This week Saint Cloche celebrated real women in our community to mark International Women’s Week and we raised much needed funds for a great charity supporting women – Dress for Success.

To mark this occasion, Curator Kitty Clark invited Cindy Kavanagh, founder of Sydney’s ‘The Modern Muse’ to exhibit a collection of portraits that celebrate women reaching ‘level 50’ in a series of unique captures and stories of women viewed through their lens of feminine archetypes.

Gwyneth Paltrow says that turning 50 needs a ‘rebrand’, and in essence that is what this project has become.

Saint Cloche hosted a captivating dining experience, curated by Gallery Director Kitty Clark, featuring artist Tracey Deep's ethereal floral arrangements and tableware supplied by Dinosaur Designs and Mud Ceramics. Guests enjoyed a delicious Mediterranean-inspired feast, including chef-prepared cheese wheel pasta. The experience included take-home gift bags and a raffle with amazing prizes, generously provided by our sponsors.

Fashion Stylist & Presenter, Madeleine Park created a showcase of emerging young fashion designer’s works inspired by Cindy’s feminine archetypes and hosted a conversation with Cindy discussing her almost therapeutic, one-on-one pre-portraiture process to discover the essence of each woman before they step in front of her lens.  Her A-Team that includes professional makeup, styling, wardrobe and including Cindy’s award-winning hairdressing husband, Richard Kavanagh and renowned editorial fashion stylist, Michael Azzolini.

During the live discussion, Cindy and Madeleine discussed how ‘The Modern Muse’ process unveils aspects of ourselves that are sometimes kept hidden from view and most women aren’t even aware they are doing it until they take some time to look within. Societal stereotypes often make women feel the world is an unsafe space to truly be their authentic powerful selves.

Cindy lifts the veil on what goes into making the images found in glossy mags, as she guides her clients to discover their innate style and take agency over their image.  Cindy has developed 12 archetypes or photo styles to inspire as a starting point for her clients to imagine their own story.  By listening to and collaborating with her clients on mood-boards, reference, and weaving their story into concepts, they arrive at a rich and meaningful portrait.

Our final event of the week-long IWD festivities was held on Saturday with a panel discussion facilitated by Vashti Whitfield who describes herself as a ‘Speaker & Professional Cage Rattler’ and is also an Author and Executive & Personal Coach amongst other things. She was joined on the panel by Cindy and three of her phenomenal 50@50 participants in a conversation celebrating women by having their stories heard through the poetic portraits and film – and most importantly bringing attention to a new way of looking at of turning 50 - the ‘second spring’!

The Modern Muse project shifts us away from societal values of ‘beauty’ to the true beauty of everyone’s essence within and how they share that with their own community and the world.

Special thanks to all our sponsors.