Pretty Hard

Fashion journalist and author Lucianne Tonti has spent years examining the stories our clothes tell about us—and the systems that shape the industry from which we buy from every day. Having recently published her latest book, The Good Witch, I was curious to understand how her career led her here, and if the idea of witchcraft or magic has influenced Lucianne’s relationship to beauty and identity. I also wanted to question the idea of whether getting dressed, or wearing makeup, is ever really just about getting dressed or wearing makeup, or if Lucianne believed there was something more personal or deeper. We explore how the history of the witch-hunts intersects with culture, politics, the environment, and the loss of feminine power. And why buying less, choosing better, and reconnecting with nature, creative acts and craftsmanship, might be one of the most radical things that we as women we can do for ourselves and each other.  
Find Lucianne @luciannetonti

Mukti is a pioneer of Australia’s natural beauty movement and founder of Mukti Organics, blending science and sustainability to redefine conscious skincare. She’s also the author of Truth in Beauty, a book I continually return to when navigating ingredients and formulations in this noisy, complex industry. Mukti has been in business for 25 years, more than most founders can lay claim to, which is why I have so much respect and had so many questions for someone who started before Instagram was a thing, and before being a founder was something to aspire to. She is a wealth of knowledge and incredible humble human who I hope to meet in person soon. I hope you enjoy this conversation.
Find Mukti on Instagram at @bymukti @muktiorganics

Felicity Evans is the founder of Imbibe Beauty, the ingestible and topical skincare brand. She is known for her holistic approach to beauty that bridges nutrition, skin health, and modern ritual. As a mum of three daughters, Felicity is ever conscious of her role in modelling a positive and sustainable approach to beauty, while sharing her love of all things timeless, beautiful, and chic. This conversation took place between Melbourne and Paris, where we speak about the pressures of ‘looking like a beauty founder’, our respective brand’s origin stories, and what we hope comes next for our industry.  
Find Felicity at @imbibeliving @thefelicityevans

Alison Rice is a journalist, podcast host and founder of Offline, a platform exploring conscious careers, purpose and what it really means to succeed. I had been wanting to chat with Alison for years and we finally made it happen. We chat about the internal conflicts of working in our respective industries, and how to navigate a business and life that may not want to be online but in some ways needs to. Alison and I have a very similar spiritual practice and this convo gets pretty deep exploring what it is we all might be covering up with beauty and or other forms of self expression in the digital age. Thankfully she offers practical tips for regulating your consumption and in turn, nervous system. 
Find Alison @alisonlarsenrice and @getoffline.co

Alicia Millan is the founder of Melbourne jewellery brand, Aletheia and Phos, who just announced that after 13 years in business, she is closing their doors, and preparing for her new chapter in life, whatever that will be. Currently situated in Thailand, we discuss the simplification of Lissy’s life that has taken place in the last couple of years, and what’s left are you break down the layers and strip so much of your former identity away. 
Having known Alicia for almost two decades, it was hard not to lead this conversation in a specific direction, having shared with Lissy so many of life’s up and downs, from business to romantic success and failures, to family dynamics and our personal reflections and interrogations. 
With a greek model mother and Italian body building father, Lissy shared the pressures of growing up looking different from her classmates, and how it impacted her later in life, and finally, to accepting herself for everything that she fully is. I hope you enjoy the conversation.