The Iconic and FNFD have launched an incubator program for First Nations designers, here’s what you need to know
PHOTOGRAPHY BY SONNY PHOTOS FOR FNFD
WORDS BY IZZY WIGHT
For emerging First Nations creatives of all backgrounds looking to make their mark.
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.
On the first of this month, Australian fashion industry heavyweights First Nations Fashion Design (FNFD) and The Iconic announced a new fashion incubator program, designed to champion the next generation of design talent. Slated to officially launch in 2023, expressions of interest are now open for emerging First Nations creatives of all backgrounds looking to make their mark.
After making Fashion Week history with not one, but three landmark showcases of First Nations designs, FNFD – with the help of leading fashion platform The Iconic – is extending an opportunity to the community. The pioneering program will offer three aspiring designers mentorship, workshops, gathering, events and personalised resources over an eight-month crash course.
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Applicants will be reviewed by a panel of First Nations design and fashion experts, including FNFD founder and CEO Grace Lillian Lee, Indigenous model and icon, Elaine George, and the founder of Australian Indigenous Fashion, Yatu Widders Hunt – to name a few. Below, FNFD’s Chief Operating Officer, Teagan Cowlishaw and The Iconic’s Chief Category and Sustainability Officer, Gayle Burchell, speak about how The Iconic x FNFD Incubator Program was brought to life.
To start, can you tell us a little about how The Iconic x FNFD Incubator program was born?
Teagan: The concept began a decade ago, when Grace and I met in 2013 at a fashion program in Sydney. As we were evolving our practices and growing as designers within our own brands, it was clear there was a gap in the industry for First Nations designers, brands and creatives, with fewer opportunities and access points available to them.
Gayle: Together, we wanted to develop a learning program that leveraged The Iconic’s leading industry position to promote First Nations brands, with the expertise and perspective FNFD brings from their existing community engagement and industry influence. The program has been informed by ongoing feedback from the First Nations creative community and is set to support the growth of First Nations creatives via mentoring, business support, and economic development.
What are some of the challenges faced by First Nations designers?
T: There are a number of challenges faced by First Nations designers, but a few key issues are accessibility to the Australian fashion industry and resources, limited representation in major retailers and the lack of policy around ownership, artist fees and copyright for First Nations designers. There is progress that needs to be made and we’re hoping the Incubator Program acts as an active contributor to solving these challenges.
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G: One of the key challenges faced by First Nations designers in the mainstream retail ecosystem is establishing culturally sensitive and sustainable ways to scale. There is incredible craftsmanship and skill coming from creatives in First Nations communities, however, there is often not the means, support or access to resources to scale into a commercially viable business.
This then contributes to limiting opportunities with mainstream retailers, creating a cycle of under-representation. Equally, mainstream retailers need to evolve their practices to facilitate economic empowerment for First Nations designers, something we at The Iconic are focussed on improving.
How is this program working to tackle these issues and give opportunities to emerging First Nations talent?
T: The 2023 Incubator Program will provide candidates with long-term support across the industry and access to cultural mentors. Not to mention, they will have access to FNFD hubs, making it the perfect business centre and base.
Additionally, they will have access to marketing and events, which are typically tough to break into as an up-and-coming First Nations creative. And finally, [they will have] access to a distribution avenue, making it easier to create a direct-to-market brand available to consumers.
Who can apply, and what’s in store for successful applicants?
G: The Iconic X FNFD Incubator is open to First Nations creatives of all ages and from all creative disciplines, including creatives that work in jewellery design, graphic artists, and textile artists. Expressions of interest are now open – to submit your application, please see here.
The program offers First Nations designers inclusive, real-world learning opportunities. Selected creatives will undertake an extensive eight-month program, where they will have exposure and the opportunity to develop their brand, take part in an eCommerce shoot, brand promotion, online retail distribution, and more. When the program is complete, the creatives will be invited to sell their collection on The Iconic, with exposure to The Iconic customers across Australia and New Zealand.
To learn more about the incubator program and submit your application, head here.
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