First Nations Fashion Takes Center Stage at Australian Fashion Week

First Nations Designers and Models Shine at Australian Fashion Week Australian Fashion Week 2025 concluded with a powerful display of Indigenous talent. First Nations designers and models made a significant impact, showcasing their unique designs and cultural heritage on the runway. ABC News Australia captured the event's behind-the-scenes moments, providing insights into the designers' creative processes and the models' experiences. Juanita Page, the designer behind the men's fashion label JOSEPH & JAMES, shared her vision: "So what we want to bring with JOSEPH & JAMES is allow men to have a play, to find their sense of self through clothing." Her designs, featured prominently in the show, reflected a blend of modern style and cultural elements. Model Calab Law, a Wakka Wakka man, expressed his pride in the increasing representation of Indigenous people in the fashion industry: "If you're Indigenous, you're beautiful as, like everyone should be models. There should be representation everywhere. Just like sport, just like modelling." His words highlight the growing movement towards inclusivity and diversity in the fashion world. Denni Francisco, designer of the prominent fashion label Ngali, emphasized the importance of culture in her work: "Culture plays a really powerful component of what it is that we do. It was why Ngali was started, so the collection itself is a bringing together of the artists' artwork, the translations of those artwork, but also to the incredible colours that get offered up on our gum trees all around Australia." Her designs incorporated traditional Aboriginal art and colors, creating stunning and culturally significant pieces. The success of First Nations designers and models at Australian Fashion Week 2025 signifies a significant step towards greater representation and inclusivity within the fashion industry, promising a more diverse and vibrant future for Australian fashion.