Ragtrader associate editor Imogen Bailey reflect on the First Nations runway at PayPal Melbourne Fashion Festival.
It was my absolute pleasure to attend the First Nations Runway at PayPal Melbourne Fashion Festival on March 11.
Presented on the land of the Wurundjeri and Boon Wurrung people of the Kulin Nation, the runway featured an all Indigenous-line-up of designers: Maara Collective, Ngali, Amber Days, Liandra Swim, Ngarru Miimi, Kirrikin, Wa-Ring and Yanggurdi.
Weaving 80,000 years of history and culture into the pieces, the runway showcased what Aboriginal culture can look like in 2022.
Kirrikin - Photo by Lucas Dawson Photography.
Brilliant patterns. Beautiful fabrics. Respect and care for Country in production, resulting in intrinsic sustainability.
"First Nations Fashion takes equal consideration of Country, of people, of planet and of spirituality and all the things that connect us as people," Cox Inall Ridgeway senior consultant Yatu Widders Hunt said at the International Women's Day breakfast.
"Someone asked designer Alison Page, 'what does sustainable fashion mean to you?'
"And she said, 'you can call it sustainable fashion, or you can call it Aboriginal design,'" Widders Hunt said.
First Nations Runway - Photo by Lucas Dawson Photography.
If Australian brands want to take sustainability and ethical fashion seriously, they need to look to Australia’s First Nations people for guidance, advice and knowledge.
Alongside circular and sustainable design principles and processes, Indigenous fashion allows the wearer to communicate cultural stories.
Indigenous label Yanggurdi presented its first collection at the show and founder Cassie said her label allows her the space to communicate her stories.
“Being a multidisciplinary artist it’s important for me to share my personal stories with customers to learn about our First Nations peoples and to connect deeper by wearing wearable art!
“I think that fashion at the moment is abuzz after having two years of pandemic the designers have taken time to really go above and beyond and what I’m personally seeing is designs that reflects resilience as the designs are incredible at MFF
“For the past two years I’ve been working on designs to suit the customers.
“I am very proud to design unisex mix and match lifestyle wear that carries a story and creates conversations of First Nation weaving,” she said.
It only serves a benefit to the whole industry to see First Nations fashion flourish.
Bring it on, I say.
First Nations Runway - Photo by Lucas Dawson Photography.