Meet the Indigenous Fashion Projects designers at this year’s Afterpay Australian Fashion Week
PHOTOGRAPHY BY THE STUDIO CITRINE
WORDS BY MAGGIE ZHOU
“When people wear my designs, I want them to feel proud, empowered and connected to the oldest continuous culture in the world.”
Since its inauguration in 2020, Afterpay Australian Fashion Week’s (AAFW) Indigenous Fashion Projects (IFP) runway has been one of the shining highlights in its jam-packed calendar. As a show with a complete First Nations designer lineup, it’s a unique display of some of our country’s most talented homegrown talent.
This year, seven designers – ranging from emerging to established – have been chosen to participate in the prestigious IFP Pathways Program supported by David Jones, which acts as a launching pad for these labels. Gali Swimwear’s David Leslie, Gammin Threads’ Tahnee Edwards, Ihraa Swim’s Nat Dann, Joseph and James’ Juanita Page, Kamara Australia’s Naomi Collings, Lazy Girl Lingerie’s Cassandra Pons and Miimi and Jiinda’s Melissa Greenwood and Lauren Jarrett make up 2023’s new cohort.
Discover more up-and-coming local designers in our Fashion section.
“The expression of First Nations culture and storytelling through the medium of fashion and textiles is rich and vibrant. Our program is expanding diversity in the industry,” IFP Manager Michelle Maynard says. “While the program provides important opportunities for First Nations designers, its impact on the industry is just as remarkable.”
Established by the not-for-profit Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair Foundation, IFP has seen the likes of designers from Esse, Bassike and Alemais partake in the program through mentorships. It’s not only the participants in the Pathways Program who benefit from it; Michelle shares that it’s mutually valuable for the entirety of the Australian fashion industry.
“There’s such great opportunity for the wider fashion industry to learn from Indigenous designers, our cultural ways of being and our relationship and responsibilities to Country. Our industry partners learn as much as they share. It’s a collaboration in building cultural understanding and deepening relationships, understanding and experience.”
As an official media partner of AAFW, we caught up with the designers to learn more about the practices and values behind their labels, ahead of the David Jones Indigenous Fashion Projects Runway.
Cassandra Pons, Founder of Lazy Girl Lingerie
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How would you best describe your label?
Lazy Girl Lingerie is all about made-to-measure handmade lingerie, loungewear and sleepwear that inspires effortless confidence. The label began with a mission to change the way women feel about themselves and a commitment to celebrating all that makes us unique. I’m a firm believer that all bodies are good bodies, no matter our size, shape, colour or age.
I am proud as punch of my heart-centred brand and of the modern values that Lazy Girl upholds. Diversity and inclusion are close to my heart and are reflected through my continual striving for greater representation, so all who identify as women feel acknowledged, seen and valued.
I’m proud of my personalised sizing business model that allows me to work with my clients’ body shapes and create lingerie that is as unique as the woman who wears it. This also relates to my passion for slow fashion and minimising waste in my business, thanks to my made-to-order philosophy.
Finally, I am proud of the way I take away the stigma from sensuality and celebrate women celebrating themselves! Lingerie doesn’t have to be for anyone else’s gaze, it can be something that feels like a superpower, worn to celebrate your body and take on your day with effortless confidence.
Tell us about your AAFW collection.
My collection Homecoming is an ode to celebrating my heritage as a proud First Nations woman and honouring the country that I have been blessed to call home. The collection features bright hues that represent the country I have lived in, growing up in North Queensland and now calling Scenic Rim home.
It also features a special print created in collaboration with First Nations artist Caleb Nichols-Mansell that tells the story of two nations coming together as one to collaborate on this design. My wish is for the audience to feel their own sense of connection, to share in the feelings of unity and coming together as one. The collection feels bold and powerful.
David Leslie, Founder of Gali Swimwear
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How would you best describe your label?
Gali Swimwear fuses Australia’s First Nation culture with sustainable men’s swimwear. We ethically collaborate with artists and communities to create premium swimwear that celebrates our rich culture, showcases our creativity and is designed to be celebrated by water lovers around the world.
We’re most proud of seeing people at the beach wearing and interacting with our products. Although we’re only six months old, it’s exciting to see this happen on a global scale as we have shared our stories and swimwear with people living in 13 different countries.
Tell us about your AAFW collection.
This collection is titled Lukarrara, which in Warlpiri language means ‘desert fringe-rush’ [grass with an edible seed]. Each design incorporates bright colours and complex, interwoven patterns to create bold statement pieces. The collection is a collaboration with Pauline Napangardi Gallagher, a Warlukurlangu artist who shares with us the stories of her Lukarrara dreamings.
Tahnee Edwards, Founder of Gammin Threads
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How would you best describe your label?
Gammin Threads was born from a love of typography, language and Blak pride. I love using bold colours, humour and messaging that speaks to issues that impact the communities Gammin Threads represents. I’m most proud of this AW23 collection I’ll be showing at [Afterpay] Australian Fashion Week, it’s something I’ve dreamt of doing for years.
Tell us about your AAFW collection.
This is the very first cut-and-sew range I’ve ever done and it’s a celebration of Victorian mob – our stories, key figures and matriarchs. It’s bright, bold and proudly Koori. I hope the audience feels inspired to learn more about our local history and culture in Naarm.
Naomi Collings, co-founder of Kamara
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How would you best describe your label?
Kamara was built around skin health messaging and respectful representation of First Nations culture and sustainability. [Its journey] began after my own melanoma diagnosis. The brand has reimagined sun protection with designs inspired by the beach, country, ocean, sky and streets.
Incorporating First Nations culture into the brand’s designs and business operations has been a core value for Kamara; I find an incredible source of strength and grounding from family. This connection has driven the inclusive, respectful and sustainable values we hold our brand to.
I believe fashion can have a powerful impact on our experiences, whether we’re wearing it or viewing it. I love designing to elevate thinking around sun protection, self-care and the celebration of art and sustainability. I am proud that Kamara is sun conscious, supports [our local] industry and artists, and is manufactured with a planet-friendly focus. Good for your skin, planet and heart.
Tell us about your AAFW collection.
The collection is about stepping into your universe and allowing shining stars to align. Kamara is for those who value sun-safe designs alongside personal expression… The Universe collection features a range of classic silhouettes, each with Kamara’s exclusive prints and signature cuts. Completing the galaxy of pieces are four exciting new styles [that will] be revealed at AAFW.
Melissa Greenwood, co-founder of Miimi and Jiinda
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How would you best describe your label?
My label is inspired by the teachings of my elders. It’s elegant and sophisticated yet deeply grounded in Jagun (country), evoking emotion and rich storytelling through my handpainted designs. In addition to my clothing collection, you will see each piece adorned with my miimi’s (mum), Lauren Jarrett, traditional woven pieces using all-natural grasses and plants from our Gumbaynggirr country.
Tell us about your AAFW collection.
It’s called Buuraba, which in Gumbaynggirr language means unearth. My collection weaves the intricacies of my Aboriginal spiritual upbringing with the wisdom passed down from my elders. When people wear my designs, I want them to feel proud, empowered and connected to the oldest continuous culture in the world.
Juanita Page, Founder and Designer of Joseph and James
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How would you best describe your label?
Joseph and James is a ready-to-wear menswear label that brings a more sartorial approach to streetwear, cultivating an essence of freedom, empowerment, inclusivity and celebration. My design aesthetic is detail-centric with a focus on fit, form and function. So, while I take cues from street silhouettes, I also combine this with premium fabrics and considered detailing to inject an air of sophistication and timelessness.
I’m most proud of just seeing this dream come to life. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do, so seeing it turn into a tangible thing that’s no longer just an idea is wild and gratifying. After all the work that goes into creating a collection, there’s no other feeling [than seeing] other people connecting with what you’ve put out there. As a designer, it’s a strangely humbling and empowering transaction when someone walks away with one of your pieces. You feel you become a part of their own unique journey and story and they, in turn, become part of mine.
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Tell us about your AAFW collection.
The collection I’m showcasing consists of two parts… Part one reflects [on] the notion of refined ambition… We are often presented with the idea that success comes only to those who sacrifice all else [and] are pushed to the absolute limits.
I prefer to subscribe to an approach that… requires slow [and] steady persistence… leading to a more sustainable, lasting, and often more fulfilling result. Whether it be the fabric, design or silhouette, the garments personify this notion. There’s boldness in the textures and stripes but they are understated and sophisticated.
Part two is an extension of the same thread but with a shift in focus to celebration and escapism. Titled Daydream, it is a dual response to personally living through multiple lockdowns in Melbourne and bringing attention to the importance of taking pauses in our journeys. The custom-designed leafy print, the colour palette and the organic natural fabrics are reflective of this breakaway, vacation feeling. With the collection, I want people to feel a sense of empowerment, inclusivity and balance.
Nat Dann, Founder of Ihraa Swim
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How would you best describe your label?
Made to inspire adventures, Ihraa Swim is an Australian-made swimwear brand with a commitment to sustainable and ethical production practices. Our prints are bold, bright and fun. It has taken a mammoth amount of work behind the scenes to get to where we are today. I have wanted to design since I was five years old – seeing my first collection come to life at AAFW in 2022 and then be showcased at New York Fashion Week were very proud moments.
Tell us about your AAFW collection.
It is very fun and adventurous. I tapped into the laid-back Australian lifestyle for inspiration in this collection.
To learn more about Indigenous Fashion Projects, head here.
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