Vogue Forces of Fashion – On Collaboration, Taste & Backing Yourself

This month I attended Vogue Forces of Fashion at the Sydney Opera House. One of those events that sharpens your thinking.

I brought one of my team members along. My thinking is, If we're building something enduring, we need to understand the conversations shaping culture and leadership beyond our own industry.

Here's what stayed with me.

Collaboration only works when It's real.

Across actors, photographers and creatives, one theme was consistent: the worst collaborations are the ones where you feel like a prop. 

True collaboration means being invited into the vision, not slotted into it.

Alignment isn't a bonus. It's the baseline. The best partnerships are built on trust, shared direction, creative autonomy and mutual respect. Without those, it's just a transaction.

Create from taste, not noise. The story behind Miu Miu resonated. Miuccia Prada created it from personal taste. Designing what she liked, not what she was told would sell.

When you build from instinct, you attract the right audience, build longevity, and stop chasing trends. It's slower. But it's stronger.

Your "no" Is more powerful than your "yes”.

This line stayed with me. In fashion, talent management, leadership - growth isn't just about what you accept. It's about what you decline. Every no protects your positioning, your creative direction, your time, your standards. Discernment is a strategy.

Stop caring so much: Taika Waititi.

Taika brought humour to the stage, but underneath it was something freeing: none of us will be remembered in 50 years. You can't build something meaningful if you're constantly calibrating to what other people think. Forge your own path. Back yourself.

Find your tribe, and keep moving with them.

Margot Robbie spoke about mentoring emerging directors and building with collaborators long-term. When you find your people, you move together.

One insight that lingered: costume finalises the idea you have of yourself as a character. Fashion isn't surface-level, it's identity, it shapes narrative. 

Just look at the costuming in Saltburn or Euphoria. In business, brands do the same.

What I took away: Trust yourself. Choose collaborators carefully. Say no more often. Build with your people. Create from taste, not fear.