RUSSH Magazine has launched public voting for its Creative Showcase 2025 Reader's Choice Award, featuring 20 exceptional entries selected from hundreds of submissions by an expert panel of judges. The creative work that receives the most votes will be crowned the Reader's Choice winner and featured in RUSSH's March 2026 issue. Voting remains open until midnight on November 16, 2025.
Among the standout entries is "Between Here & Home" by Ahmed Khan, a Sydney-based fashion photographer operating under the brand vemodalenmedia. Khan, who has six years of experience in both editorial and commercial fashion photography, recently moved to London in 2025 to explore the European creative industry for a year before returning to Sydney. His submission features model Georgina Solomon and stylist Bailey MacDonald, exploring the concept of "vemodalen" - the frustration of photographing something that has been captured countless times before.
Another notable entry is "Spectra" by 20-year-old visual communication designer Alisa Pontifix from Sydney, who specializes in photography and focuses on creating timeless, elegant designs. Her work features fashion from Romance Was Born with models Brady Jones, Krystal Hamady, and Sienna Androulakis. Pontifix's creative passion centers on designing movement into form and creating spaces where meaning unfolds through ongoing experiences.
The showcase also features diverse artistic perspectives, including Amal Tofaili Bleed's "Untitled," created by a self-taught street photographer from Melbourne who has transitioned into hand-cut collage art as a form of emotional expression. Amaya Ottosson presents "Open Stance," drawing from her background in sports and tennis coaching to bring an instinctive sense of movement and discipline to her fashion and beauty photography.
Several collaborative works highlight the creative partnerships within Australia's artistic community. "Tomorrow" represents the collaboration between Michelle Abraham and Rhyana McNab, two emerging creatives from New Zealand now based in Sydney, featuring model Ariel Toole from IMG. Meanwhile, "Inspiration Everyday Everywhere" showcases the partnership between photographer Sheree Porter, who spent 13 years assisting across the UK, US, and Australia, and stylist Izzy Rook, whose background includes costume design work on major productions like Barbie, Fantastic Beasts, and Indiana Jones.
The competition spans various creative disciplines and approaches, from Jack Chesher's "Facial Recognition," which challenges societal beauty norms through hair and makeup artistry, to Morgan Wood's "The Island," which captures beauty as a dialogue between emotion and environment with Australian nostalgia tinted by American influences. Other entries include Anderson Kellen's "Pipe Dream Living," exploring paradoxes within fashion culture and urban environments, and Troy Freyee's "Further than Irene," emphasizing emotion over perfection through film photography.
The RUSSH Creative Showcase 2025 receives support from partners Omoda and Camera House, both of which share the magazine's commitment to creativity, innovation, and self-expression. These partnerships represent a shared passion for pushing boundaries and viewing the world through fresh perspectives, helping bring this creative initiative to life as a celebration of imagination, craft, and the creative spirit that drives the artistic community forward.
