The event that became the inaugural InStyle Australia Beauty Summit began as just a kernel of an idea, way back when we relaunched the InStyle masthead in early 2022. For almost two years, we turned it over in our heads and around the boardroom table while we formulated a plan for how it should come to life and what could make it genuinely remarkable. In the end, it morphed through many different iterations, we changed the name and tinkered with the lineup until we found that just-right formula that turned out to be as remarkable an event as we’d all dreamed.

And so, team InStyle rolled into the home of the Australian Chamber Orchestra on the night of November 7, 2024 to welcome brand founders, creatives, and fans from the ever-evolving and always-exciting world of beauty. We were all fresh from a three-day team retreat which stretched our inspiration muscle, and in the middle of a print issue deadline that stretched our sanity. I wore a sparkly tank by Rotate Birger Christensen to detract from the bags under my eyes, which ended up looking very in-step with the chic boucle lounge setting from Koala on stage.

It was marvellous to hear from so many people what a special night it was; I think we all left feeling a little more energised and a little more grounded than when we arrived. Richard Christiansen shared his moving philosophy on radical inconsistency and how the business of beauty can change for the better. Celeste Barber was her typically magnetic self when speaking on the power that “women of a certain age” have but aren’t often enough recognised for. I had the pleasure of hosting a panel with Kate Blythe from MECCA, Paul Balbo from Meta, Doone Roisin from Female Startup Club and Effie Asahu-Adjaye from Beautiful Sparks — four compelling voices from the world of beauty who shared their deeply-felt insights on progress and passion. You can read the transcripts from each of those conversations in this month’s digital issue.