Australian businesswoman Samantha Joy Mostyn AC has been sworn in as the 28th Governor-General of Australia, becoming only the second woman in 123 years to hold the position.
Mostyn will take on the role after a distinguished corporate career, including service on the board of Mirvac and as chair of Citigroup Australia’s retail banking arm.
The new Governor-General is a noted advocate for women in business, having served as president of Chief Executive Women and chair of the independent Women’s Economic Equality taskforce.
Mostyn, whose swearing-in ceremony took place at the Parliament House on Monday morning, opted to don a sprig of wattle against a custom-made suit by Sydney-based ethical fashion brand The Social Outfit.
The small social enterprise, founded by Jackie Ruddock in 2014, uses its retail business as a foundation for running community programs for refugee and migrant women looking to kickstart their careers in Australia.
The Social Outfit also sells a range of in-house designed apparel from its store and e-commerce website.
The suit, paid for and worn by Mostyn, was designed by The Social Outfit ambassador and designer Bianca Spender, who donated one of her designs to the ethical brand for the special occasion.
The fabric for the custom-made suit was donated by another Australian brand, BEC + BRIDGE. The 22-year-old womenswear label was founded by Becky Cooper and Bridget Yorston.
According to the brand, Mostyn’s faith has “enabled further skill development for The Social Outfit manufacturing team”.
“Suits are not typically part of the range, which makes this particular project even more special.”
Xiuyan Han, a senior sewing technician at The Social Outfit, made the suit for Mostyn, a long-term customer of the brand, who is found “frequently calling into our store in King St, Newtown”.
Mostyn is a long-time gender equality advocate, who has previously served as the commissioner of the Australian Football League in 2005, becoming the first woman to hold the top position.
She used her swearing-in speech to address the challenges facing Australian society, including economic inequality.
“I am ready to serve with integrity, passion, and respect,” she said.
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Prior to joining SmartCompany, Mrinaal was the content head at Lawctopus. She has a dual degree in business and law, with a Masters in constitutional law. You can follow her on Twitter at @mrinaaldatt.
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