By 
As she approaches the fourth decade of her life in music, Kylie Minogue answers questions from her friends, family and collaborators—those who know the icon of pop best.
Kylie Minogue wears McQueen bolero and dress; Tiffany & Co. rings.
We are on Zoom and Kylie Minogue is already just as you would expect: relaxed, laughing and ready to go. She’s happy for this mini ‘roasting’ from Vogue Australia and her friends. We have fun. The star power is strong.
Catherine Martin, costume and production designer: I wanted to ask you about the John Galliano–when he was with Dior—royal blue dress you wore for the 2005 Showgirl: The Greatest Hits Tour. You just wore it so incredibly well and I would love to know what it was like to collaborate with John on this and how you connected?
Kylie Minogue: “Do I remember it? There’s not a snowflake’s chance in hell I’d ever forget it. I’d met John back in the early ’90s, and one thing I wish I still owned is one of his bias-cut skirts with a matching waistcoat. The skirt had this little detail on the back that would wink open and closed as you walked. I wore it clubbing. I wore it everywhere. But I have no idea what happened to it—it’s vanished! For the Showgirl costume, I had John Galliano, Stephen Jones and Mr Pearl. I mean, I had the best of the best. Mr Pearl made the corset and by the end of the tour it was much more comfortable than it had been at the beginning. Corsets are like that—like a great pair of shoes, they really need wearing in. Before you even put it on, it was a work of art. The craftsmanship, the love, the attention to detail, it was incredible. If you want drama, [Galliano’s] the person.”
Kylie Minogue wears Jean Paul Gaultier dress; Linda Farrow x Jacquemus sunglasses; Van Cleef & Arpels earrings and ring.
Troye Sivan, singer: ‘Can’t Get You Out of My Head’ is a perfect pop song—and a perfect Kylie song, to me: understated, cool, tasteful, so perfectly slinky and full of sex. What do you remember about the process of making it?
KM: “Everything. This was before songs arrived on your phone. My A&R team called and said, ‘We’ve got something we’re really excited about. Can you come into Parlophone [Records]?’ That’s just how it worked back then. About 20 seconds into hearing it I stopped and said, ‘Hang on, this is amazing.’ Then panic set in. ‘Are you sure I’ve got the right song? No-one else has this? This is really mine?’ I couldn’t quite believe it. And I agree with Troye. It really is a perfect pop song. It’ll always be one of the greatest thrills and honours of my career that I was the one who got to sing it.”
TS: Melbourne is, in my opinion, the coolest city in the world. What is your life like when you’re there? What do you like to do for fun?
KM: “Melbourne is a very cool city, and there’s always something happening. But when I’m home, I don’t do very much. I need to be quiet, still, and with my family. It’s where I regenerate and get my feet back on the ground. There’s always this little battle because I think, ‘God, there’s so much great stuff to do,’ but resting is more important for me. I’ll happily live vicariously through everyone else enjoying Melbourne.”
Kylie Minogue wears McQueen bolero and dress; Tiffany & Co. rings; Amina Muaddi shoes.
Dannii Minogue, singer: Since we were kids you loved music and you kept many things, from cassettes to CDs, stereo, cameras, photos, concert tickets, costumes and objects from years of performing. Do you remember ever thinking as a kid, ‘One day this will be a documentary [as with this year’s Netflix docuseries, Kylie], book or exhibition?’ Or is my sister a hoarder?
KM: “I don’t think I’m a hoarder! I’ve donated almost all of my costumes to the [Australian] Performing Arts [Collection] in Melbourne, so actually thankfully I did keep hold of them. As for imagining any of this becoming a documentary or an exhibition—no, never. That question takes me back to our family home. There was my room, Dannii’s room and my brother’s room, and Dannii and I shared a wardrobe that opened from both sides. We could both raid each other’s wardrobes. But it also makes me think about putting records on in my bedroom. I still have the radio cassette player you see in the documentary. That little machine was my portal to the world of music. I definitely had this daytime fantasy about pop music and pop stars. I had my idols, but I never consciously thought, ‘That’s what I’m going to do.’ Somewhere inside me, though, I must have believed it. I honestly can’t access what I was thinking back then. It wasn’t ambition—not in the way we think of ambition now. Maybe it was destiny, maybe intuition. I just assumed every kid on the block was dreaming the same dream. Then you realise some people want to be scientists, footballers or writers. For me, it was always the music, the fashion, the attitude, the performance. I was completely hypnotised by it all.”
Kylie Minogue wears Gucci top, pants an shoes; Bulgari rings.
Richard Christiansen, founder, Flamingo Estate: The first day we met, in my New York office, you told me we shared the same blood type: sparkle. What does ‘the sparkle’ make it easy for people to miss about you?
KM: “That’s such a beautiful question. I barely remember saying it. We must have been joking, but I love that I did. In fact, I know I’m saved in a few people’s phones as ‘Sparkle’ or something equally shiny and twinkly. Well, look, nobody’s shiny all the time. Life isn’t sparkly all the time. Sometimes it’s the difficult moments that force you to find your sparkle or to shine even brighter. It’s one of those questions you could talk about all day, but I think that’s really the answer. You can’t sparkle all the time. And maybe that’s what makes those moments special. Like waiting for the stars to come out at night; you appreciate them because they don’t last forever. So whenever we get the chance to sparkle, we should enjoy it. The rest of life is hard work—we all know that by now.”
RC: While going through your archive for the documentary, was there anything you realised that you’d been remembering incorrectly?
KM: “I don’t know if ‘incorrectly’ is the right word. One thing I love about the documentary is that everyone has their own truth. I almost don’t like saying ‘their version of the story’, because it’s more than that—it’s genuinely how they experienced those moments. It’s fascinating to hear different perspectives on exactly the same point in time. Different memories, different emotions, different flavours of the same story, that’s one of the things I enjoyed most about looking back.”
RC: Most people fantasise about being a famous pop star. Since you are one, what do you fantasise about being?
KM: “Invisible.”
Kylie Minogue wears Conner Ives coat and T-shirt; Anne Demeulemeester skirt; Chanel sunglasses; Van Cleef & Arpels earrings and necklace.
Addison Rae, singer: I love your history of shows. I recently watched Aphrodite [Les Folies, 2011] as well as Showgirl [2005, 2007]. You are such a star. (Duh!) When you’re writing or making an album or crafting a show, what comes first for you? Is the concept formed visually first or do you lead with the songs/music?
KM: “Every record begins differently. Golden [2018] was very specific. I wanted to explore country influences, tell stories and make something more human. With Tension [2023], it was really ‘Padam Padam’ that set the tone. Sonically, it became the blueprint for everything that followed. I may or may not have been in the studio recently, and it’s funny how quickly things happen. You’ll get to the end of the day, listen back to a song and think, ‘When did we even make that?’ Then you realise it was only this morning. So there isn’t one formula. It depends where you’ve been, what you’ve done before, what’s happening in your life and where you are creatively. Some artists always start with one central idea [as] the spine of the album. Mine usually reveals itself during the making of the record. When it comes to touring, it’s a little easier because the music already exists. Then the questions become: What did I do last time? How do I make this exciting for the audience? And how do I make it exciting for myself? I’m actively trying to make touring more fun every time.”
AR: I’m the biggest fan of Australia. It has the best people, food, beaches and animals. One day I hope to live there. How do you feel Australia has influenced you as an artist/human?
KM: “Nick Cave says something beautiful in my documentary. He says, ‘Australians just do shit.’ He’s right. I’ve often found myself saying, ‘I’ve never done that before … okay, I’ll give it a go.’ And okay, so it doesn’t always work, but more often than not, it somehow does. Growing up in Australia gave me a very grounded outlook. If you wanted something, you got on with it. And if you wanted a truly global career, you generally had to leave Australia—that’s what so many of us have done. The wonderful part is that you always get to come home.”
Kylie Minogue wears Louis Vuitton jacket with cuffs and hat; Tiffany & Co. rings.
Michael Harte, director of 2026 Netflix docuseries Kylie: What would your younger self say to you if they watched the doco?
KM: “I like that question. I think she’d probably say one of three things: ‘See, you did it.’ Or, ‘I told you.’ Or maybe, ‘How the hell did you do it?’
MH: When the inevitable movie is made about your life, who is playing you and, more importantly, who is playing Dannii and your mum, Carol? I’m not sure there is anyone good enough to pull off Carol’s ‘the look’.
KM: “Well, Mum has to be Meryl Streep. I think she’d be very happy with that—and so would I. As for me, I honestly don’t know. At this point it might have to be several people, given the length of the story … We’d need different eras. People do ask, ‘Who’s going to play you in your biopic?’ So, one day I just thought, ‘I’ll say Margot [Robbie].’ Not for a second meaning Margot would ever actually do it, but it’s snowballed into this whole thing. When we did the Chanel ad together I had to say, ‘Margot, I’m so sorry if you’ve been asked that again and again because of me.’ She was like, ‘It was very sweet the first time …’ Now I daren’t say anyone! But if we’re going with Meryl for Mum … we could add Anne Hathaway for Dannii. But for me? I’m at a loss.”
Kylie Minogue wears Chanel dress and shoes; Tiffany & Co. earrings and rings.
Stephen Jones, milliner: Kylie darling, what’s your favourite colour of glitter?
KM: “Another good question. I don’t know. The one that has all the colours? I’m so noncommittal. My fear of commitment is really showing.”
SJ: Do you remember when you and I were in London Weekend Television and you were phoning to see what position in the charts your new single, ‘Can’t Get You Out of My Head’, had gone to, and it was only us in the room and we danced together when you heard and you screamed and we knew it had gone to number one?
KM: “We were working together constantly then. Any time with Stephen is a lovely time. I do remember my TV plugger, Helena, coming into a TV studio saying, ‘Darlings …’ She’d had the sales figures and basically knew we’d be number one that weekend. It was huge. The charts have maybe lost a bit of their magic now, but back then it was such a massive moment.”
Nash Edgerton, actor and filmmaker: I think you’re very funny. Were you the comedian in the family growing up?
KM: “Nash gets the funny side of me because we’re basically two clowns. He understands both sides of me: the performer and the ridiculous reality behind it. There are certain people in your life who really know the real you, and Nash is one of those people. Was I the comedian growing up? I think we all had a bit of the funnies. I don’t remember being a show-off kid, but then I see old footage and think, maybe I was. It was probably just so natural I didn’t notice.” NE: What do you love most about being five-foot-and- a-smidge tall? KM: “Hah! Do I have much choice? My glam guy, Christian Vermaak, always says, ‘For such a tiny person, you create a lot of ruckus … all coming from one tiny little person.’”
Kylie Minogue wears Chanel dress and shoes; Tiffany & Co. earrings and rings.
Murray Bartlett, actor: You generate and inspire so much joy with your music. And seeing you in concert is like bathing in joy. Is that something you’ve always tried to do consciously?
KM: “It’s become a thing. At the beginning, consciously, I was just thinking, ‘How do I perform? How do I put on a great show?’ That’s all I really knew. Over time it’s become something bigger. The basic principle is still the same: how do we entertain people? But now it’s become about joy. If someone had told me that joy would become part of my job description—what an extraordinary thing. I don’t know how I could’ve thrown myself into this career any more than I already have, because I’ve given my life to it. To know that what I do has become synonymous with joy, and not just joy, but the whole picture, like we were talking about with sparkle, the light, the dark, the mystery, the shade that all exists around it that makes me really proud. It wasn’t something I consciously set out to achieve. But because it’s become part of what I represent, I cherish it.”
Margot Robbie, actor and filmmaker: Who would you say is the funniest Aussie you’ve ever gotten pissed with?
KM: “Probably a few. The first time I met Margot we definitely had a few drinks. It was just the two of us at the Chateau Marmont. I’d seen her there a couple of days earlier having a meeting. You always assume people are with someone, but I thought, ‘Maybe she’s not.’ So I reached out and said, ‘Hey, there’s another Aussie in town. Fancy meeting up?’ This was pre-Barbie, maybe around 2016. She later told me she’d assumed I was inviting her to do some charity event or work thing. But it wasn’t. It was literally just, ‘Hey, we’re both Aussies in LA.’ So we had a … well … I don’t know if we got fully pissed, but we definitely had enough to take the edge off. It’s actually been a long time since I’ve really been drunk. That feels like a younger person’s game now. Speaking of the Edgertons, though, Joel Edgerton is hilarious. When he’s funny, there’s nothing funnier. Way, way back around the time I met Joel and Nash we all drank a bit more and got up to plenty of mischief.”
Kylie Minogue wears Saint Laurent dress; Tiffany & Co. rings.
Nicole Kidman, actor and filmmaker: I love pets. I have a dog and three cats, and they are incredibly supportive of me. Do you have any pets? If so, who are they and do you travel with them?
KM: “Sweetie Nicole! I actually shared a lovely rosé with her the first night I arrived in Nashville. This might be the shortest answer: no, I don’t. I love animals and I love pets, but my life just wouldn’t work for one at the moment. But I saw Madonna talking about this little plush toy she’d kept with her when she was in hospital and I realised, ‘I’ve got one of those.’ It’s one of those little Plushables. It’s green, so it’s become known as Greeny. Greeny’s been all around the world with me.”
Rita Ora, actor and singer: What was the moment when you knew your dream was worth every sacrifice it asked of you?
KM: “Ooh, Rita. That’s deep. It’s hard to choose just one moment. There are the really personal, one-to-one moments. I had one recently in France. One of the women working where I was staying was from Ukraine, and she was completely overwhelmed when she saw me. She could barely speak. She was breathless and just kept saying, ‘Photo. Picture?’ I asked the staff if she’d be there the next day because we’d happily take a proper photo together. The following day she brought me flowers. She didn’t really speak English and my French only goes so far, but every time I thought she’d finished talking and went in for a hug, she’d say, ‘No,’ and kept going. It was like she had a lifetime of things she’d wanted to tell me. It was incredibly moving. Moments like that take me completely out of my own head. You realise you’ve had a positive impact on someone’s life over a long period, and that makes everything worthwhile. Then there are the huge moments—like Glastonbury, where it feels as though everyone is there together for one occasion. Those are two very different moments, but they are equally important.”
Kylie Minogue wears Saint Laurent dress; Tiffany & Co. rings.
Kath and Kim, Australian icons. Kim: Kylie, I know you’ve been obsessed with me for years and my fashion-victim status, and I get it, you’re only human, but after you left our house at Fountain Lakes I noticed that a pair of my low-rise bumsters and clacky kitten heels were missing. Did you take them?
KM: “Honestly, imagine Kim saying that at full speed. No, Kim. I did not take them. I promise. But can I borrow them?”
Kath: Hi Kylie, Kel and I watched your doco and gee, we were blown away. I hope this is not too personal, but I’m really struggling to find a foxy hat that doesn’t ruin my clowning glory and I noticed on your first album cover you have a topless hat that lets your fizzy perm fly free. When you have a window, could you please let me know where you purchased it from? My budget is about $50, give or take. Thanking you muchly.
KM: “I’m trying to seriously answer this. Kath and Kel forever! I don’t have it, Kath. But she could absolutely mock one up. I tell you what, Kath, you get yourself down to the op shop. Find yourself a very similar hat, cut out the top part, and your clowning glory will just be nested so beautifully on top of that hat. That is actually very good styling, Kath. And it won’t cost you $50.”
Katerina Jebb, photographer: What question would you never answer?
KM: “This is a typically obscure question. What would I never answer? This. I would never answer that. But she is my person, the friend who truly nurtures you and understands you. We’ve lived a lot of life together, and I respect her so much. I love her so much.”
Vogue Australia: Finally, you’re going to perform at the AFL Grand Final this month. What are you most looking forward to about coming home?
KM: “Where do I start? Well, I don’t even have a team. I’m going to be canvassed, so I’ve got to navigate that. One of my nephews is a big footy fan and he’s my inroad, and he had said, ‘I think it’ll be great when you do that, but understand where you’re going to be positioned.’ The thought of 90,000 screaming football fans is crazy. It’s been on the cards for a long time, and I feel like now is the time. I’m diving wholeheartedly into it.”
VA: We’ve been talking for an hour.
KM: “Wow. It’s flown. I think I’m in this era of acknowledging people in my life and asking myself, ‘How did I get here?’ But here I am about to be on the Vogue Australia September cover. Thank you.”
Kylie Minogue wears Conner Ives coat and T-shirt; Anne Demeulemeester skirt; Chanel sunglasses; Van Cleef & Arpels earrings and necklace.
Vogue Australia’s September 2026 issue is on sale from August 31, 2026.
Photographed by Lachlan Bailey
Styled by Christine Centenera
Hair by Christian Vermaak
Make-up by Lynsey ALexander
Manicure by Adam Slee
Tailoring by Galedi London and Sophie Stonyer
Set design by Max Bellhouse
Production by Honor Hellon Production