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Unearthed: Indigenous Fashion by Claudia Jambor 9 March 2014
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stellar line up of top Aboriginal models, designers, musicians and dancers with special guest appearances by Maori and Native American talent who will ignite the ANZ Pavilion runway as part of the event’s Cultural Program on Saturday March 22 at 10:30am. Indigenous Fashion Unearthed (IFU) Project is an initiative established three years ago to support emerging Australian Indigenous fashion talent and designers break into the fashion industry; it has now reached other global Indigenous communities who are driving the initiative forward. The IFU Project nurtures confidence and positive self-esteem in Indigenous young people by hosting fashion workshops with Indigenous mentors and providing work experience. In 2013, Global Indigenous Management (GIM) was established, to provide a sustainable solution for its unfunded Indigenous Fashion Unearthed Project. GIM provides support for its top global Indigenous models, artists, talent and events to be unearthed and showcased to the world. This year, the raw natural beauty of their homeland and rich tribal culture will be interwoven into the artists fashion collections, music and dance performances. Colleen Tighe Johnson, of Buluuy Mirri, Lenore Dembski of Paperbark woman, Damien Loizou of Walya Altjerre will grace the runway with their collections again this year after showcasing at the first Unearthed event at the Melbourne Spring Fashion Festival last September. Indigenous fashion designers, Cher Thomas Designs (USA), Shona Tawhiao, Batreece
Model Marlikka Pedrisat shows a design by Colleen Tighe Johnson. All images Jason McNally Photography
Morgan and Janine Clarkin, will be unveiling their eclectic winter collections. Joining the largest collection of Aboriginal models like Echuca’s (Victoria) Ms Naidoc model Keyarny Lamb; are for the second time Miss Aotearoa (NZ) 2012 Marlena Martin and Native American (USA) model Martin Sensmeier. Martin grew up in Yakutat, Alaska & belongs to the Tlingit and Koyukon-Athabascan
Tribes. Martin strongly values his culture focusing especially on youth initiatives and spending time with tribal elders. For Martin, he has been blessed with many great opportunities that include MC/hosting Miss Indian Nations held by UTTC in North Dakota, acting in a few film projects, television work and helping film a Documentary about Tribal Canoe Journeys.
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Designer Ruth Woodbury Model Atea Tutu
Designer Norwinz Model Kerri Simpson
Shareena Clanton a remarkable Aboriginal actress and member of the Wentworth main cast, receiving her first Australian Film Institute Award nomination for her exceptional performance in Redfern Now and Luke Carroll will be hosting the Unearthed: Indigenous Fashion runway event. Luke Carroll is an accomplished actor and presenter on one of Australia’s most loved children’s show “PLAYSCHOOL” and his most notable performances have been in Australian Rules, The Tenderhook, Stone Bros and Needle (Film). Another Aboriginal talent is Mark Coles Smith notable actor known for his work on Beneath Hill 60 (2010), Ocean Star (2003) and Hard Rock Medical (2013). Mark is an emerging audio engineer who continues to astonish us introducing another brilliant collection of Indigenous themed runway music. The runway will be shared with Indigenous dance troupe, Sermsah
and the Liyarn dancers and Maori troupe, Toi Haka. Sermsah starred in the 2010 Australian film, ‘Bran Nue Dae and has toured with Marrugecku’s production ‘Burning Daylight’ worldwide in 2009. Accompanying Sermsah and the Liyarn dancers is Maori dance troupe, Toi Haka. The troupe collaborate with African and Indian dancers and have performed at numerous international events. Jessie Lloyd originally from the tropics of far north Queensland, Jessie studied music in Perth, WA where she performed and toured with her award winning band Djiva and in 2009 was nominated as Female Artist of the Year at Too Solid Awards will be featured along with Maori songstress Maisey Rika and her brother, JJ. Rika will enthrall audiences singing traditional Maori music, capturing the essence of Maori culture. Rika has toured extensively worldwide, performing alongside artists
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Designer Maehe Ranginui Model Te Pono Aukaha
including Australian Idol 2009 winner Stan Walker and five-time U.S.A Grammy award winners “The Blind Boys of Alabama”. Lloyd and Rika’s soul-shaking voices coupled with the thoughtprovoking messages of their music will leave audiences breath-taken. The Indigenous Fashion Unearthed Project grows stronger with each year, and its platforms continue to unveil the world’s first and greatest pool of global Indigenous models and talent across the wide spectrum of the fashion and arts industry. With its growing momentum the Indigenous Fashion Unearthed Project and the world’s first Global Indigenous Management is changing the face of the fashion world. For more information please contact: Tina Waru Email: tina@ indigenousfashionunearthed.com Phone: +61 430 796086 Website: www. indigenousfashionunearthed.com