- The Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair (DAAF) Foundation created the IFP Pathways Program.
- Five labels participated in this year’s IFP runway presentation: Ihraa Swim, Gali Swim, Lazy Girl Lingerie, Joseph & James, and Miimi and Jiinda.
- David Leslie developed Gali Swimwear, which specializes in swimwear and its relationship to both land and sea.
Since 2021, the Indigenous Fashion Projects (IFP) catwalk, hosted by David Jones, has been a mainstay of Australia Fashion Week. The Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair (DAAF) Foundation created the IFP Pathways Program, which provides platforms and mentorship to up-and-coming Indigenous designers. Five labels participated in this year’s IFP runway presentation: Ihraa Swim, Gali Swim, Lazy Girl Lingerie, Joseph & James, and Miimi and Jiinda.
A tribute to her father and grandfather, who also have the name Joseph, Juanita Page of Joseph & James presented her newest collection, vacation 2025. A distinctive camp collar shirt emblazoned with logos from her grandfather’s tire shop and her father’s lamington-and-pie business is part of the collection, which includes a jazz-leaning capsule of shirts, knitwear, and pants.
Indigenous Fashion Project
The creator and designer of Ihraa Swim, Nat Dann, used a black-and-white print inspired by the forms of desert sand to add vacation elements to his collection. Ihraa Swim emphasizes sustainability and a love of country and is manufactured from plastic that is found in the ocean.
David Leslie developed Gali Swimwear, which specializes in swimwear and its relationship to both land and sea. In partnership with singer Jasmine, Resort 2025 honors country music while addressing the significance of preserving it for the next generations. Leslie tried out two new swimwear styles made of sustainable materials: a “resort shirt” and a “support short.”
Gali Swim’s upcoming phase will center on printing and manufacturing, to introduce more goods and artist partnerships. Leslie believes that in ten years, the industry will still have models that are empowering Indigenous creatives and sharing their stories.
The goal of First Nations lady Cassandra Pons’s line of lingerie, Lazy Girl Lingerie, is to provide lingerie that fits people of all ages, sizes, and body types. Using natural fibers like muslin cotton and printed stretch cotton for bodysuits, slip dresses, and glitzy robes, the resort 2025 collection, “Ocean Eyes,” is a manifesto about land, care, and country.
Pons makes sustainable fashion choices with vivid, striking colors. The products of Lauren Jarrett and Melissa Greenwood’s partnership, Miimi & Jiinda, include earthen prints, elevated staples, and hand-woven baskets. Cindy Rostron’s current collection features a black, pink, and orange color scheme along with a patterned silk dress. A painting by Unreal Fur with birthing cave images is also included in the collection.
