Indigenous Fashion Gaining National and International Recognition
It’s no secret that Indigenous fashion in recent years has been growing through increasing interest and exposure. Fashion and art are closely connected particularly within Indigenous fashion, one could not exist without the other. It is through talented Indigenous artists that the boldly coloured, patterned textiles are created. Unique artworks are what makes First Nations fashion so distinctive. It is these distinctive styles that are beginning to gain recognition from an international audience.
For decades now Australian First Nations art has been in high demand all over the world. It was in the 1980’s that Indigenous art really took off. Remote art centres began to emerge and art dealers started to share Indigenous art with the international market. It is artists such as Emily Kngwarreye, Clifford Possum and Rover Thomas that have paved the way for future generations. Their international reputation made them important role models within their communities. Works by Kngwarreye and Possum have been purchased for over a million dollars and Thomas has fetched up $750,000 for his traditional ochre paintings (Plunkett, 2020). While all of this was incredible progress, not all artists were treated and paid fairly for their artwork. False promises were and are still often made in relation to the lucrativeness of the international market (Wright, 1998). It is important that as fashion also branches out into this new market that the creators and makers of these beautiful garments are treated with respect. Pam Bigelow manager of the Indigenous Art Centre Alliance (IACA) comments about fair payments for artists and art centres who are branching out into the world of fashion:
“It’s early days and these things take time, we think it could be a really interesting form of a more passive income…We’re very insistent on using licensing agreements, royalty payments and a proper process that’s transparent between both parties so everyone gets what they want out of it and the artist is paid fairly.”- Pam Bigelow (Courtesy of Brennan, 2017)
It is the unique use of vibrant colours and interesting textures within Indigenous fashion that people are often drawn to. Grace Lillian Lee is an Indigenous artist and designer who uses traditional Torres Strait Islander weaving techniques. She has become incredibly successful in her unique approach to fashion, her intricate designs are sold at a high-end Boutique in Melbourne and also displayed at the National Gallery of Victoria. She comments on people’s reactions to her works:
“People may not know where it comes from and are just intrigued by the texture and shape and form. But when they learn where it originates from, that’s something really exciting — to be able to inform them that it’s a traditional weaving technique from the Torres Strait Islands.” — Grace Lillian Lee (courtesy of Brennan, 2017)
It is Indigenous artists’ unique use of colour, pattern and texture that connects with the Australian landscape as such making their works particularly beautiful and special. Nothing is created for the sake of being pretty, artwork and designs are created with intention and purpose. It is through these key characteristics that First Nations art and fashion will continue to grow. A number of brands are now creating collections in collaboration with Indigenous artists such as Aje and luxury shoe brand Jimmy Choo.
In 2017 Australian fashion house Aje collaborated with the family of renowned Aboriginal artist Minnie Pwerle an Alyawarre woman, for their 2018 luxury resort collection. It was important that Aje worked closely with the Pwerle family as there were some specific things they wanted to communicate about Minnie Pwerle’s legacy and the meaning of her artworks. The special collection was taken back to Pwerle’s home soil, Alice Springs for the collection’s photoshoot. The shoot highlighted the distinctive sprawling landscape and incredible sunrises. The collection was shown at the Art Gallery of New South Wales and received an incredible response both locally and internationally (Brennan, 2017).
In 2017 couture shoe brand Jimmy Choo collaborated with Indigenous artist Peter Farmer (Noongar man). The artwork used for the collaboration was of a blue wren, Farmers totem. He says:
“It is something I’ve painted for a long time, is significant to me and looks really nice on the shoe.” — Peter Farmer (courtesy of Pancia, 2017)
Through this collaboration this talented artist gained recognition internationally. This was the first time Australian Indigenous artwork has been displayed through couture fashion. A momentous moment in time and hopefully the start of many more incredible partnerships and collaborations for Indigenous artists.
As mentioned earlier many Aboriginal art centres are branching out into fashion. Through fashion they can create a more continuous and hopefully more reliable source of income for the artists who often live in extremely remote areas. One such centre is Hopevale Arts and Cultural Centre located in Northwest QLD. Currently the centre collaborates with QUT (Queensland University of Technology) students to create a stunning array of garments and textiles. For remote art centres such as Hopevale the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair (DAAF) and Cairns Indigenous Art Fair (CAIF) fashion showcases are where they begin their journey into the world of fashion — it is where they gain national recognition. Both the DAAF and CIAF are renowned for the immersive experience their fashion shows create.
At Yarn we are incredibly excited to see the increasing recognition of Indigenous fashion and the beginnings of its breakthrough into the international market. Fashion and fine arts are closely connected, they are artistic practices that are incredibly beneficial to one another. At Yarn we celebrate Indigenous arts and culture through fashion. Fashion acts as a vessel for beautiful artworks and meaningful stories that we can all learn from.
