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Indigenous fashion designs set trends at Melbourne Cup by Imran Naveed 4 November 2015
T
he Batchelor Institute Visual Arts Department was excited to be invited by the Victorian Racing Club to enter the Myer Fashions on the Field Design Award competition at the 2015 Melbourne Cup. Entry to this award presents a special opportunity to showcase Aboriginal fashion design and creation on the front lawn of Flemington on Melbourne Cup Day. Uniquely designed dresses will showcase central desert textile designs from two Alice Springs based Visual Art students, Phillip McCormack and Nancy Gibson. Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education (BIITE) Visual Arts lecturers and tutor Bernice Bristow, have teamed together to design the dresses for the event. Visual Arts lecturer, Brigida Stewart said, “Batchelor Institute is proud to represent Aboriginal arts and fashion and the wonderful work coming out of the Territory at this mega event”. “The lecturers and students are confident that the dresses will amaze people and that they’ll have a very strong chance in this competition”, Ms Stewart said. Myer Fashions on the Field is not only an undisputed institution of the Melbourne Cup Carnival, it has established its place as Australia’s largest and most prestigious outdoor fashion event. BIITE’s Visual Arts Department is committed to making the best use of this opportunity to demonstrate the high quality work being produced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from the
Northern Territory. Batchelor Institute would like to encourage those attending the Melbourne Cup to view the fashion on the field parade, and support our models who will be demonstrating
stunning Aboriginal designed dresses. Thanks to Milliner, Judith Dixon, from Alice Springs who made the head pieces for the dresses.
Batchelor Institute’s Visual Arts students original Indigenous designs, digitally printed onto fabric. Nancy Gibson’s (colourful at left) and Phillip McCormack (yellow) fabrics selected for the two dresses modelled at the 2015 Melbourne Cup – Myer Fashions on the Field Design Award.
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