Media Release
19 October 2018
Australian Indigenous art and fashion will make its debut on the Jakarta Fashion Week runway on Saturday 20 October.
Representing more than 60 Indigenous Art Centres from across Australia, the Darwin Aboriginal Arts Fair Foundation (DAAFF) will share the runway with Australia Awards short course participant Novita Yunus, with her latest collection from Batik Chic.
“The links between Australian and Indonesian textile arts are unmistakable,” says Australian Deputy Head of Mission Mr Allaster Cox, “bringing the two together on the runway of JFW shows the strong connection between our countries’ creative designers.”
DAAFF’s unique collection From Country to Couture tells the rich story of Indigenous history and cultural heritage through contemporary fashion.
“Indonesian batik is acknowledged for providing the inspiration for the Australian Indigenous textile art movement in the early 1970s,” says Claire Summers, Executive Director of DAAFF. “We feel privileged to present a collection that celebrates forty years of innovation and development in Indigenous textile practices," she adds.
Inspired by her time in Australia, Novita Yunus brings together Indonesian and Australian flora in her striking new BC Bush collection.
“Combining traditional Indonesian techniques such as batik tuban and embroidery with Australia’s unique flowers marries our cultures and adds to our shared heritage,” she says.
Over the last three years the Australia Awards International Business Readiness Course for the Fashion and Textiles Sector has produced more than 75 graduates, many of whom run some of Indonesia’s most popular labels.
This is the fourth year that Australian fashion has featured at Jakarta Fashion Week with this years’ collections highlighting the unique ways in which Australian and Indonesian designers translate their cultural roots into high-couture.
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