REFLECTING
Sam Bunkall
Actor
What ahipster!!Inmydefence,thiswasa
‘going out’outfi t. Being fresh out of drama
school, almost everythingis second-hand.
Thiswas2010,I washangingoutwith
people who were very cool and stylish, so I
was challenged to think about what my
own style might look like. What you see
here is a combination of ‘old me’ thrown
together with ‘what-I think-other-people-
might-consider-to-be-cool’, rounded off
with ‘things I actually like to wear’. It’s a
bizarre mix at a time of experimentation
for me. There’s a hangover from my years
playing around with the formal thing;
waistcoats and blazers from op-shops or
my dad’s tie collection. But here I’m
starting to learn that cut and size do
matter. Loafers and tight pants were a
thing back then, but I wasn’t a fan so it’s
interesting I ended up wearing them.
AMANDA BILLING
Actor
Who doesn’t love a kid photo? Also, I
love this photo. I’m absolutely myself
and am basking in the appreciation and
acceptance of my parents (in that
moment at least); I’m innocent, open,
just a delight. We should all have a
picture like this one to look at, something
to use in order to remember that we are
still that precious person underneath all
our apparently ‘adult’ responsibilities
and baggage and bullshit. I’ve made it
my mission to get back to being ‘like
her’, to run gleefully towards what I
enjoy and to say ‘No’ to things I don’t
like. Three-and-a-half year-olds can be
ckle, but their lack of lter is quite
inspiring.ButI’mnota parentLOL.
Onthesubjectofleotards,about 10
yearsagoI wasinspiredtowalkintoa
dancewearshopandaskif they’dmake
me a unitard to wear to aFlashdance
party.Theyaskedmewhatcolour,what
sleevelength,didI wantit high-orlow-
cut,thisandthat,andthentheymadeit
tomymeasurements.It’sexactlywhatI
wanted, in every way. Every dress-up
party I’ve been tosince, I’ve worn it.I’ve made it my mission to get
back to being ‘like her’
am, 2010
There’s always a way to make it make
sense. Wearing it is confronting initially,
but it’s liberating, ultimately. I’m
basically in a body stocking. Violet-
nude. To me it feels a little like deciding
to go topless on a beach: no one else is
and it’s mad and inappropriate, but also
awesome and secretly everyone wants to
do [wear] it, too. When I wear my
leotard, I’m embodying my childhood
dreams to be a dancer/thespian/mime.
I’m basically the girl in this photo, only
purple and taller. It’s my licence to
be myself. »Viet fe
e in 2 9Amanda, aged r
SEPTEMBER 2019 / NEXT 65