Landing cover stars for fashion magazines these days is a tough, expensive game often fraught with commercial and critical disaster. Just look at the miscommunication between Vogue's Australian and US offices when the latter shot Nicole Kidman for the August issue, before the former used the Aussie star on its biggest book of the year in September.

Elle Australia will have no such dilemma on Monday when its October issue hits stands with no one on the cover. Editor Justine Cullen, an emerging disrupter in the glossy industry, chose to forgo a famous face for the faces of her readers by covering the issue in a mirror-like film.

"The reflective cover is an Australian magazine first. Our readers have come to expect that we will challenge their expectation of what it means to be an Elle covergirl. With the reflective cover we are demonstrating the diversity of our audience. Our readers can literally look at the magazine and imagine themselves on our cover," publisher Marina Go told The Sun-Herald.

As well as the innovative cover Elle will also feature a special photo essay "We Are Women", featuring a group of Australian ladies aged from one to 100 asking them what it means to be a woman today.

"We've toyed with the idea [of a reflective cover] for a while, but it was only after we finished the 'We Are Women' portfolio that we realised how powerful it would be to run a cover like this on this particular issue and decided to take the plunge. Globally, Elle has always been a champion for women and this is as close as we can come to celebrating all Australian women," Cullen said.Julie Bishop, model Madeline Stuart and Lisa Wilkinson star in Elle's 'We Are Women' photo series. Photo: Pete Daly.

Expect to see some famous faces in the feature like designer Carla Zampatti and our pick for the next minister for women, Lisa Wilkinson. But it's the not-so-recognisable personalities to look out for including Brisbane's Madeline Stuart, a model with Down syndrome who just made her New York Fashion Week debut.

"My favourite quote is five-year-old Valentine, who says, 'I don't know what being a girl means. I know what being me means.' Hopefully that indicates that she's part of a generation that thinks differently about gender," Cullen added.

Jenna Clarke is a regular contributor to ELLE.com.au

Julie Bishop and Team Turnbull in syncHarper's Bazaar editor Kellie Hush, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and Vogue editor Edwina McCann.

The political pundits may suggest Julie Bishop stayed at "arm's length" from the leadership shenanigans, but the Foreign Affairs Minister was singing from Malcolm Turnbull's songbook in front of the fashion press well before Tony Abbott was rolled last week.

During his first press conference as Prime Minister (which co-starred Bishop) Turnbull dropped the c-bomb many times. In case you missed it, he wants us to be more creative.

"The Australia of the future has to be a nation that is agile, that is innovative, that is creative," he said without mentioning coal once.

Yet his words and emphasis on innovation rang a bell as exactly two weeks earlier Bishop, when addressing the crowd at Collette Dinnigan's Unlaced exhibition at the Powerhouse Museum, also pledged her allegiance to creativity.

"The Australian fashion industry is the exemplar of our creative economy. 220,000 jobs in Australia, $12 billion contributed to our economy each and every year. I have embraced 'fashion diplomacy' as coming under the umbrella of 'economic diplomacy', a pillar of our foreign policy," she said.

"The Australian fashion industry represents the very best we have to offer. It shows our creativity, our sophistication, our diversity – as an economy, as a nation."

Earlier that week during the signing of the memorandum of understanding between the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Australian Fashion Chamber she took a subtle swipe at the then prime minister and his love for finite fossil fuels.

"I believe our people, and our creativity are our greatest resource. Not coal," she said as enraptured listeners whispered, "Slay, Bish, slay."

Lara Bingle opens up about motherhoodLara Bingle in her new Today, I Am campaign for Westfield. Photo: Darren Tieste.

Lara Bingle has used her first modelling job since semi-retiring from the public eye to discuss the joy of motherhood.

"The most empowering moment of my life to date would be giving birth. It is the most beautiful, insanely amazing thing in the world. Today, I am a mother," she says in the Gracie Otto filmed and directed film for Westfield.

The retailer confirmed the model, fashion icon and beauty entrepreneur will star in the upcoming Today, I Am advertising campaign as revealed by the Sun Herald two weeks ago.

"The Today, I Am campaign is about expressing who you are through style – an idea Lara really resonated with. Lara has a great story, she's a mother, successful entrepreneur, global traveller and has a great sense of style," Westfield's head of fashion Prue Thomas said. "We worked with her to bring all these elements together to create the film which really brings to life the way she's feeling so empowered at this moment in her life. To work with the brilliant Gracie Otto in New York, as well as designers such as Zimmermann and Dion Lee, allowed Lara to express her personal style."

Bingle, who wears what appears to be a wedding ring and is introduced as "Lara Worthington" in the short, is also being pursued for further projects.

"We've loved working with Lara in different capacities in our centres in the past, and so excited to have her on board as an ambassador this season. We're sure you'll see more from Westfield and Lara," Thomas added.

Margie Abbott and models rally for cancer prevention and #BrightPinkLipstickDay

The Liberals may have ditched Tony Abbott, but his wife, Margie, is still in high demand on the philanthropic circuit.

Mrs Abbott's last official guests at Kirribilli was cancer prevention campaigner and founder of Pink Hope, Krystal Barter and her myriad of glamorous supporters including Today's Sylvia Jeffreys and model Ashley Hart.

Pink Hope ambassadors Ashley and Jess Hart.

In a cruel twist of fate, Mrs Abbott launched the Pink Hope charity last year before hosting hosted the preview of Bright Pink Lipstick Day just days before her husband was overthrown as prime minister in Canberra.

"No matter who her husband is or where she lives, she will always be one of our hardest-working supporters and we look forward to continuing our relationship with her. First and foremost she is a mother who cares about the long-term health of herself and daughters," Barter said.

For this year's Bright Pink Lipstick Day on September 25, which encourages people to talk about their family health history to prevent breast and ovarian cancer, model Jessica Hart has pledged to donate 100 per cent of the proceeds from the online sale of a special edition Pink Hope Lipstick from her Luma Cosmetics range.

"If we sell 2000 tubes that's $40,000 which is a huge investment into our organisation," Barter said about the charity, which receives no government funding, while aiming to provide genetic counselling services around the country.

H&M to bring Balmain to Sydney's CBDModel Gigi Hadid wearing a H&M x Balmain dress.

When it comes to designer collaborations it's not going to get much better than Balmain's capsule collection for H&M. What's better is that we'll the first in the world to add it to our carts.

"With its mix of couture spirit and streetwear attitude, Balmain owns a unique style, at once opulent and direct, sensual and energetic. It is also closely linked to the show business and music worlds, which adds another element of surprise," H&M's creative adviser, Ann-Sofie Johansson, said.

Designer Olivier Rousteing, who counts every star who matters on Instagram right now like Kim Kardashian and Taylor Swift as besties, continues to tease us by showcasing snippets of his looks on red carpets – a cardigan here, like Kendall Jenner wore to the Billboard Music Awards back in May, and a dress there, like Gigi Hadid donned last week.

Hadid's $649 geometric, monochrome mini dress will be available from November 5 at H&M boutiques around the country. The good news for city dwelling Sydneysiders is that the brand's second boutique at 150 Pitt Street will be open for business.

Cancel your Uber to North Ryde kids, the 5000-square-metre, three-storey flagship store will be opening its doors just in time for #HMBalmainNation to land on racks on October 31.

Party of the week: Telstra Perth Fashion Festival #TPFFHeath Ledger's nieces Rorie and Scarlett on the Empire Rose catwalk at #TPFF. Photo: Stefan Gosatti.

Perth, the Texas of Australia, knows how to party. Even with a federal byelection and two teams looking the goods for the AFL grand final, the fashion pack were out in force for the annual Fashion Festival. While the champagne flowed and Premier Colin Barnett's son Sam paraded his Gabi Grecko-esque girlfriend around, all eyes were on the catwalk as Heath Ledger's 11-year-old nieces Rorie and Scarlett made their catwalk debut in white tulle skirts and red kimono jackets for WA label Empire Rose.

The twins are the daughters of Heath's sister, Kate Ledger, who said the girls helped out as a favour to close friend Kathryn Cizeika. "The girls love clothing and fashion, but I'm dead against modelling," she said.