City’s queen of colour dazzles with new achievement
At this years 40 Under 40, Perfect Stranger founder and artist, Rachel Burke, took out the Creative Thinker Award.
Rachel Burke, an artist, designer, and author, is known for her vibrant, multidisciplinary creative practice that spans fashion, art, theatre, and public installations in Brisbane and beyond.
Her dedication to handmade craft, storytelling, sustainability, and community shapes her work and drives her successful career.
Burke’s journey began with a self-imposed year-long challenge to make a dress a day to raise funds for NAPCAN and the Starlight Foundation.
This playful project quickly garnered attention and a thriving fashion career, earning Burke roles at Princess Polly and Universal Store, where she created the successful in-house label Perfect Stranger.
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Since going independent in 2018, Burke has penned six books, including “Fancy Long Legs,” which La Boite Theatre adapted for the stage, and collaborated with global brands like Disney, LEGO, and Barbie.
Burke has also dressed stars including Cate Blanchett, Harry Styles and Kesha, and worked internationally as a Global Experiential stylist for Airbnb.
This year, Burke has been working on expanding her creative practice through a new art exhibition at the Rockhampton Museum of Art and launching a craft product range with Spotlight Stores.
The Creative Thinker Award, sponsored by Aruga, recognises the person who best demonstrates creative thinking in their business and endeavours, and shows the use of innovation to progress.
As a fierce champion of creativity, individuality and joy, Burke continues to foster an inclusive community of makers through her work and uses her platform to uplift and encourage creative expression on both a local and global scale. Burke inspires others to embrace the power of handmade craft, aiming to leave a lasting, vibrant mark on Queensland’s cultural landscape.
