By Tanya Steele
The ‘beautifully gothic’ fashionista of the streets, the Tecoma Veteran Vamp has taken in some studio time recently, being featured as part of a regular portrait series for by a renowned Melbourne artist.
Beloved Hills icon Michelle Trebilco aka the Veteran Vamp – A Thriftalicious Fashionista was photographed as part of Warburton photographer Suzanne Phoenix’s 2025 International Women’s Day portrait series this year.
“I’m very honoured,” Ms Trebilco said.
“There are some very amazing sounding people who are also participants in it, musos, activists and other entertainers,” she said.
Photographer Suzanne Phoenix said Michelle is simply iconic and a joy to photograph.
Amongst Ms Phoenix’s list this year was an array of Melbourne personalities including activists, actors, artists, authors, DJs, fashionistas, journalists, models, musicians, performers and producers.
Ms Phoenix said she is excited to bring together another 23 people into her IWD portrait series for 2025.
“I continue to collaborate with cis and trans women and gender diverse people, predominantly in Melbourne’s music and queer performance scenes, as a place to document and provide an uncensored voice,” she said.
Ms Phoenix has plans to release a self-published book which will include both the portraits and each person’s uncensored written response to the question – ‘What Does International Women’s Day Mean to me?’
The photographer has worked with Michelle a number of times before this series with her Celebrate Ageing projects, firstly for her Old is Beautiful campaign and then for the Cardigan Pride launch.
The fashionista is known to Hills locals for her head-turning looks created from op-shopped goods and over the years has created outfits and accessories from nearly everything you can imagine and maybe some things you couldn’t.
Ms Trebilco attended Ms Phoenix’s shoot late last year and said knowing ahead that it was going to be black and white, she aimed to wear items with interesting shapes and textures.
Her portrait sees her sporting a pair of sunglasses which had blood droplets, a necklace along a similar vein and a tentacle ring.
“I wasn’t nervous at all, Suzanne was very encouraging and supportive,” said Ms Trebilco.
“Michelle looked spectacular for the IWD2025 shoot in a completely red ensemble,” said Ms Phoenix.
“The IWD series is always in black and white because I love the medium and it helps you focus just on the person in these portraits.”
“I think Michelle looks just so beautifully gothic in her portrait.”
Continuing her catwalks through Tecoma and her volunteer work at the local op shop Ms Trebilco often catches portraits of her own, photographing other locals who catch her eye.
“I do like to post pictures of people,” she said.
“I see my customers, or anyone I see out and about that looks interesting and I like to get photos of them and post them on my Facebook page because I think people enjoy seeing normal people,” she said.
Tecoma local Cat was featured by the Vamp on Facebook recently, sporting a completely matching mushroom outfit, dress, tights and bag to boot.
“My fashion philosophy is when I wake up I go through my dresses and work out what makes me smile the most that day then accessorise around it,” Cat said.
“My earrings are cute and quirky and my clothes and tights are colourful and sometimes whimsical – I just like to wear clothes that make me happy,” she said in the comments in the Vamp’s comment section.
Planning her outfits a week in advance, Ms Trebilco loves accessorising her looks and continues to grow her presence on social media with over 22 thousand followers.
“I do have a lot of locals who follow me and they tried to pick out the locations of my nature walks,” she said.
“A lady saw me in front of Ferntree Gully Vinnies on Sunday, but she didn’t say hello. She said she was star-struck.”
“Come and say hello, I’m an ordinary person.”
