The sun was only just beginning to set, but the night had already come alive inside the RUSSH Apartment, tucked into the corner of Challis Ave in Potts Point on Friday. It was a night to celebrate a new branch of the RUSSH tree – our inaugural Beauty Annual issue, fronted by Dutch model and muse Jill Kortleve.
Under the spell of The Modern Lovers spinning on its axis on a dedicated record table, the RUSSH community united for an evening that spoke to the essence of 'Becoming' – the guiding principle that underpins this special issue. As editor-in-chief Jess Blanch pointed to in her editor's letter, "It is almost poetic the way those who choose to find peace within themselves, who strive to live beyond the reflections of themselves in the eyes of others, are those that represent most for us all." Looking around the room, the raucous hum of laughter, open conversation and creative courage amongst the guests in attendance was a testament to this strength we see in Kortleve, but also in the minds who created and contributed to this issue.
From makeup artists Filomena Natoli and Cherry Cheung whose work you can find in the pages of this Beauty Annual, to fashion designer Alix Higgins, models like Mana Mackay and Mia Dennis, and actors James Majoos and Will McDonald, the RUSSH Apartment quickly became a home amongst friends.
A softly furnished haven of leather and boucle, guests gathered to flip through the issue, and toast to the occasion centred around a coffee table and marble sculptures from Rachel Donath.
In between glossy stacks of magazines, perhaps the evening's most talked-about addition was the 10-tiered potato chip 'mountain' (courtesy of La Petite Créme Creative), which was slowly eroded over the course of the evening, alongside platters of steaming hot Ascolane Olives carted in periodically from neighbouring Fratelli Paradiso.
As the night waged on, the champagne began to run dry, and the Dr. Dre was replaced by Leonard Cohen on the turntable, it was time to bid the RUSSH Apartment adieu, but not without a copy of our Beauty Annual tucked under the arm for a Saturday morning read with a much-needed coffee.
A big thank you to Waterford, DOMO, Rachel Donath and Armadillo for being a part of our dream apartment for the evening.
