country’ calls for all of us to seek greater protections for the lands, waters, and sacred sites of Australia, and to protect First Nations cultural heritage from exploitation, desecration, and destruction. 

The winners of The Circle Awards AUS & NZ 2021 have officially been announced, and our carts (and hearts) are full of sustainable swaps we never knew we needed.

No matter what kind of reader you are, we’ve got your bookworm needs covered with all of the best LGBTQI+ books, from romantic comedies to confrontingly honest memoirs and powerful classics.

Here, we chat with social activist and Bank Australia customer, Tim Lo Surdo about his passion for empowering collective action against inequality through his organisation Democracy in Colour. 

After being unceremoniously cancelled in 2020 and following a year that might have left us all wondering if fashion week was still relevant, Afterpay Australian Fashion Week felt a whole lot more electric this time around—and there are a few reasons why. 

Tune in as we sit down with climate change activist and Bank Australia customer, Emma Roberts, to chat about how her passion for the Daintree Rainforest and virtual reality installations.

Right now, there are no early tests for ovarian cancer, and, in Australia, tragically one woman dies every eight hours from this devastating disease. It's heartbreaking—but there are ways you can help.

EveryHuman is the only marketplace in Australia and New Zealand bringing together the best adaptive fashion brands from around the globe, allowing people with disabilities to look and feel their best.

We caught up with the writer and advocate who has been making some serious waves in campaigning for better representation in pop culture.

This week is Fashion Revolution week—the world’s largest fashion activism movement. For now and for the future, here are just a few of our favourite Australian labels leading the charge in sustainability. 

Implementing positive action to help make the world a better place takes courage, strength and tenacity. But to encourage and help others to do the same, well... that’s worth celebrating. 

All designed by New York’s most prolific 22-year-old.

Doing their part to make a change, Melbourne-based streetwear label HoMie and global cult brand Champion have teamed up to release a brand new capsule collection. 

Sex education in Australia needs a shake-up—here’s how you can help. 

Failing to plan—well that's planning to fail

In Australia, the national gender pay gap currently sits at 14%. Not shocking enough? How about the fact that one in two women have experienced sexual harassment and are three times more likely than men to have experienced violence inflicted by a partner since the age of fifteen. The statics are even worse for women of colour and those in the queer community. The facts are simple, women are not—and have never been—on an even playing field. 

If you’re haunted by memories of failed vegetable gardens, dying herbs on the kitchen counter and hours of digging, weeding and watering to no avail, don’t despair. Meet Airgarden, a Queensland-based sustainable start-up making growing your own produce at home easy, cost-effective and healthy.

Gay conversion therapy is defined by The Trevor Project as “any of several dangerous and discredited practices aimed at changing an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity.”

International Women’s Day is just about here—and to celebrate the occasion and women everywhere, NET-A-PORTER is back with its edit of epic IWD-themed slogan tees.

And they're all about championing local heroes in the community. 

As Mardi Gras kicks off (and runs until 7 March) we’re seeing loads of amazing collabs to celebrate this truly fabulous, all-inclusive festival. One in particular we want to shout out is an uber special pairing between cult classic fashion brand Levis with Minus 18—an organisation that champions LGBTQIA+ youth in Australia. 

There are some pairings that are just total matches made in heaven. The Duke of Hastings and Daphne Bridgerton, chocolate and strawberries, pineapple on pizza (don’t at us) and now there is another to add to the list—TWOOBS and Cungelella Art.

The time has come again for ang paos and endless feasting. 

Not sure what to do this 26th of January? Head here to read why we won’t be having a backyard BBQ. Instead we’re using our time to acknowledge, elevate and celebrate our First Nations people. This list has a line-up of events happening around Australia, but if you can’t get there, or there isn’t one happening near you, National Indigenous Television (NITV) has you covered with their live streaming of the Sunrise Ceremony.

Now, more than ever, is the perfect time to support local, First Nations-owned businesses. Not sure where to start? No worries, keep scrolling to uncover a literal treasure trove of gift ideas that are sustainable, unique and best of all, Indigenous-owned and operated. 

As far as dream jobs go, they don’t get much greater than owning your own record label. Top that off with the fact that you’re only 23 years old and you’ve got Perth music mogul in the making, Vincent Tolefe. Transforming his love of beats into Your Angle Records, Tolefe is solid proof that hard work, patience and passion are all the ingredients you need for the kind of day job most could only image.