Fashion Week ended last week with an emphatic exclamation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander excellence.
The closing First Nations Fashion + Design (FNFD) runway showcased designers from across Australia.
FNFD celebrates independent indigenous designers and supports their growth and development in the fashion industry.
Supported by THE ICONIC, First Nations Fashion + Design wowed a packed crowd on Friday night, featuring female musicians and a primarily female lineup of designers as a way to explore the matriarchal structure of First Nations culture.
And while the event marked the end of a week in which fashion was front and center, it is also a new beginning for First Nations fashion.
For Sydneysiders, Election Day this Saturday 21 May will also mark the official opening of the Edit Collection and First Nations Fashion + Design pop-up store in Chatswood on Sydney’s lower north shore. It will be open for a month.
The designs that will be exhibited at the fair on Friday will be available.
Designer Paul McCann is a Darwin-born Marrithiyel man and a traditional landowner connected to his country, Delye. His trademark designs are described as “fab bling-bling originality”.Supplied: Lucas Dawson)
Paul McCann decided to forego any formal art training in favor of exploring his own style and creative instincts.(Supplied: Lucas Dawson)
Glenda McCulloch and her sisters Juanita, Dale and Cheryl’s Myrrdah imprint is named after their great-great-grandmother on her mother’s side.(Supplied: Lucas Dawson)
Clothing The Gaps is a health professional managed brand that celebrates Aboriginal people and culture.(Supplied: Lucas Dawson)
Designers Aunty Emily Doolah and Sally Jackson are collaborating as part of the Future of Fashion initiative, which creates direct access to the Australian fashion industry through one-on-one mentorship from First Nations designers.(Supplied: Lucas Dawson)
Bardi, Nyul Nyul, Nyikina Woman Nat Dunn’s Ihraa Swim brand was born from her desire to find the perfect bikini.(Supplied: Lucas Dawson)
The theme of the evening was Our Island, Our Home, a campaign by Torres Strait Islanders to raise awareness of climate change.
Christine Anu and Zipporah Corser-Anu, The Merindas and rapper BARKAA performed to an enthusiastic audience.
It was one of those rare events in these pandemic times that drew a very large crowd.
And there didn’t seem to be a single person in the audience who didn’t think this was an event worth attending and a fitting conclusion to Fashion Week 2022.
Christine Anu and her daughter Zipporah Corser-Anu performed Island Home and Party to an enthusiastic crowd. They carry Erik Yvon. (Supplied: Lucas Dawson)
Rapper BARKAA performed in a custom jumpsuit designed by AARLI.(Supplied: Lucas Dawson)
The First Nations Fashion + Design runway closing event attracted a large and boisterous audience. (Supplied: Lucas Dawson)
Source: www.abc.net.au