Laura Vude, Amari Winters

Shot by: Anna Cunningham

Laura Vude 

What are you looking at besides this email? Currently I am editing images from my friend’s RMIT runway last week and watching the video clip for King’s song Native Land and imagining its summer already.

What are you obsessed with at the moment? I just finished the newest season of Black Mirror and I’m  obsessing over the San Junipero episode. That and obsessing over King’s album.

What creative activities and pursuits, endeavours are you embarking on? I’m trying to get an exhibition together for my own photography work. I have a series of images I’ve been working on this year that I’m looking to show. So hopefully by early next year I’ll have my first solo exhibition.  I’m still in the process of finding a space that would work. I’m heading to LA and going to try get over to NY in March for a couple of weeks to visit some friends and make some connections with other queer fat artists, hopefully make some work, and to link up with other body posi activists who I’ve become friends with through instagram.

Who are some of your favourite badass babes? To be honest, and this is going to turn into a total sap fest but, I find my friends some of the most badass babes. I’m really lucky that I’m surrounded but such incredible talent of the musical, writing and artistic variety. I would never have thought as a teen that I’d be living in a really beautiful space with some of the kindest and most creative and genuine people I’ve ever met. Who i get to talk to about being queer in melbourne and have engaging and important conversations on identity, race, art and music and how that can all tie into our queer experiences in this world. To be able to grow and learn and unlearn together has been really important in me forming my own identity with my body and self.  Mohini and Maia of Habits makes incredible emotive music that ooses this incredibly unapologetic queer energy that makes your heart hurt and makes you wanna dance and scream all at the same time. Both of them are such deeply empathetic, kind, and generous darlings and i feel very lucky to share spaces with them and share feelings and advice and a champers with them both.

Atong Atem, incredible babe, who has such an inspiring mind, who’s painting skills are out of this world, and her photography capturing her world and creating dialogue for conversations well overdue on de-colonisation. She’s also just a great chef and always has her self care routine down which i admire.

Daisy Catterall, who is one of the strongest and most self fulfilling femmes i’ve ever had the blessing of knowing. her zines are insightful and engaging, and she emits this powerfulness and drive that I’ve been lucky to see grow and shine brighter over the years of knowing her.

Nayuka Gorrie, incredible Kunai/Gurnai, Gunditjimara, Wiradjuri and Yorta Yorta activist and writer who’s articles are something that should be nation wide and mandatory to read.  She has the driest sense of humour and the ability to make me lol like nothin else, and allows this white girl to take up space in her home and rant about fatphobic attitudes and has cooked me tasty dahl on several occasions when I’ve felt super shitty. An angel, really.

Myself, because I am emotive, empathetic, and despite being an anxious mess most of the time, can pull it together for my friends and I feel i have a pretty decent understanding of myself. I allow myself to be. Opposed to trying to make myself smaller, both mentally and physically to please people who will never understand my existence. Also know, I’m cute too so that’s nice.

I am very blessed with badass power babes around me at all times to go to for advice, or a shoulder to cry or someone to just yell at the world with. I don’t know how it happened really but I’m glad it did.

What does sexy mean to you?  Sexy means a lot of different things. Sexy is when you’re in the shower and you can run your hands along the lines and curves of your body and find yourself a sensual moment with yourself. Sometimes its standing in front of the mirror and taking 200 selfies because you’ve just found a lipstick that matches your pants or your shoes and you think ‘Yes! Bless the ethereal goddess, this day is yours! Look at you!!’ Sexy is when a lover runs their hands over you and squeezes every inch, or wearing a dreamy lingerie set and reading that book you’d not had a chance to pick up yet and spending the day with yourself. Sexinesss comes with self fulfilment and comfort in yourself.

And Lastly how do you define a babe? Someone who has strength, and the ability to see their own self worth. Tbh though even if you aren’t feeling strong, or feeling worthy you are still a sweet babe too.

Amari Winters

What are you looking at besides this email? The beautiful blue sky and the city skyline from my balcony. A terrifying article on Donald Trump’s election in America and a half watched episode of Rupaul’s Drag Race.

What are you obsessed with at the moment? Glitter, peanut butter, Broad City, my new house, surrounding myself with amazing and creative people and treating myself with kindness.

What creative activities & pursuits, endeavours are you embarking on? Currently I have a few projects I’m hoping to pursue – a photography series shot on 35mm, a documentary YouTube series and a mumble core short film. Most importantly, I’m trying to create positive and productive space in my life. I’ve struggled with my creativity over the past few years due to intense anxiety and I’m trying to reverse a lot of self-destructive habits I’ve fallen into. Working on my mental health, treating myself with tenderness and care and nurturing my creativity are the most important things to me right now.

Who are some of your favourite badass babes? (Famous/family/friends) All the women pioneering and tirelessly fighting for representation in film and media (something I am very passionate about) like Ana Lily Amirpour, Susan Sarandon, Geena Davis, Amma Asante, Jill Soloway, Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacboson. But mostly all of the amazing/magical/awe-inspiring babes in my life. I’m so lucky to be surrounded by so many incredible women, who endlessly inspire and amaze me.

What does sexy mean to you? Sexy to me is when I feel unapologetically myself. When I feel comfortable in my skin and I am proud of who I am!

And lastly how do you define a babe? I think a babe is anyone who thinks they’re a babe. If they have confidence in who they are, what they like and what they want, theres nothing more magic than that!