In partnership with Aje

Ask Lara Worthington to define her personal style and the answer comes quickly. "I gravitate towards strong pieces, things that have structure," she says. "The masculine with a feminine touch has never changed for me."

For more than two decades, the model-turned-entrepreneur has occupied a rare space in Australian fashion. Trends have come and gone, social media has transformed the industry and personal style has become increasingly dictated by algorithms, yet Worthington has remained remarkably consistent in her approach: dressing for herself first.

That sense of self is what made her a natural fit to front Aje's foray into denim. Shot in Sydney, the Spring 26 imagery places denim – great jeans, oversized jackets, well-cut skirts – at the centre of the Australian label's evolving offering. And in Worthington, Aje has found someone who has long understood the appeal of clothes that feel lived in rather than overthought.

"I've always admired Aje," she says. "I am selective with what I do, but I'm glad things aligned."

The partnership is also something of a full-circle moment. Worthington has watched the Australian fashion industry mature from the inside, recalling wearing Aje alongside the likes of Christopher Esber, Michael Lo Sordo and Josh Goot long before they became internationally recognised names.

"We were kids," she says. "It's so nice to see everyone evolve, and especially go overseas as well. It's so nice to see Australian fashion getting the recognition it deserves."

Of course, Worthington herself can be counted among that list of Aussie exports making a name for themselves internationally. She's spent much of the last decade living in New York – an experience that has inevitably shaped her perspective. The city's relentless energy and creative pulse offer endless inspiration. Rather than scrolling social media for outfit ideas, she finds herself looking up – wandering through Chelsea galleries between school pick-ups or observing the people she passes on the street. "I see girls on the street who just really know how to put an outfit together. And that’s inspiring to me. It’s not someone that’s got a full head-to-toe designer outfit on. That’s cool, in my opinion," she says.

On set with RUSSH, Worthington exudes that same energy. The confidence she speaks about isn't performative; it's instinctive, reflected in the way she wears clothes that feels entirely her own.

Much of her creative curiosity extends beyond fashion, too. Worthington is an art lover ("way beyond clothes and jewellery", she says). The works she gravitates towards, much like her personal style, aren't necessarily pristine or polished. She cites American sculptor Carol Bove as a long-time source of inspiration. "I like things that are imperfect," she says, hinting that the same philosophy has informed OMMAGE, the beauty brand she's preparing to launch later this year.

Her home, too, has become an extension of that creative process. Worthington laughs that she's "always moving house", embracing each relocation as an opportunity to clear out, reset and begin again. It's perhaps unsurprising that someone whose wardrobe has always resisted rigid definitions feels equally torn between two worlds. "I love to be by the ocean, but then I love to be in the city," she says. "I want to be with people, but then I want to be alone."

The Aje denim collection is available to shop now.

PHOTOGRAPHY Daphne Nguyen @ B&A

FASHION Hannah Cooper

TALENT Lara Worthington @ IMG

HAIR Keiren Street @ AP—REPS

MAKEUP Victoria Baron @ MAP

DIGITAL OPERATER Marcus Solomon

PHOTOGRAPHER’S ASSISTANT Daryl Orillaza

STYLIST’S ASSISTANT Koby Dulac-Daley