Darkness settles inside the Darwin convention centre. Anticipation blankets the crowd as Cyan Lee, a Traditional Owner, welcomes them to Larrakia country. From that moment, it is clear audiences will be confronted with their own reckoning at Country to Couture’s sold-out shows; across two 75-minute shows and 20 collections, designers delivered a poignant display of truth-telling.
In recent years, fashion has become an annual central point at Darwin’s Aboriginal arts festival with runway shows, workshops and mentorship programs culminating in the presentation of Australia’s national Indigenous fashion awards, which took place on 7 August. Michelle Maynard, a manager at Indigenous Fashion Projects who coordinates the festival’s fashion programming, saw a “collective consciousness” between designers as they emerged late last year after the failed voice referendum.
“Fashion is an opportunity for us to really lean into some of the things that we never get an opportunity to say and talk about, because our voice has been oppressed for such a long time,” she says.
She says creative industries provide a vehicle for finding “that courage, and empower our voices and truth-telling”.
“It’s about time people see us as exquisite.”
But Country to Couture is not only a place for designers; at back of house, there is a sense of family too. The show is part of Indigenous Fashion Projects’ development program, which builds capacity across mob who want a career in the fashion industry.
Model-mentors Elaine George and Cassie Puruntatameri worked to create cultural safety for emerging runway talent. During rehearsals, George would race alongside new models calling them “bub”, while everyone called her “Auntie”.
In the 10 days leading up to the show, George and Puruntatameri coached new models – many of whom had never worn heels, let alone walked on a runway before – on industry etiquette, alongside the more physical aspects of walking and posing for photographs.
George was the first Aboriginal woman ever featured on the cover of Vogue (in the September 1993 Australian edition), but she walked away from the fashion industry, frustrated by racism. Now a child protection worker, George has found herself in front of the camera three decades on with a renewed focus.
“The young ones are going to be the future,” she says.
‘This is not a show, this is a story’
Like many in the fashion industry, George – a Bundjalung and Arakwal woman – can tell you some stories.
“Back in the 90s, I still had to educate people overseas who Aboriginal people were. At just 19 years old, that was not my job, so it was quite overwhelming,” she says.
Her return to the catwalk came after Vogue envisioned an all First Nations’ curated cover to mark 30 years since George’s edition.
“The editor had apparently been sending me emails for about six months, but I was deleting them because I thought it was spam,” she says.
Her return to modelling included handpicking her manager, who shares her focus on challenging the industry to become culturally safe.
“I took some young women from community to Australian fashion week … just seeing their faces light up, I was like, we need to do this on a bigger scale. Then Indigenous Fashion Projects asked if I’d like to come up here (to Darwin) and do a bit of a mentoring role.”
Young models rarely get the kind of hands-on coaching and guidance George has been able to provide through IFP. “No one else has done a whole week of working with them and building their skill sets,” she says. “The young ones have thrived on it.”
Now in its eighth year, Country to Couture is held on the saltwater country of the Larrakia people, which George says should never change.
“It’s my first year here but, I honestly don’t think we need to take this to Sydney. I think we will lose the connection,” she says. “I think we will lose these babies that come from remote community to get here, and travel 1,500 kilometres in the back of a truck.
“We need it to be unique to here – to Darwin.”
Country to Couture’s national profile needs to be elevated, George says, because Australia is having a moment post-referendum where it is trying to understand what Aboriginal “looks like”. She says governments should pay attention to the event because it demonstrates a gamut of tradition, culture, and story in meaningful ways.
“This is not a show, this is a story, and you get several stories within one ticket here, whereas other fashion shows are literally ‘walk down and back’ … Here we are telling our cultural history, through language, through designs and through being here in the NT.”
Holding with dignity
“Falling into this space has made me fall in love with fashion and myself,” says Bardi, Kija and Yawuru man Jake Powers. In 2023 the teen commuted 3,200km from Broome in Western Australia with his aunty for Country to Couture.
“I had never done modelling before, but that year I ended up doing runway,” he says.
Powers’ story is similar to many models at Country to Couture, who travel thousands of kilometres to walk the runway, often for the first time. They are often scouted through family connections, which gives the show a community spirit.
Now in his second year at Country to Couture, Powers has become one of Indigenous Fashion Projects’ model mentees. “I’ve just spent the last two weeks unpacking the collections and getting to know all the lovely pieces and learning all the stories,” he says.
This year Powers opened the show wearing a powerful trench covered in fishing traps by Yalanji Artists, in collaboration with Linda Jackson.
“I was just shocked that I was picked, honestly, even just to come here for work is a privilege.”
Powers’ opening walk left audiences cheering, his high energy sway sending the bold trench swinging behind him.
“Yalanji’s whole collection this year is called Underfire which is based on the failed referendum, impacts of climate change and the wars in Ukraine and Palestine. Throughout all their pieces they have these sacred items like the fish traps.”
As a model, “I just want to hold that with dignity, to showcase their artwork,” he says.
‘Just put this foot here and that foot there’
Softly spoken, Puruntatameri began by taking a quiet approach to building her career. But even after her early campaign work eight years ago, she quickly started receiving messages “from my young cousins, or even, just random people that follow me on social media” asking her how they could get into modelling too.
“I felt like a certain responsibility to give back, and I’ve always wanted to help others get into modelling.”
Puruntatameri says a sense of giving back runs deeply with her Tiwi culture. It is her fourth year at Country to Couture and her second as a mentor.
“Last year I did a modelling workshop which included a photoshoot to help others kickstart their portfolios,” she says.
Larrakia man Lucas James, who modelled for his second year in 2024, said it was exactly this workshop that gave him his start.
“I think a month after that workshop, House of Darwin did a photoshoot and wanted me to be in it,” he says.
“But also, what I loved was Cassie. She wasn’t this big, uptight model, she was just like ‘yeah, nah bub, you mob are good, just put this foot here and that foot there’. She was just the best role model.”
Now living in Melbourne, Puruntatameri says coming back to Darwin for Country to Couture is “really special”.
“I consider Darwin like my second home. I’ve grown up here, you know, I went to high school here and lived with my family here,” she says.
“I have a lot of love for Larrakia country and a lot of care for mob here too … I love coming back too when everything is happening, like [the] Darwin Aboriginal art fair. There are so many talented artists – from my family too – so it’s good to be back here around this time of year.”
‘Something to feel really proud of’
At only 18, James already walks with a gentle authority. Standing on the saltwater country of his ancestors, he has a striking stillness in front of the camera.
James first became interested in modelling at 16, but it was his mother’s suggestion to try out for Country to Couture in 2023. “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take, so I thought I might as well give it a go,” he says.
“I had a blast. I never thought I would be up there modelling next to people like Cassie but this [show] gives us all something to feel really proud of and represent your mob and other mob in.”
He says bringing designs out on country highlights their story, although he was nervous at first. “It was the home of my totem, the danggalaba (saltwater crocodile), but my eyes I think changed when I just choose to believe in the life around me.”
“The wind blowing, the mangroves, the ocean tide,” he says, voice melodic. “Hearing people laughing on the beach, people swimming and washing themselves, cleaning themselves. It’s just the euphoria of … natural life.”
As a Larrakia man, James feels “incredibly proud” to host mob – designers, makeup artists, models, production assistants and artists – on his home country. He says that while fashion shows like Country to Couture are relatively new mediums for mob, the stories in the designs are not.
“You know, we come from the ocean. We come from the land. We come from the sea. We don’t just come out of nowhere and make these deadly clothes,” he says.
“Who we are, what we what do, that’s what we make our clothes out of … maybe a little bit [of] bark, maybe some sand … it’s just this whole big spiderweb of connections, meaning, bringing you to one point, through everything we’ve done for our whole life.”
One night later, the National Indigenous fashion awards celebrated artists from remote communities to urban centres. From more than 250 entries, judges Yatu Widders-Hunt, Elaine George, Lisa Waup and Nimmi Premaratne selected six winners.
Gunggandji woman Simone Arnol took out the fashion designer of the year award for her natural dye and climate conscious works. “Black is green, we have always been about sustainability,” she says.
Arnol’s intricate pressed patterns on fabrics and natural dye methods have been passed down from her mother-in-law. “A lot of people weave, but not that many people learn the traditional dyeing process that’s associated with the weaving as well,” she says. “And to help that practice stay alive, I incorporated that traditional practice into fashion.
“I also get the models, who are family members, to go out on country and learn how to identify the plants.” Now they too are learning how to dye.
Her win is remarkable, given her personal battle with stage-four cancer. Her illness makes passing on knowledge and traditional methods even more critical to her work.
“I’m just so grateful for the opportunity. A lot of blood, sweat and tears go into a design and to be recognised for all your hard work is just a beautiful experience.”
2024 National Indigenous fashion award winners
Fashion designer award: Simone Arnol
Cecilia Cubillo young achiever award: Kahlia Rogers
Business achievement award: Ngali, Denni Francisco from Melbourne, Victoria
Community collaboration award: Melissa Greenwood, Miimi & Jiinda x Gilat Shani, Unreal Fur
Wearable art award: Lillardia Briggs-Houston from Albury/Narrandera, NSW
Traditional adornment award: Philomena Yeatman from the Yarrabah Arts & Cultural Precinct
Textile design award: Jay Jurrupula Rostron from the Bábbarra Women’s Centre in Maningrida, NT
