Ahead of Christmas, ELLE partnered with Swarovski to host some friends at an intimate lunch at The Charles Brasserie & Bar, Sydney
This story appears in the DECEMBER 2025 Issue of
'Tis the season
LEFT Louis Vuitton skirt, $7500, bodysuit, $4250, and boots, price on application; Swarovski necklace, $500.
RIGHT Chanel dresses, $12,220, and $22,370 (worn underneath), and shoes, $4790.
Pass-the-parcel winner and actor Annabel Wolfe holds up the coveted middle prize: a Swarovski Created Diamonds collection necklace. Annabel Wolfe wears Swarovski Imber Y necklace, $299, Constella bracelet, $249, and Constella ring, $199. On Annabel's left is her sister, Pheobe Wolfe. Phoebe Wolfe wears Swarovski Imber Strandage necklace, $400, and Dextera ring, $189.
Photography by Ryan Cullen. Words by Jessica Bailey
n a seasonably warm spring afternoon in Sydney, ELLE’s editor, Jessica Bailey, hosted 10 young, rising creatives for Christmas lunch at The Charles Brasserie & Bar. The intimate gathering was an extension of the Swarovski-
presented ELLE Next Gen awards — an evening in September that celebrated Australia’s brightest up-and-coming talent across fashion, beauty, cinema, art, music and literature. These are the bold creatives who are pushing boundaries, embracing authenticity, and inspiring the next generation to see themselves as they are.
O
Christian Dior jacket, $27,000, skirt, $7700, briefs, $1500, and boots, $3600; Swarovski ring, $330.
stardom were derailed by an abundance of, well, everything except tender loving care.
When Sink appears on our Zoom call, it’s immediately clear she’ll follow in the calm and calculated footsteps of Emma Watson or Dakota Fanning before her — that is, she’s grounded, humble and clear about the direction in which she’s headed. There are no obvious signs of ego that would be warranted of someone her age and calibre — by which I mean a catalogue of work that includes collaborating with Taylor Swift, Helen Mirren, Brendan Fraser and Naomi Watts; a slew of fashion week appearances and campaigns for brands such as Miu Miu, Prada and Armani Beauty; a bunch of awards and nominations; multiple stints on Broadway; and 24.7 million Instagram followers, despite not keeping the app on her phone.
Her ability to stay in the game is something she credits to beginning her career in theatre — that hyper-disciplined environment drilled into her an impressive work ethic from the age of eight — rather than being created by, churned around and spat out by the Disney machine. (She also credits her mum for still asking her to take out the trash, even when she’s been to the Golden Globes the night before.)
As we chat, Sink is all smiles, relaxed on a cream couch under colourful Matisse-like prints, that famous red hair falling in casual waves around her face. She’s in London working on the next Spider-Man, the details of which are currently top secret (“You’ll have to wait and see,” she says with a smirk). It’s a moment of in-between (or, maybe, upside-down?) for Sink: she’s already said goodbye to Stranger Things, the Netflix phenomenon that made her famous, but the final series hasn’t aired yet. Given how enthusiastic the show’s fandom is, it’s going to be an emotional and drawn-out farewell as the eight feature film-length episodes drop in three batches: four episodes on November 27, three episodes on Boxing Day, and the finale on New Year’s Day.
McQueen dress, $3375, and tights, $446; Celine shoes, $1650 (worn throughout); Cartier rings, on right hand: $4450 each (ring finger), and $4200, on left hand: $2260 each, and bracelets, from top: $8600, $21,000, and $12,700.
Stranger Things almost didn’t happen for Sink. During her audition, she was told she was too old for the part (she would be the second-oldest kid), but she begged for the chance. After four callbacks and a lie about being able to rollerblade, she secured the role of Max.
This determination to perform was evident from a young age. Spending the first part of her childhood in the small town of Brenham, Texas, Sink grew up in a tight-knit, sports-obsessed household with three older brothers, a younger sister and their teacher parents, mum Lori and dad Casey. The Sink kids weren’t allowed to watch many movies: Hairspray and The Sound of Music were allowed, Grease was not (although Sink secretly watched it anyway). “We weren’t really allowed to listen to a lot of pop music, but our loophole was musical theatre songs,” she says mischievously. Sink and her brother Mitchell would recreate scenes from High School Musical and perform for the family. Seeing their love of performing, their mother put them both into acting, singing and dancing classes. “It became this outlet of expression for the two of us that was different from the sports we were raised on,” she says. “It gradually built over the years until you couldn’t get me back into softball.”
it meant they weren’t siloed off from the rest of the industry from a young age and instead were able to play and explore within it.
“It was so important [they let us do that] because anything I did outside of Stranger Things was helping me grow as an actor, and then I’d return to the next season and have a new skill set,” Sink says. “There was a certain year when it took a turn and I felt like, Oh, I can play characters outside of this genre, and it opened up my world and got me excited about different opportunities [after the show ends].”
She’s referring to 2021, between Stranger Things seasons three and four, when she starred in Darren Aronofsky’s psychological drama The Whale. Until that point, most of her side projects had involved playing kids in supernatural horrors. In The Whale, she played Ellie, the estranged, surly teenage daughter of a dangerously overweight teacher, Charlie (Brendan Fraser), who is struggling to come to terms with the death of his partner, the male student he left Ellie’s mother for. The film received a six-minute standing ovation at its premiere at the Venice Film Festival, and Sink received a Critics Choice Award nomination for Best Young Actor/Actress. It was an early step on the path from child star to adult actor.
Sink has said working on The Whale was like a bootcamp that helped her prepare for Stranger Things season four, which was more emotionally demanding than previous seasons, particularly the “Dear Billy” episode where she delivers a monologue at her stepbrother’s grave before nearly being killed herself. She pulled everything she learnt from Ellie and channelled it into Max: vulnerability, fear, emotion. She won the Hollywood Critics Association Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Streaming Series.
Meanwhile, Sink had unknowingly attracted Taylor Swift’s attention and had become the deal-breaking factor in whether Swift made a short film to accompany her breakup anthem “All Too Well”. Luckily, Sink — a card-carrying Swiftie — accepted the offer to play the singer opposite Dylan O’Brien, who, if rumours are to be believed, played Jake Gyllenhaal. Having to tap into love and heartbreak — without having yet experienced it for herself — was another step towards cultivating a career with longevity.
Rowi Singh wears Swarovski Chroma Strandage necklace, $1100, and Hyperbola Pendant necklace, $460.
LEFT The festive table setting. Phoebe Wolfe wears Swarovski Dextera ring, $189. TOP RIGHT Gemma Chua Tran wears Swarovski Millenia necklace, $930, and Sublima Cocktail ring, $450. BOTTOM RIGHT The gifting table (aka everyone’s favourite table)
Cue an afternoon of mingling over traditional French fare designed by The Charles’ executive chef, Billy Hannigan, and head of pastry, Rhiann Mead. There was steak and anchovy tartare, yellowfin tuna and Christmas pate en croûte to start, accompanied by The Charles’ signature Two Sip martinis. For mains, Kidman wagyu rib eye, whole roasted chicken, grilled ocean trout and fries were served, followed by the restaurant’s famous dessert trolley that featured Christmas-themed sweets.
Phoebe Wolfe wears Swarovski Imber Strandage necklace, $400.
LEFT Carla Uriarte wears Swarovski Millenia Drop earrings, $189. RIGHT The Charles’ signature Two Sip Martini greeted guests on arrival.
In true seasonal spirit, a game of pass-the-parcel saw every guest go home with a piece of Swarovski jewellery from the house’s most prized collections: Matrix, Millenia, Constella, Sublima, the list went on. Soundtracked to Taylor Swift’s new single, “The Fate of Ophelia”, the final gift box revealed a necklace from the Swarovski Created Diamonds collection. Its winner? Actor Annabel Wolfe, who is gearing up for the 2026 release of her new film, Seven Snipers, also starring Tim Roth.
Maina Doe wears Swarovski Millenia necklace, $800.
Other guests included Wolfe’s sister, the writer and filmmaker Phoebe Wolfe, who has been busy producing short films for luxury fashion houses. Fellow actor Andrea Solange, the 2024 recipient of the coveted Australians In Film Heath Ledger scholarship, shared her plans for jetting off to Los Angeles to audition. And next to Solange at the table was Heartbreak High star Gemma Chua-Tran, who is readying herself for the hit Netflix show’s season three release. Fashion designer Ruby Pedder mused on her dreams of moving to London to work. Musicians Charley and Maina Doe, artist Carla Uriarte and beauty influencers Billie Jean Reed and Rowi Singh were also in attendance, the latter having just returned from New York where she worked her makeup skills on singer-songwriter Chappell Roan.
From left; Annabel Wolfe wears Swarovski Imber Y necklace, $299, Constella bracelet, $249, and Constella ring, $199. Phoebe Wolfe wears Swarovski Imber Strandage necklace, $400.
LEFT Pass-the-parcel winner and actor Annabel Wolfe holds up the coveted middle prize: a Swarovski Created Diamonds collection necklace. Annabel wears Swarovski Imber Y necklace, $299, Constella bracelet, $249, and Constella ring, $199. TOP RIGHT Ruby Pedder wears Swarovski Hyperbola Cuff bracelet, $380, and Stilla ring, $199. BOTTOM RIGHT Ocean trout with zucchini and lemon salad for lunch.
Charley wears Swarovski Imber bracelet, $279, Dextera ring (top), $149, and Hyperbola ring, $279.
LEFT Maina Doe wears Swarovski Millenia necklace, $800. RIGHT The Charles’ famous dessert trolley featuring house-baked madeleines, macaroons and more than one type of cake
Billie Jean Reed wears Swarovski Millenia Pendant necklace, $330.
LEFT, FROM LEFT Maina Doe wears Swarovski Millenia necklace, $800. Charley wears Swarovski Imber bracelet, $279, Dextera ring (top), $149, and Hyperbola ring, $279. RIGHT The festive table setting.
Watch these names in 2026. Merry Christmas to you and yours, from all of us here at ELLE.
LEFT Ruby Pedder wears Swarovski Hyperbola Cuff bracelet, $380, and Stilla ring, $199. RIGHT, FROM LEFT Maina Doe wears Swarovski Millenia necklace, $800. Charley wears Swarovski Imber bracelet, $279, Dextera ring (top), $149, and Hyperbola ring, $279. Andrea Solonge wear Swarovski Millenia Drop earrings, $189, and Matrix 3-Link watch, $380.
Sadie Sink
t might not have turned out like this. Sadie Sink’s transition from child actor to adult A-lister could have gone the way of countless others whose paths to stable
stardom were derailed by an abundance of, well, everything except tender loving care.
When Sink appears on our Zoom call, it’s immediately clear she’ll follow in the calm and calculated footsteps of Emma Watson or Dakota Fanning before her — that is, she’s grounded, humble and clear about the direction in which she’s headed. There are no obvious signs of ego that would be warranted of someone her age and calibre — by which I mean a catalogue of work that includes collaborating with Taylor Swift, Helen Mirren, Brendan Fraser and Naomi Watts; a slew of fashion week appearances and campaigns for brands such as Miu Miu, Prada and Armani Beauty; a bunch of awards and nominations; multiple stints on Broadway; and 24.7 million Instagram followers, despite not keeping the app on her phone.
Her ability to stay in the game is something she credits to beginning her career in theatre — that hyper-disciplined environment drilled into her an impressive work ethic from the age of eight — rather than being created by, churned around and spat out by the Disney machine. (She also credits her mum for still asking her to take out the trash, even when she’s been to the Golden Globes the night before.)
As we chat, Sink is all smiles, relaxed on a cream couch under colourful Matisse-like prints, that famous red hair falling in casual waves around her face. She’s in London working on the next Spider-Man, the details of which are currently top secret (“You’ll have to wait and see,” she says with a smirk). It’s a moment of in-between (or, maybe, upside-down?) for Sink: she’s already said goodbye to Stranger Things, the Netflix phenomenon that made her famous, but the final series hasn’t aired yet. Given how enthusiastic the show’s fandom is, it’s going to be an emotional and drawn-out farewell as the eight feature film-length episodes drop in three batches: four episodes on November 27, three episodes on Boxing Day, and the finale on New Year’s Day.
I
Photographed by Philip Gay
Styled by Naomi Smith Words by Alexandra English
Ahead of the fifth and final season of Netflix’s megahit series 'Stranger Things', the actor reflects on the role that changed her life
McQueen dress, $3375, and tights, $446; Celine shoes, $1650 (worn throughout); Cartier rings, on right hand: $4450 each (ring finger), and $4200, on left hand: $2260 each, and bracelets, from top: $8600, $21,000, and $12,700.
Rowi Singh wears Swarovski Chroma Strandage necklace, $1100, and Hyperbola Pendant necklace, $460.
Cue an afternoon of mingling over traditional French fare designed by The Charles’ executive chef, Billy Hannigan, and head of pastry, Rhiann Mead. There was steak and anchovy tartare, yellowfin tuna and Christmas pate en croûte to start, accompanied by The Charles’ signature Two Sip martinis. For mains, Kidman wagyu rib eye, whole roasted chicken, grilled ocean trout and fries were served, followed by the restaurant’s famous dessert trolley that featured Christmas-themed sweets.
LEFT Ruby Pedder wears Swarovski Hyperbola Cuff bracelet, $380, and Stilla ring, $199. RIGHT, FROM LEFT Maina Doe wears Swarovski Millenia necklace, $800. Charley wears Swarovski Imber bracelet, $279, Dextera ring (top), $149, and Hyperbola ring, $279. Andrea Solonge wear Swarovski Millenia Drop earrings, $189, and Matrix 3-Link watch, $380.
Phoebe Wolfe wears Swarovski Imber Strandage necklace, $400.
Maina Doe wears Swarovski Millenia necklace, $800.
From left; Annabel Wolfe wears Swarovski Imber Y necklace, $299, Constella bracelet, $249, and Constella ring, $199. Phoebe Wolfe wears Swarovski Imber Strandage necklace, $400.
From left; Annabel Wolfe wears Swarovski Imber Y necklace, $299, Constella bracelet, $249, and Constella ring, $199. Phoebe Wolfe wears Swarovski Imber Strandage necklace, $400.
LEFT Carla Uriarte wears Swarovski Millenia Drop earrings, $189. RIGHT The Charles’ signature Two Sip Martini greeted guests on arrival.
Charley wears Swarovski Imber bracelet, $279, Dextera ring (top), $149, and Hyperbola ring, $279.
LEFT Maina Doe wears Swarovski Millenia necklace, $800. RIGHT The Charles’ famous dessert trolley featuring house-baked madeleines, macaroons and more than one type of cake
This story appears in the DECEMBER 2025 Issue of