The Australian actress is just one of the many celebrity speakers set to arrive in Sydney for the global conversation series.

Australian actress and Vogue’s former digital cover star is officially headed to Sydney for Vogue Forces of Fashion—and she isn’t the only celebrity speaker slated to attend the event.

In 2026, on February 13, Vogue Forces of Fashion—the global conversation series will bring some of the biggest names in fashion, design and culture together in Sydney for an unmissable half-day summit, exploring the global forces shaping fashion with a distinctly Australian lens. Unfolding in the iconic Sydney Opera House, the event will feature conversations between cultural leaders, celebrities, and tastemakers that are leading the charge from the Australian frontier.

The event, launched by Condé Nast global chief content officer Anna Wintour in 2017, is a showcase for the voices defining fashion and culture. “At Vogue we have always thought of Forces of Fashion as an event which celebrates innovation and creativity wherever they are in the world, so I am delighted that Vogue Australia will honour so many globally renowned homegrown talents,” Wintour says. “It’s a wonderful moment to come together to be inspired—and in the most marvellous and memorable setting!”

“There are so many younger, up-and-coming designers doing truly exciting work in Australia and New Zealand; Common Hours, Nichol & Ford, Matteau, With Jean, Courtney Zheng, Christopher Esber and Harris Tapper,” Phoebe Tonkin tells Vogue. “I love being able to both support and be supported by these brands and designers.” She’ll be speaking at Forces of Fashion alongside model and actor Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Catherine Martin, Baz Luhrmann, Taika Waititi, Nicki Zimmermann and Vogue Australia editor-in-chief Christine Centenera.

“I think in general, Australians aspire to be fashionable yet effortless,” says Tonkin of her connection to Australian fashion. “There’s something about slicking my hair back, applying some sunscreen, and throwing on a Matteau slip dress and some sandals that feels incredibly put together yet easy. I am constantly looking to Australian designers for inspiration and I love any opportunity to wear and support the Australian fashion industry.”

Born and raised in Sydney, the actor is looking forward to returning to her own homegrown rituals, from “swimming at Balmoral Beach, drinking a fantastic latte, and doing some shopping on Glenmore Road.” The actor shares that she is also looking forward to giving fellow panellists the once-over in a city she still calls home. “I am fortunate enough to call a few of my fellow panelists friends so I look forward to showing them around Sydney when they visit too!”

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From a young age, I participated in dance, music, and sports classes. With my parents’ support, I was able to explore a range of activities to discover where my true passions lay.

I had the privilege of a path, the support to pursue my dreams, an education, and the freedom to still be a teenager while doing it. It’s a privilege I now understand is not afforded to every girl. For millions, that path is chosen for them before they’ve even had the chance to take their own first step.

As an ambassador for Plan International Australia, I’ve come to see just how fragile a girl’s childhood can be.

This year, for International Day of the Girl, we’re confronting one of the most prevalent injustices a girl can face: child marriage.

Plan International’s new report ‘Let me be a child, not a wife’, helps us understand this reality. Every year, 12 million girls are married before their 18th birthday. That’s one girl every three seconds.

It’s a number so big it’s almost impossible to imagine, but behind it are individual lives and dreams, stolen too soon. This isn’t a problem that’s just rooted in the past. In our digital age, it’s taking on new and complex forms.

The report shows how social media can create a false sense of choice, where online relationships quickly lead to pressure from family to marry, often to protect a girl’s ‘honour’. It’s a reminder that while the tools may be new, the traditions that trap girls remain.

The report gives a voice to these girls, like Juna from Nepal.

Married young, she describes her experience as leading to a “dark future,” a life where she was deprived of everything.

Her story is echoed by so many others who speak of being dominated by older partners, of the immense weight of adult responsibilities, and the quiet, crushing toll it takes on their mental health.

But what gives me hope is the incredible strength of these girls, and the very real impact of the work being done in communities around the world.

I think of Kanada, a young woman from Cambodia. Married at 17, she felt her world shrink.

But through a Plan International skills-training program, she built a new path for herself. She became the only female motorcycle mechanic in her community.

Despite the doubts from others, she persevered, opened her own repair shop, and is now proud to run her own business. She’s not just earning an income; she’s showing every girl in her village that their future isn’t written for them.

Kanada’s story shows that when a girl is given a choice, she doesn’t just change her own life – she can change her entire community.

This is what Plan International’s work is all about. It’s about creating those choices. It’s about funding skills training, supporting girls to stay in school, and working with families and community leaders to challenge the harmful norms that allow child marriage to persist.

This International Day of the Girl, we have a choice too.

We can be overwhelmed by the scale of the problem, or we can be inspired by the courage of girls like Juna and Kanada.

We can add our voice to the growing global call to let girls be girls, not brides.

This article was written by Plan International Australia Ambassador, actress and gender equality activist, Phoebe Tonkin.

In honor of Phoebe’s birthday, I give to you 2 outtakes from Phoebe’s 2024 InStyle Mexico photoshoot. Enjoy!

Australian heavyweights Brenton Thwaites (“Pirates of the Caribbean”,” Maleficent”) and Phoebe Tonkin (“H2O: Just Add Water”, “Boy Swallows Universe”) lead the eight-part romantic dramedy as thirty-somethings Ryan and Emily.

It follows the pair’s unexpected relationship across eight dates, picking up two years after their daily bus flirtations ended with the COVID-19 pandemic. The series offers a tender, funny, unfiltered exploration of modern love. It will launch exclusively on Paramount Plus in 2026.

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