To celebrate the reimagined iconic Forum sneaker, adidas has invited Melbourne’s most creative next gen talent to take part in a first of its kind activation.
The adidas Forum Newsroom brings together 34 handpicked creators to collaborate, workshop and create original content that will redefine the style of tomorrow. With skills ranging from photography, styling and design to art, music and more, our creators will be supported by established mentors to stay open to their craft and untap their full creative potential.
Kicking off their work in the newsroom, housed at True East in Collingwood, Melbourne (traditionally known as Naarm) – they will create thought-provoking content inspired by adidas Forum core pillars of identity & community, sustainability, empathy & equality, culture, and creativity.
Read more about our creators that will be heading into the adidas Newsroom and the mentors who will support, guide and challenge them along the way.
CREATORS
Beza Mickan-White - @miss_be_za
Ethiopian-born and Australian raised Beza is a unique and accomplished creative, and former Miss Africa. Beza featured as a top 10 competitor for the 2016 Miss World competition. Beza is a skilled boutique event planner, and basketball fanatic. She champions diversity and sustainability through the companies she works with and strives to represent that in the industry.
Jaida’s Wrld - @jaidathecreator
She's a photographer, designer, stylist, model and creator and now Jaida is set to take over. Already a well-known face in the Naarm/Melbourne scene. She’s a strong believer in activism and standing for general human rights, and believes art is a great way to express that and bring community together. As if that's not enough, she also works closely with upcoming artists, assisting with music videos, styling and photoshoots. She is also working towards her debut runway show for her brand Inner Sanctum.
Iluka Sax-Williams - @balailuka
Iluka Sax-Williams is a Tibrean (Torres Strait Islander) and Taungurung (Aboriginal) artist from Naarm (Melbourne). His generous artistic practices range from Indigenous Art & Design, Pyrography, Acts of Cultural Reclamation and Modelling. Iluka is dedicated to enhancing the representation and revitalisation of Indigenous Culture, Art, Knowledge, and History throughout the creative industry and surrounding lands.
Jasmine Ambarwati – @jassyfizzle
Jasmine is a Naarm based freelance model, content creator and fashion stylist. When creating she is heavily inspired by the ’90s, through both fashion and music. She is driven by the lack of representation for South-East Asians in mainstream media. She strives to open doors for other creators and contribute to a diverse fashion landscape.
Joey - @wholelottajoey
Joey is a proud Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander from Melbourne, who was driven to the fashion industry after seeing a lack of First Nation representation. Joey is an up and comer in the modelling world and is inspired by the fashion industry and uses it to express himself.
Juliette (Jewel) Langlois – @jewelthealternative
Fashion stylist, creative director and photographer Juliette (Jewel) Langlois has worked with a variety of international and local fashion influencers. Her work has taken her to both New York and Paris Fashion Week and she has been featured in Fashion Journal Magazine and JD Sports. A self-taught creative, Juliette prides herself on curating her own projects surrounding topics such as gender fluidity, gender roles, masculinity and femininity in our society. Her appreciation and acknowledgement of all minority ethnic groups especially POC is also evident throughout her work.
Point And Shoot (Josh) - @comegetshot
Josh is freelance photographer with a passion for film photography who creates with freedom while shooting. Inspired by anything from film to the day to day - he is an upcoming face to watch in the Naarm/Melbourne creative space.
Jae Besorio - @jae_bunny
Photographer and Illustrator Jae Bunny is all about self-expression, female empowerment and pushing the boundaries. Jae has an ongoing photo series that she produces and photographs herself of her muses called ‘Intimate’ - which is focused on women embracing their beauty and sexuality. Jae has also shot for multiple notable brands and Artists.
Jonty - @jontyknight (they/them/she/her)
Jonty Knight is a South-African multi-disciplinary artist who loves to break boundaries through their work, particularly around gender and sexuality. Using various digital mediums, they emulate an unique digital universe inspired by the intersection of art, fashion and the surreal.
Su Park - @su.park_
Suyeon Park is an artist and model who explores cultural identity and mind positivity through her work and aims to create art that is a sense of support for others on their own journey of self-discovery. She is hugely inspired by her Korean heritage, so she loves synthesising her childhood memories of Korea in her artworks to cherish her culture.
3K - @3kmelb
Formed in Melbourne in 2017 with a goal to represent their city in the hip hop landscape, friends Eissa, Beluga, Benny Lago and producer/DJ Moey have dropped into the Melbourne music scene with fresh tracks to their cult following. They dropped their debut EP Don’t Panic in 2018 and have since released a string of new music, hoping for 2021 to be their biggest year yet.
Pania - @paniaxo
Representing the Westside of Melbourne, Pania, born to a Maori mother and Indian father, channels her musical influences of Amy Winehouse, Erykah Badu and Justin Bieber into her eclectic and unique tracks. Creating a buzz online with Carlo in 2019, Pania followed it up independently with ICYY in 2020 and is getting ready to release her debut mixtape shortly.
Moochi - @moochimade
Naarm/Melbourne based makeup artist Moochi aka Moochi Made is all about pushing the limits in creative pursuits. More than just a makeup artist, Moochi quite literally paints faces with unique designs and colours. Moochi's work can be found in Fashion Journal and Pap Magazine amongst others.
Christopher Hrysanidis - @christopherhrysanidis
Christopher is a fashion designer from Melbourne who creates contemporary pieces inspired by his memories of sports as a child to architecture and art. His pieces are sustainable, highly detailed and designed with practicality in mind. His primary creative work involves researching, pattern making and construction.
Jericho – @Jericho_marcel
Jericho is a sustainably focused graphic designer and screen printer based in Naarm. Driven by his passion for ethically produced fashion he runs his own label ‘newww.orld’ and donates 50% of his profits to communities in need.
Nadeemy Betros - @nadeemybetros (they/them)
First drawn to the camera at only 10 years old, Nadeemy’s relationship with their art is almost instinctive. Travelling from Melbourne to New York, Nadeemy has perfected their skills and has created an organic and authentic aesthetic in their work. Seeking to inspire Nadeemy intertwines fashion, portraiture and the mundane and seeks to capture sincere joy.
Fern Arisara - @fern.ari
The ultimate creative Fern Arisara expresses herself through a number of different mediums including (but not limited to) photography, oil pastels and graphic design however it wasn't until Melbourne's strict lockdown last year that she really elevated her art. With a focus on the art of rug making, Fern discovered tufting rugs and combines this with her love of photography making unique and distinctive pieces.
Phoebe’s Angels - @phoebes_angels
Phoebe Pendergast-Jones is a passionate fashion designer whose work is highly influenced by her personal experiences of heartbreak and sentimentality. A recent graduate from RMIT, Phoebe’s signature pieces caught national attention and went viral throughout last year’s lockdown. Focusing on the emotional value of clothing, Phoebe aims to create pieces that make a meaningful contribution to the wardrobe.
Aleksandar Zaric - @alekszaric (he/him)
Aleksandar grew up wanting to be a director but discovered his passion for photography while shooting behind-the-scenes stills for his short film in 2015. Other than his fashion photography work, he has experience working with sound design, writing, brand development, and editing a magazine.
Ben Ilobuchi - @slimes_new_roman (he/him)
24 year old Ben Ilobuchi is a Half-Australian/Half-Nigerian writer from Melbourne. He is a writer and creator for POCC magazine, an independent publication that spotlights and celebrates diversity where he covers topics from art to music and film.
Nim - @nimdw
Nim is a 19-year-old photographer originally from Mullumbimby but now residing in Melbourne. Often inspired by the abnormal and strange and obscene and by the words of Lovecraft and Roald Dahl, his art is often dark and always tells a narrative. Whether his work makes his audience feel intrigue, disgust or passion - Nim strives to make his audience feel something.
Sarah Lay - @laysarahslay
Sarah is a photographer and broadcast producer who explores her identity and her movement through the world in various mediums. She uses photography, spoken poetry and more to create complex experiences of art rich with feeling, she is interested in the moments in-between living.
Wilhelm Philipp
- @wilhelmphilipp
Wilhelm is a freelance photographer and videographer that reflects his deeply emotional personal experiences of love, life, death and family into his work & subjects. His current focus is on documentary/environmental photography and has a growing body of work with a diverse range of musicians from around Australia.
Hansika - @__hansikka__
Hansika is an emerging designer and stylist passionate about pushing the boundaries of men and women’s fashion. She is currently collaborating with her brother to create docGIRL a fashion brand that strives to emphasise the balance of tradition and rebellion and inspire people to embrace their femininity.
Nush - @docg_
DOCG is a multidisciplinary creator from Melbourne, who has been working as an artist, stylist, model, photographer and
conceptual curator for over 7 years. DOCG has an extensively collaborative and multidisciplinary art and design approach involving artists, brands and stores at its core.
CPASH - @cpash
C-PASH is a Naarm based creative who is actively driven by amplifying community voices through her skills with photography, videography and DJing. Following her passion of music she has become a regular in the Melbourne club scene.
Zali - @cinamon_doll
Zali Guecia Ghelardini aka Cinnamon Doll is a 22 year old model from Naarm. However, her skills don’t stop there, she is also a MUA, stylist, photographer and creative director who has been featured in major publication such as Fashion Journal, VOGUE and more. She is passionate about sustainability and created her own vegan catering company Cinnamon & Spice and has even more products in the works.
Ashwarya - @ashwaryahhh
Ashwarya is a Naarm based musician who made her musical debut mid pandemic. Her unique sound is inspired by Bollywood music she grew up listening to and pop, rock and hip hop. Every new song is different from the last and is cementing her place as a rising Aussie star to watch.
DROP IN MENTORS
C.Frim – @c.frim
As a DJ, C.FRIM draws from her own singular blueprint - with taste shaped by her perspective as a member of the Ghanaian-Filipina diaspora, growing up on a healthy diet of hybridized musical styles. Her eclecticism reflects an artist with a confidence in vision and a desire to keep pushing boundaries, collapsing walls between cultural silos and championing her own refreshingly distinct style.
Soju Gang - @soju_gang (she/her)
Sky (Soju) is a must follow for anyone into music, fashion and culture. As an Indigenous DJ she is a devoted community member and is passionate on First Nation’s issues and uses her platform to amplify voices around her. She’s hit the stages of major festivals like Groovin The Moo, Listen Out and more. And when she isn’t on the decks, she is working on her handmade streetwear label Sawft.
MENTORS
Georgia Haynes - @georgiarhaynes
Georgia Haynes is a photographer and creative director who’s work with street culture and live music shooting has cemented her position as an established member of the Melbourne creative community. Her dedication to the craft has meant she has been published for major titles and brands such as i-D Australia, Acclaim Magazine, adidas and more.
Nathalie Scarlette - @nathalie.scarlette
Nathalie is a photographer who works with key faces in the Naarm creative community. Her signature film photography style is whimsical and elicits feelings of emotion from anyone who sees it. She often works with other key Naarm creatives like Phoebe’s Angels and Zaric Jewellery.
Alexander Wu-Kim - @wupdewup
Alex is a half Korean, half Chinese creative living in Sydney. Working as the Creative Director at Andpeople, he’s been able to build up a wealth of experience working in the fashion and brand space, focusing his attention on projects at the intersection of culture, community and identity.
Mercy Sang - @mercy.sang
Mercy is the editor behind POCC Mag, and a champion for diversity in the media industry. She founded the magazine in 2018 with the goal of representing diversity across all parts of the industry, including photography, styling and modelling after seeing a lack of representation while working as a model. Her work with POCC Mag has amplified countless underrepresented talent to the forefront and she has received recognition from major publications such as VOGUE, i-D, Acclaim and more for her work.