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Fashion – Megan French
BOWS & RIBBONS
We won’t just be seeing them in the admission lines at Maisie Peters and Gracie Abrams concerts in 2024. Girly bows and ribbons are taking over the accessories scene and are set to become the IT-styling item of the year. Everyone from high-end brands including Dior, Max Mara and Zimmerman, to accessible labels such as Lovisa, Zara and Cotton On are jumping on board, retailing a variety of shapes, colours and sizes. The bow is typically worn as a hair clip, but it has also been featured as a design motif and embellishment on garments.
WHITE OUT
Monochromatic white looks reigned supreme during the spring 2024 fashion season runway shows in October, indicating we are in for an influx of white in the new year. Valentino was one of the heavyweight designers driving this trend, and based on its track record of being a catalyst for fuchsia pink taking over the world in the past two years, it’s safe to say this one is almost guaranteed. Expect head-to-toe ensembles, not just a stark white T-shirt or brand new pair of sneakers. It’s go all out, or go home, with this one.
FLOWER POWER
Whether it’s an eclectic design motif, a bold print, or a gorgeous rosette choker, florals are coming in hard and fast. Despite there being hundreds of flower species for designers to choose from, 2024 is the year of the rose. Everything from long stem roses to rose-inspired jewellery will be prevalent. Celebrity early adopters include Zendaya, Bad Bunny, Hailey Bieber and of course, Sarah Jessica Parker.
OFFICECORE
Don’t be surprised when a friend rocks up to your summer brunch in a full suit this season, or dons a tie to a gathering so informal they’ll be standing next to someone wearing thongs. For some unknown reason, the masses have started dressing for work, outside of work. Let’s call it, out of office corporate chic? Drop the jorts (jean shorts) and opt for a tailored pair. Swap the summer dress for a matching suit set. Cull the slides, add the loafers.
PEACHY KEEN
Taylor Swift was named Person of the Year. Rizz was named Word of the Year. Now it’s time for colour of the year, peach fuzz, according to Pantone. The warm and welcoming hue sits between a shade of mellow orange and neutral pink, perhaps a byproduct of “balletcore” which swept the globe in 2023. Executive director of Pantone Colour Institute Leatrice Eiseman says: “In seeking a hue that echoes our innate yearning for closeness and connection, we chose a colour radiant with warmth and modern elegance. A shade that resonates with compassion, offers a tactile embrace, and effortlessly bridges the youthful with the timeless.”
Food and drink – Simon Collins
Wine bars and bistros, Italian and French, mushroomed in 2023 as Perth diners embraced shared plates, fine vin and vino, and European ambience.
Small bars also continued while a handful of grand old suburban pubs got a modern makeover, with menus to match.
Beer drinkers mostly turned their back on craft, with well-made lagers and pilsners undoubtedly the beers for summer, while bartenders across town polished their cocktail game, fuelled by a proliferation of small batch distilleries.
Here are five things we either expect, or hope — fingers crossed — to see in 2024.
REGIONALISM
No longer should a restaurant be called Italian. If a trattoria or osteria is serving authentic dishes then they probably date back beyond the invention of the nation-state of Italy in 1861.
Describing an eatery as Italian tells me about as much as calling a restaurant Asian.
So, does your ristorante serve Sicilian food? Piedmontese? Umbrian? Roman? Let customers know and embrace your history.
There are a lot of Italian chefs in Perth and many of them would love to share recipes and dishes from their home towns.
The same goes for French, German, Chinese and Japanese eateries. Let’s dig in, before we dig in.
FRESH TERRAIN
Middle Eastern food is delicious, healthy and has something for everyone from meat driven dishes to dips and salads. And we’re not just talking hummus and falafel here — the Arabian peninsula has a smorgasbord from pizza-like manakeesh topped with ground meat or za’atar to tabouleh salad and, my favourite, smoky moutabal or baba ghanoush.
And let’s keep heading east, to West African cuisine, which is having a moment in London where restaurants such as Akoko and Ikoyi are enjoying acclaim.
Locally Brian Cole — the head chef at the Ritz-Carlton’s fine-diner Hearth, who escaped civil war in his birthplace of Sierra Leone and came to Australia as a child — is keen to share the flavours of the sub-Saharan.
SHOUTING LAGER, LAGER, LAGER
Who knew that craft beer lovers would get bored of double-dry hopped mocha-chocca imperial white stouts and mango milkshake sours? Now, any indie brewer worth the salt in his limited release gose has a decent lager in its core range.
Queensland’s Balter and Sydney’s Modus went the whole hog and released Mexican-style lagers in clear bottles baring more than a passing resemblance to Corona. Why not? Corona is Australia’s best-selling imported with about 7 per cent of our beer market.
Beyond pointing out that 2024 will be a tough year for the craft brewing industry, there is absolutely nothing wrong with a well-made, clean, crisp lager — or pilsner — on a hot day.
PARMI RACE
The nation’s two biggest pub operators, Australian Leisure and Hospitality Group (ALH) and Australian Venue Co own close to 50 pubs between them in Perth.
While the Woolworths spawned ALH currently owns 27, AVC is coming at them hard — the former small Victorian pub group has recently nabbed The Court and Tiger Lil’s, and is backing craft beer giant BrewDog’s takeover of Gordon Street Garage.
Smaller hospitality groups and independent publicans bemoan the cookie-cutter approach of both companies, as well as their ability to pay higher rents, and rightly so.
When we’re paying more than $40 for a chicken parmigiana at pubs next summer, we’ll know who to blame.
MORE MORE MORE
This year saw too many new venues, big and small, open in Perth. And 2024 will be no different.
Beyond ALH and AVC continuing their parmi race, Shui owners Leigh Power and Benny Tua apparently have plans for as many as five fresh joints next year.
George Kailis will open his South Cottesloe masterpiece Gibney, the Nokturnl boys have just unveiled The Station in South Perth and will hopefully reopen the redeveloped Stories (aka Yagan Square, take two), and the Dutch Trading Co team will finally pour craft beers at Fallow Liquor and Eats in Northbridge.
BrewDog’s West Perth foray will complete a five-venue craft beer pub crawl, while John Parker’s ambitious Busselton Pavilion continues the evolution of the South West town into WA’s second city.
The hospitality scene in Perth, and regional WA, continues to evolve.
TV – Clare Rigden
Thought this year was a big one in TV land?
You ain’t seen nothing yet!
2024 is shaping up to be another epic year for television, with some much-anticipated series headed our way, as well as many returning favourites.
From the second season of House of the Dragon, the new Squid Game, the TV adaptation of Boy Swallows Universe, another Colin From Accounts and The Tattooist of Auschwitz, it’s time to get excited about TV next year.
HOUSE OF THE DRAGON, S2
Fans have had to wait an eternity for the second season of the Game of Thrones prequel, but we should be getting it at some point mid-year. The stage is set for one almighty civil war, with GOT creator George R.R. Martin hinting the new series will be “powerful and gut-wrenching” This will stream on Binge.
BOY SWALLOWS UNIVERSE
Starring Travis Fimmell, Phoebe Tonkin, Bryan Brown, Anthony LaPaglia and Perth’s own Lee Halley in the central role of Gus, this TV re-imagining of Trent Dalton’s much-loved novel is already getting plenty of positive early chatter. Mark your diaries for January 11, when the series will premiere on Netflix — this one will be big.
TRUE DETECTIVE: NIGHT COUNTRY
The latest series of the Emmy-winning crime drama anthology drops this January, and it’s already got critics buzzing Stateside. It stars two-time Academy Award winner Jodie Foster and actor/boxer Kali Reis. The word is it’s a return to form. This streams from January 15 on Binge.
DREAM HOME
Can’t get enough of home renovation shows? Seven has this great new series coming to screens at a date TBA next year, with Dr Chris at the helm no less. It will see six pairs of everyday Aussies “battle it out room by room to create astonishing new homes, with a trio of expert judges set to score each new space.” The winning couple will not only receive the home of their dreams, but also a life changing prize — sign us up!
GRISELDA
It’s Modern Family star Sophia Vergara like you’ve never seen her before! She’s returning to the small screen on January 15 in this big-budget Netflix series, playing a fictional version of Griselda Blanco, a notorious real-life Colombian cocaine trafficker.
PROSPER
This stars Richard Roxburgh as Cal Quinn, founder and global pastor of a fictional megachurch in the US — Rebecca Gibney plays his wife. “The Quinns are a family protecting shameful secrets — all while preaching a message of faith, love and acceptance,” says the synopsis. Sign us up. The series starts on January 18 on Stan.
MASTERS OF THE AIR
The sheer star power of this World War II series has TV land a-flutter. The Band of Brothers team of Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman are behind this true story of an American bomber group in WWII. It stars Elvis’ Austin Butler and the new Doctor Who, Ncuti Gatwa, and begins on January 26 on Apple TV Plus.
EXPATS
There’s lots of buzz about this six-part series, based on the best-selling novel by Janice Y.K.Lee. It’s set in Hong Kong, and centres on three American women, played by Nicole Kidman, Sarayu Blue and Ji-young Yoo, whose lives collide after a sudden family tragedy. Kidman is executive producer of the show, which starts on January 26 on Prime Video.
MR & MRS SMITH
Donald Glover and Maya Erskine are front and centre in this TV re-imagining of the Noughties film, which had Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie in the title roles. Alexander Skarsgard, Sarah Paulson and Ron Perlman also guest star, so you know it’s going to be top-notch. Watch it from February 2 on Prime Video.
THE TWELVE, S2
The sequel to Binge’s award-winning drama was recently filmed in Western Australia. It sees Sam Neill return to his role as Brett Colby, this time overseeing a controversial murder trial in a small country town. The series, which doesn’t have an air date yet but will be on Binge, follows a new crop of 12 jurors.
THE TATTOOIST OF AUSCHWITZ
Based on Heather Morris’ 2018 Holocaust novel, this series has been filmed in Europe this year and is a co-commission between Stan, Sky and Peacock in the US. Yellowjackets star Melanie Lynskey takes on a central role. This series will air on Stan on a to-be-announced date.
COLIN FROM ACCOUNTS, S2
This sweet comedy, from husband-and-wife team Patrick Brammall and Harriet Dyer, was a huge hit here and in Britain, where it picked up a swag of award nominations and legions of fans. The series is currently in production in Sydney and is due to air some time in 2024 on Binge.
SQUID GAME, S2
Get your tracksuits on! Fans have been eagerly awaiting this one for a while — and we’re likely to get it some time in the early new year. It follows the enormous success of the Netflix reality series spin-off, which recently saw an American woman walk away with $US4.56 million.
Events – Jade Jurewicz
It was music to West Australians’ ears when some of the world’s biggest acts added Perth to their itinerary in 2023 after years of being overlooked.
From the 134,000 fans squeezing into Optus Stadium to experience Coldplay and the masses road tripping to the Swan Valley for Robbie Williams, to Moulin Rouge selling out at Crown Theatre, it was a massive year for music and the arts.
Luckily, 2024 shows no sign of slowing down, with an impressive line-up of global acts and performances set to hit our shores for a packed year ahead.
MATCHBOX TWENTY
After the Barbie movie attracted a new generation of fans for hit Push as adapted by Ryan Gosling in the film, a move lead singer Rob Thomas found “hilarious”, Matchbox Twenty will be playing the OG to Perth crows in 2024. Not only is it the first time they’ve been to Perth in 11 years (the last time was alongside INXS in 2012, with vocalist Ciaran Gribbin at the helm) but they’re bringing fellow Nineties rock group Goo Goo Dolls along for the ride. They’re touring new album Where the Light Goes, also the Orlando band’s first new music in more than a decade, at RAC Arena on February 13.
WWE ELIMINATION CHAMBER
Wrestling fans are already in a lather about the WWE power-slamming into Optus Stadium for this event on February 24. It’s the group’s first event in Australia since 2018 and the only premium live event in the Asia-Pacific region for the year. Cory Rhodes, Logan Paul, Seth “Freakin” Rollins, LA Knight, Bianca Belair, Dominik Mysterio and Australia’s own Rhea Ripley are taking part.
TINA: THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL
Created in collaboration with the Queen of RockN’Roll herself, this musical extravaganza will dance its way into Perth from February 27. Pocket rocket Ruva Ngwenya takes on the massive role of Tina Turner in the jukebox musical that charts the icon’s celebrated life of triumph and resilience. Expect to laugh, cry and sing along to Proud Mary, Simply the Best, and What’s Love Got to Do with It in Crown Theatre.
PINK
There is no denying that West Australians adore pop icon Pink. The last time the three-time Grammy Award winner was in Perth she played four sold-out shows, and even filmed a music video here. Now, five years later, her Optus Stadium show — Summer Carnival Tour — on March 1 is anticipated to be one of the biggest of the year. Known for vocals that soar as high as she does during her aerial acrobatic feats, Pink, whose real name is Alecia Beth Moore Hart, has promised crowds will sing and smile until their cheeks hurt.
It follows a run across the US which saw her bring A-list talent, including Alanis Morrissette on stage and daughter Willow for a special duet. Tones and I will support her on the Australian leg.
TLC
A Noughties compilation isn’t complete without a track from this iconic girl group and in 2024 the playlist will come to life at RAC Arena. In a show promising fan interaction, nostalgic fashion and surprises — so far we know Busta Rhymes and En Vogue will be performing their certified party-starters too — the women behind Waterfalls (Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes died in 2002) will mark 30 years in music in true Nineties style. Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins and Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas will hit Perth on March 9.
NIGELLA LAWSON
The beloved cook and TV personality is coming to Australia for a live stage tour for the first time in five years; she kicks off An Evening with Nigella Lawson at Perth Concert Hall on March 11. Lawson will share cooking secrets and culinary passions at the “in conversation” style event with Matt Preston. The evening finishes with an audience Q&A.
JERRY SEINFELD
One of the world’s most famous comedians, Seinfeld will start his national tour in Perth with a show on June 15 at RAC Arena. It’s his first time Down Under since a sold-out arena tour in 2017, so if you are keen to see a master of stand-up in action, tickets are on sale now.
GREASE THE MUSICAL
We’re already humming Summer Nights, and there is still more than six months to wait before this musical hits Crown Theatre from June 30. Taking on this iconic duo of Sandy and Danny will be Annelise Hall and Joseph Spanti, joined by an all-star cast including Marcia Hines, Jay Laga’aia, Hamilton’s Keanu Gonzalez and Perth-born fourth generation performer Mackenzie Dunn. In memory of its original leading lady, the production is working with the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness and Research Centre as the official charity partner.
Also worth a mention . . .
Tim Minchin, from February 22, The Regal Theatre
Summersalt with Missy Higgins, Xavier Rudd and Kate Miller-Heike, March 2, Castelli Estate
Tom Jones, March 20, Kings Park
Dawn French, April 10-12, Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre
Elvis: A Musical Revolution, from May 11, Crown Theatre
Macklemore, May 20, HBF StadiumRBG: Of Many, One (Black Swan Theatre Company), from June 13, Heath Ledger Theatre
Avatar: The Last Airbender In Concert, June 15, Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre
Movies – Ben O’Shea
Movie revenue almost returned to pre-pandemic levels last year, fuelled in no small part by the two-headed box office beast that was Barbenheimer.
While this coming year holds nothing quite as all-conquering and discourse-dominating as the simultaneous release of Barbie and Oppenheimer, there’s a lot to look forward to. So, let’s get into it.
Oscar season (January-February)
Due to a quirk of international release schedules, Australia is getting a ton of Oscar contenders to start the year, which were released last year in the northern hemisphere. Anatomy of a Fall, The Zone of Interest, May December and All of Us Strangers, to name a few. Don’t miss them.
Dune: Part Two (February 29)
Timothee Chalamet returns as the scion of House Atriedes in this intergalactic epic from visionary director Denis Villeneuve, adapted from the classic sci-fi novel by Frank Herbert. Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Dave Bautista and Stella Skarsgard return, and the second instalment adds Florence Pugh, Austin Butler, Christopher Walken and Lea Seydoux. What a cast, what a concept.
Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse (March 28)
Last year’s Across the Spider-Verse (pictured below) wasn’t just one of the best animated features ever, it was one of the best superhero movies. Period. We’re talking proper modern art. Beyond the Spider-Verse should live up to that standard.
Deadpool 3 (May 2)
The third instalment of Ryan Reynolds’ phenomenal Deadpool franchise could be the greatest superhero movie out in 2024. Reynolds’ wisecracking, F-bomb dropping character and his best frenemy, Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine, meet again and we can safely assume hilarity will ensue.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (May 23)
George Miller made an all-time action classic in 2015’s Mad Max: Fury Road, and this origin story of the Furiosa character, starring Anya Taylor-Joy, promises to be more of the same.
Beetlejuice 2 (September 5)
Michael Keaton reprises his iconically weird character in this sequel to the 1988 classic. Jenna Ortega joins Winona Ryder, with Tim Burton back behind the camera. There are no new official pictures yet, so stay tuned.
Joker: Folie a Deux (October 4)
In 2019, Todd Phillips’ brooding psychological thriller about a Batman villain earned Joaquin Phoenix an Oscar nomination. The coming sequel to that box office smash stars Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn, and might be a musical. Wild.
Gladiator 2 (November)
Paul Mescal and Pedro Pascal lead this sequel to Ridley Scott’s iconic sword-and-sandal epic of 2000, which featured Russell Crowe, who won an Oscar for it. Little is known about the plot, but it is rumoured to follow the story of Lucius, the son of Maximum’s love Lucilla (the sister of Joaquin Phoenix’s evil Emperor Commodus) after the gladiator’s death.
Nosferatu (December)
Horror auteur Robert Eggers is set to reboot this cinema classic, which features the great Willem Dafoe hunting a vampire played by a reportedly unrecognisable Bill Skarsgard, who already scared everyone half to death as Pennywise in the It movies. So good.
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