Q&A: Kin Fashion

Façon sits down with Scott McCartney, CEO of Aboriginal Chamber of Commerce Victoria to discuss the rise of First Nations fashion and the complexity of the fashion industry.

What is Kin Fashion?

Kin Fashion is a program supporting First Nations creatives in the fashion industry. A cohort of nine First Nations entrepreneurs has designed individual capsule collections to launch as part of Melbourne Fashion Festival in March 2022. In January 2022, a dedicated Design-Development Studio will open on Peel St, Collingwood, with the support of the City of Yarra.

What achievements have you been most proud of since starting with Kin Fashion?

The experience of developing and launching this program has been incredibly successful. One of the gaps in the sector for emerging creatives is the lack of access to the building blocks required to design and sample a collection. Despite the lockdowns, we have been able to connect creatives with high-quality resources and materials that have elevated their creative vision. All our manufacturers are ethically accredited, our raw materials and print studios are world class. Resources like patternmakers and access to the studio have given the collective the real opportunity to explore the creative process of fashion and learn more about the business side as well.

Another aspect of the experience has been the swell of support from other peak bodies and organisations. We had the incredible support of Melbourne Fashion Festival to launch with both a stand-alone textile exhibition in Fed Square paired with the First Nations Runway. Also, as part of the official opening ceremony, the Welcome to Country included an edit of First Nations Kin Fashion designers.

Why is fashion important to you?

Fashion is an amazing reflection of how we see ourselves as an individual and more broadly as a community. It is a creative expression of identity – all gender – nonverbal and intergenerational.

It is a powerful reflection of the times we are living. Right now, First Nations Fashion is being spotlighted and this isa very significant reflection of our time.

Which up-and-coming designers should we be keeping an eye on?

All of our Kin designers are ones to watch

www.kinfashion.com.au

Kin Fashion has seen huge success at AAFW and Melbourne Fashion Week. What is next for Kin Fashion?

We are planning on developing more programs to engage with other FN creatives. We also have plans to offer adaptive sessions for artists to get involved as an incubator program. Moving forward some pop-upactivation will also be on our horizon.