A celebration of Blak fashion, talks and music is coming to Sydney

A spectacular night of fashion, talks and music curated by First Nations Fashion and Design.

Fashion Journal is proud to continue an ongoing partnership with First Nations Fashion and Design aimed at highlighting and amplifying First Nations voices, talent, culture and stories across the industry. Fashion Journal acknowledges the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the first Australians and traditional custodians of the lands on which we live, learn and work. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging. 

This year’s NAIDOC Week is running from July 3 to 10, and its theme – Get Up! Stand Up! Show Up! – is a call to action, demanding long-lasting meaningful change and encouraging those of us who are not First Nations to be more active in our allyship.

As proud Gunditjmara woman and Fashion Journal‘s Partnerships and Campaign Manager, Ella Taverner, wrote in her guide to being an ally this NAIDOC Week, “A great place to start is connecting with traditional custodian groups in your local area, and finding First Nations-led events and cultural workshops to show your support”.

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If you’re Sydney-based, the event to bookmark this week is Blakout!, a spectacular night of fashion, talks and music curated by First Nations Fashion and Design (FNFD) at Powerhouse Museum. Taking place on Thursday, July 7 from 5 to 9pm, the event is for all ages and will commence with a Welcome to Country.

A Welcome to Country is always delivered by Traditional Owners, or Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples who have been given permission from Traditional Owners, and its purpose is to welcome visitors to their Country.

Following the Welcome to Country there will be a Smoking Ceremony, which assists in cleansing the area and the people of bad spirits, as well as promoting the wellbeing and protection of visitors.

Next up is a healing workshop followed by a series of talks. The talks feature First Nations creatives who have been making waves in the Australian fashion industry, like model Perry Mooney who will be in conversation with Coby Edgar about her involvement in FNFD’s Runways in 2021 and 2022.

Lomos Amini will be talking with one of the first First Nations male supermodels, Jake Gordon, as well as Luke Currie-Richardson and Jarron Andy, about the representation of First Nations men in the Australian fashion industry.

Later, iconic model Elaine George, who at 17 became the first First Nations model to grace the cover of Vogue Australia, will be speaking to FNFD’s co-directors, Grace Lillian Lee and Teagan Cowlishaw, about her journey in the industry.

After the talks, a Blak + Deadly Walk Off hosted by Ian RT Colless will be taking place, complete with a set from musical guest Nooky and artwork by Shaun Daniel Allen. Later that evening, proud Butchella man and rapper, Birdz, will be performing live to close out the night. Blakout! is a free event as part of Powerhouse Late, and no bookings are necessary.

For more details on Powerhouse Late: Blakout!, head here.