A woman with dark hair styled back, wearing a gold sleeveless dress and jewelry, holding a fur coat, smiling and looking upward, with promotional text for an event titled 'Black Joy in Fashion' from October 21-23 at 6 PM.

2025 Melbourne Fashion Week Conversation Series

Event poster titled 'See Me See Us' featuring four people; the event is at Torrens Uni Flinders St Campus on October 21 at 6 PM. The poster highlights 'Black Joy in Fashion' and lists four vibe curators: Karinda Mutabazi, Shayne Tino, Victoria Latu, and Waddle Othow, with their roles and brief descriptions. The design uses a black background with gold and white text.
Event poster titled 'See Me See Us: Black Joy in Fashion' with details of a panel discussion on October 22nd at 6 PM at City Bowls Melbourne. The poster features photographs of four individuals: Kuti Kalo, Nonny Bulle, Suleiman Thomas, and Noah daCosta, labeled as a panelist and moderator, with brief descriptions of their work. The background is black with yellow text and accents, including the logo of Save Space Media at the bottom right corner.
Event poster with black background and gold text, promoting 'See Me See Us' event on October 23rd at 6 PM at City Bowls Melbourne, featuring panelists Laurinda Ndenzako, Gloria Chol, Asia Hassan, and moderator Jonny Gbla, under theme 'Black Joy in Fashion'.

The See Me See Us: Black Joy in Fashion is a conversation series bringing together twelve trailblazing Black creatives in the Fashion scene discussing what brings them joy while working in the Australian Fashion Industry. Over 3 nights, you’ll hear about their inspiring stories, discover how they each weave ‘Black Joy’ into their art, and bear witness to narratives that are often unseen. Leave each chat with unparalleled insights on design innovation, multicultural perspectives, and the power of authentic expression in fashion.

See Me See Us: Black Joy In Fashion is more than a conversation. It’s a celebration of diversity and inclusivity, connecting you directly to the pulse of fashion’s future.

  • Event poster promoting a fashion event featuring Karinda Mutabazi on October 21st at 6 PM at Torrens University Flinders Street campus, with a photograph of Karinda Mutabazi wearing a blazer and a gold chain necklace.
  • Event poster for 'See Me See Us: Black Joy in Fashion,' featuring a portrait of Shayne Tino, a consumer creative, with event details including date, time, and location at Torrens Uni Flinders St Campus.
  • Poster promoting an event featuring Victoria Latu, scheduled for October 21 at 6 PM at Torrens Uni Flinders St campus. The poster has black background with bold gold and white text, and a photo of Victoria Latu with curly hair, wearing a striped orange and blue jacket.
  • Waddle Othow
  • Poster for an event titled "See Me, See Us: Black Joy in Fashion" featuring Suleiman Thomas, with the date October 22 and time 6 PM at City Bowls Melbourne. The poster includes a photo of Suleiman Thomas wearing sunglasses and a beanie, with a blurred background of people. The event focuses on beauty in cultures.
  • Event poster for Black Joy in Fashion featuring Nonny Bulle, to be held on October 22 at 6 PM at City Bowls Melbourne. The poster includes a photo of Nonny Bulle who is smiling and wearing a patterned teal top. The text highlights the event title, date, location, and participant.
  • Event poster featuring a portrait of Kuti Kalo with a leather jacket and blue cap, promoting a Black Joy in Fashion event at City Bowls Melbourne on October 22 at 6 PM, with the text 'See Me See Us' and details about the event.
  • Event poster for 'See Me See Us: Black Joy in Fashion,' scheduled for October 22nd at 6 PM at City Bowls Melbourne. Features a portrait of Noah Da Costa, the moderator, wearing a brown beanie, multiple rings, bracelets, and a tan jacket against a blue background.
  • Poster advertising an event called 'See Me See Us: Black Joy in Fashion' with a photo of a woman wearing a hijab and a colorful floral dress. The event is scheduled for October 23rd at 6 PM at City Bowls Melbourne, featuring Asia Hassan from ASIYAM.
  • Event poster with a smiling woman in black, wearing large pearl earrings, promoting a fashion event with the text 'See Me See Us Black Joy in Fashion,' featuring Gloria Chol, on October 23rd at 6 PM at City Bowls Melbourne.
  • Event poster for 'See Me See Us: Black Joy in Fashion' featuring Laurinda Ndenzako from Collective Closets, scheduled for October 23rd at 6 PM at City Bowls Melbourne. The poster includes a portrait of Laurinda Ndenzako against a pink background, dressed in colorful fashion and earrings.
  • Poster for an event titled "See Me See Us" featuring Black Joy in Fashion, scheduled for October 23rd at 6 PM at City Bowls Melbourne. The poster shows a man wearing sunglasses, pointing at the camera, holding a green bottle, standing outdoors next to a white Hyundai van and a wooden fence, with green trees in the background. The event is moderated by Jonny Gbla.

  • Karinda Mutabazi is a Melbourne-based fashion and wardrobe stylist, creative consultant, and mentor who loves telling stories through style. Her work is defined by unmistakable bold colour, and a unique but authentic sense of self.

    Once a professional musical theatre performer, she now works across television (Think Take 5 With Zan Rowe, RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under, Thank God You’re Here), runway (including Melbourne Fashion Week/ Australian Fashion Week/ Melbourne Fashion Festival/ Country To Couture), editorial, music & live events.

  • A driving force in the creative industry, Shayne Tino is known for redefining what’s cool and pushing the boundaries of modern storytelling. Fearless in his approach to content and. brand partnerships, Shayne crafts 360-degree narratives that don’t just sell, they inspire. This distinct perspective has seen him collaborate with global icons including Louis Vuitton, David Jones, Nespresso, Nike, and Samsung.

    A true multi-hyphenate, Shayne moves effortlessly between roles, from being in front of the camera to leading creative direction behind it, ensuring every project delivers with precision and flair. With his innate sense of style and cultural intuition, Shayne has spearheaded campaigns across the world and founded his own ideas agency, @consumer.creative , where strategy. and storytelling converge.

    A fashion and creative visionary, Shayne’s pulse on emerging trends across men’s and women’s style informs his work, blending editorial artistry with boundless imagination.

  • Victoria Latu is a Channel 10 media personality and style expert who appears weekly on Studio10. Beyond her on-air work, Victoria is a passionate advocate for inclusivity and diversity in fashion, helping women of all colors, shapes, and backgrounds build confidence through style.

    With celebrity interviews under her belt (Joan Collins, Kim Kardashian, Scarlett Johansson) and experience as a sought-after MC and host, Victoria brings authenticity and expertise to every conversation. She regularly leads workshops and masterclasses on media, style, and confidence - partnering with the likes of KMART and covering Channel 10's Spring Racing Carnival.

  • Waddle is a Narrm based creative director, model and founder of Black Meetups GC. Lover of everything styling and clothes. Waddle will be spearheading the conversation with our featured Black Diaspora Stylists that understand that fashion is a language, and they're fluent in speaking joy through every piece they select, every texture they combine, every silhouette they perfect.

  • Suleiman Thomas is a photographer and creative director behind Beauty In Our Cultures, a project and brand focused on capturing diverse and multicultural beauty. He is also a commercial fashion photographer, with experience as a fashion stylist, who uses his work to explore themes of identity, culture, and community, and is well known in the fashion scene capturing iconic moments that have been featured in various international fashion and beauty publications. His work has most recently been featured in projects such as the NGV's "Africa Fashion" exhibition. Suleiman began as a fashion stylist before transitioning to fashion photography, focusing on commercial work while also creating personal projects.

  • Nonny [Nynno Bel-Air] is a Melbourne-based photographer and creative director whose work blends intentional storytelling with a refined visual style. With a background in psychology, business and marketing, she brings a thoughtful, strategic lens to both client-led and personal projects. Her photography has appeared in Vogue, GQ, Russh, The Design Files, and exhibited at the Centre for Contemporary Photography. Whether collaborating with fashion labels or community organisations, Nonny builds visual narratives that resonate - balancing creative expression with commercial insight.

  • Kuti Kalo is a creative entrepreneur, fitness coach, and community leader. Founder of @creativeuhub , @nasfitness25 , @kuti.kaptures, Kuti is passionate about building safe spaces, empowering young adults, and celebrating culture through fashion, wellness, and storytelling. His work bridges creativity, community, and purpose.

  • Noah daCosta is a UK-born, Melbourne-based interviewer, event curator, and creative working at the intersection of music, culture, fashion, and community. With a background in radio, media production, and marketing, he specialises in in-depth conversations that uncover stories, insights, and perspectives. Over the past five years, Noah has built a practice of connecting artists, audiences, and creative communities through dialogue, live events, and cultural storytelling. His projects amplify underrepresented voices, particularly within Black and POC creative communities, creating spaces that are both engaging and impactful.

  • Asia Hassan is the founder, creative director, and head designer of the modest fashion label @asiyam.au. A Somali refugee who came to Australia as a teenager, she is a prominent figure in modest fashion, known for designing sophisticated, flowing garments that blend modern style with modesty. She also made history being the first modest fashion designer to have a runway show at Afterpay Australian Fashion Week (AAFW) 2023.

  • Gloria Chol is a South Sudanese-Australian creative and fashion entrepreneur known for redefining style through bold, innovative designs. Founder of @gloriachol.official , she blends cultural heritage with modern fashion, championing diversity and representation. Gloria’s work celebrates individuality, empowering communities and shaping conversations in Australia’s evolving fashion landscape.

  • Laurinda Ndenzako is one of the designers and Co-Founder behind @collectiveclosets , the fashion label she started with her sister Fatuma in 2016. Together, they've built a brand that celebrates the connection between Africa and Australia through bold textiles, contemporary design, and an unwavering commitment to joy.

    As an African-Australian designer, Laurinda creates fashion that opens conversations, challenges perceptions, and makes people feel genuinely seen and celebrated. She's building something that exists on its own terms—unapologetically bold, rooted in joy, and designed to make people feel powerful.

    Collective Closets proves that when you design from authenticity rather than expectation, you create something that genuinely resonates—fashion that celebrates culture in a way that feels both meaningful and playful.

  • Jonny was born in the UK with Sierra Leonean heritage. Previously a semi-professional footballer, Fashion has always been a passion of Jonny. After an ankle injury, Jonny discovered sewing and it completely changed the way he connects with clothing. Now, Jonny focus on creating content around sewing, upcycling and teaching people how to sew. His craft is about inspiring others to see fashion as both personal expression and a space for creativity.

A woman dressed in a yellow ruffled dress, smiling and holding a fur coat, with large bold black text reading 'SEE ME SEE US' at the top and white text below for an event titled 'Black Joy in Fashion' from October 21 to 23 at 6 PM, with a QR code at the bottom right corner.