Homegirl Zine
An independent publication profiling creative women in their sanctuaries
After moving from Sydney to Melbourne, Australia, Ingrid Kesa found the atmosphere for creatives in the city to be one of “collaboration rather than competitiveness” and while making new friends and connections, came in contact with more than a few inspirational women. That, coupled with Kesa’s self-confessed voyeuristic streak, meant the idea for Homegirl Zine was an organic one. “I did some shooting and styling work for Nasty Gal a little while back, mostly featuring cool local girls doing cool things. I always gravitated towards shooting them in their own homes, as this setting lent a sense of comfort and ease—and I always appreciated being welcomed into people’s personal spaces,” Kesa tells CH. “I’d been wanting to work on a personal print project for a while, so that’s where the idea all began.”
Photographed and edited by Kesa (and designed by Alice Oehr), the zine shows off interesting and creative Melbourne women in their own homes. Not only an insight into their unique tastes in home decor, the publication offers personal inspiration at the most relatable level. The first issue—which just launched—includes interviews and photoshoots with eight women, from filmmaker Amy Dellar to founder of talent agency Folk Collective, Sunni Hart.
Choosing the women to profile came about naturally too, “When I started the project I had only lived in Melbourne for a couple of months so [the girls] were all friends, or friends of friends. It’s a small world and ends up we’re all linked somehow… The first shoot I did for Homegirl was of Mima Bulj, and I couldn’t have asked for a better first shoot. Mima is this crazy wild creative director and stylist, and also co-designs at jewelry label Underground Sundae. It was super chill and inspired me to develop the project into something bigger than I had initially imagined,” she says.
It’s already growing rapidly; while the first issue was all done by Kesa—with design from Oehr—the next issue promises to be even bigger and more involved. “The second issue is going to feature a whole range of contributors from Australia and abroad. Instead of just focusing on photos of girls in their own homes, I want it to cover everything from product edits, art, editorial shoots, opinion pieces and interviews—all related to the theme of girls and their homes,” says Kesa.
Homegirl Zine is available online. If you want to get involved in the second issue, email ingridkesa[at]gmail.com.
Images courtesy of Homegirl Zine
