Liz Sunshine

At Work With

10 Jul

Written By Hande Renshaw

Melbourne-based Liz Sunshine is an artist and street style photographer—her documentary photography acts as a form of cultural record-keeping, sharing insight into culture, people, lifestyle, attitudes and values.

Photography: Liz Sunshine & Nicole Squelch

Melbourne-based artist, documentary fashion and portrait photographer, Liz Sunshine. *Photo:* *Nicole Squelch*

Liz Sunshine’s recent exhibition, *GROUNDED*, at the Jardan showroom in Sydney. *Photo:* *Nicole Squelch*

‘I believe talking about our individual and collective relationship with clothes can positively impact our day-to-day lives and bring awareness to consumption, textile waste and social injustice within Australia and beyond,’ says Liz Sunshine. *Photo:* *Nicole Squelch*

‘Street fashion was exciting because it saw everyday cool girls pushed into the spotlight by photographers curating the streets of cities globally… a new way of viewing fashion, placing importance on individual style rather than celebrity or magazine editorials.’ *Photo:* *Nicole Squelch*

Liz Sunshine’s documentary fashion—So Frenchy So Chic. *Photo:* *Liz Sunshine*

Hello Liz—can you introduce yourself?

Liz: I’m an artist, documentary fashion and portrait photographer based in Melbourne. I love fashion, and am particularly interested in the interpretation of how we wear clothes, studying personal style and encouraging people to place importance on their choices.

Take us back to the beginning, what were you doing before working as a photographer?

Growing up on a farm in country NSW, I had little knowledge of the world outside our town. My mum was always a creative person, she made her own clothes and as a child I remember her forever learning new things.

I had no exposure or access to fashion, and had never visited an art gallery before I was sixteen. My version of Vogue was Ezy-Buy and Big W catalogues—they showed unattainable ‘new’ clothes and I would often dream about what I would someday buy, and who I would be.

At the beginning of year 11 my parents moved to Canberra and my mum enrolled me at Narrabundah college, where I was able to try multiple creative endeavours, including photography. I had a great teacher and the immediacy (even though it was film at the time) of photography really appealed to my short attention span over other disciplines of fashion and art.

I moved to Townsville at nineteen to study at James Cook University, but ended up in Melbourne only one year later—chasing the dream of becoming a fashion photographer. Within a year I was working full-time as an assistant and have been professional for fifteen or so years now.

When did photography first have an impact on you?

At high school I took a photo of a cabbage—a very simplistic image that was praised immensely by my teacher and although to this day I’m not 100% why, I remember the feelings around it. I felt my chest and head lift, I felt competent like I could do it again and I felt intrigued… what could I photograph next? It was probably the first time in my life that something creative had really felt effortless and it was a feeling I wanted more of.

How did you get into street photography?

At the beginning of my career, street style was a new category of photography, blogs were booming and social media was in its infancy. I had just become a full-time photographer and was mainly working in-house for Green With Envy, a then iconic Melbourne boutique. Working inside a studio often felt too repetitive, and I was looking to push myself and grow creatively.

Street fashion was exciting because it saw everyday cool girls pushed into the spotlight by photographers curating the streets of cities globally… a new way of viewing fashion, placing importance on individual style rather than celebrity or magazine editorials. It was in the interruption of fashion and the connections with strangers I met on the streets, that I started to find my creative voice and what I value within the industry.

What are you initially most drawn to in a person when capturing your street photography?

Authenticity is the main draw card. Who are they, how comfortable do they look in their clothes and how creative and knowledgeable of fabric, fit and proportions have they been in the way they dress. Aesthetically that allows for a completely open playing field, and means i’m not so interested in trends, but more in personality.

People who dress with a point of view is also very important and often creates the best street style looks. For some people it takes time and patience, for others it’s instinctual and effortless.

Tell us about your latest exhibition, GROUNDED, at Jardan—what was your biggest takeaway after shooting in Denmark, Sweden and Norway?

That our biggest flex is our multiculturalism and that Australia has the opportunity to pull out all the best parts of the global approach to fashion and consume less.

Also, from conversations I had on the ground, I now see wearing used clothes as the future. Scandinavian girls place a huge importance on buying responsibly, and almost all the women I spoke to were wearing used clothes. There was only one woman who’s approach differed, Jenny (known as leopard lady from the series of works) limited her consumption to one item a year, which is also a perspective we can learn from.

Why is our relationship with clothes and how we consume so important for you personally?

At the beginning of 2022, I realised I didn’t have a great relationship with clothes. I had spent a decade documenting fashion and believing in the power of outfit transformation, but had myself also experienced the pressure and confusion that comes from feelings like you always needed to be wearing something new.

After learning that Australia is a huge contributor to textile waste, I realised there is a disconnect between how we dress and how we consume. I believe talking about our individual and collective relationship with clothes can positively impact our day-to-day lives and bring awareness to consumption, textile waste and social injustice within Australia and beyond. I believe this, because I know exactly how it feels and have been able to repair my relationship with how I consume and dress.

*Slowing Down* by Liz Sunshine on display at the Jardan showroom in Sydney. *Photo:* *Nicole Squelch*

“It’s the moments where I get to celebrate everyday people for the way they dress that feel the most empowering and rewarding.”

— LIZ SUNSHINE

*Deeply Worn* by Liz Sunshine on display at the Jardan showroom in Sydney. *Photo:* *Nicole Squelch*

*Red Coat* by Liz Sunshine from her recent *GROUNDED* collection, presented by Eurail celebrating the intersection of slow travel, slow fashion and Scandinavian style. *Photo:* *Liz Sunshine*

The most rewarding part of your job is…

I became a fashion photographer for the clothes, but I have continued to be one for the people I meet and talk to. We all deserve to feel good about ourselves, yet fashion is often clouded with judgement and pressure, both internal and external. It’s the moments where I get to celebrate everyday people for the way they dress that feel the most empowering and rewarding.

And the most challenging aspect of your job is...

Remembering to slow down and take time for self care, outside of family time.

The most valuable piece of advice you would give to emerging photographers looking to break into the industry is…

Patience. Practice. Perspective.

Are there any dream projects or collaborations you aspire to undertake?

At the moment I’m focusing on art projects that are curious and open-minded. In the near future I’m hoping to work towards a public participation art project that spreads awareness for textile waste in Australia and allows different communities to connect through their clothing.

What are you most excited about that’s coming up?

I’m currently in Sardinia for work, but when I return home I’m looking forward to opening a new exhibition called OUTSIDE in Melbourne, which explores the ideas of feeling outside of fashion, think judgement both internal and external, and the exclusion or exclusivity of being inside of fashion, and how that feels from the outer looking in.

I’m also looking forward to photographing a new series of work, which looks at people’s physical wardrobes— I am quite obsessed with the idea of cultural clothing.

On a personal note, August will see me clean out my wardrobe and try a seasonal capsule approach to dressing, where I store clothes that aren’t needed, and bring them back into my wardrobe as the seasons change. An approach I feel will really work for me, and help me move into the next phase of refining my personal style.

For more information about Liz’s work, visit her website or follow her on Instagram.

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