Kimberley fashion designers and artists shortlisted for 2024 National Indigenous Fashion Awards

The Indigenous Fashion Projects have revealed their shortlisted nominees for the 2024 National Indigenous Fashion Awards, with two Kimberley entrants being shortlisted in three categories. After receiving a record number of nominations, 36 finalists will be travelling to Darwin in August to showcase the best of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander fashion and design. Walmajarri, Gooniyandi, Bunuba and Martu woman Kahlia Rogers from Broome-based women’s art and resource centre Nagula Jarndu was shortlisted in the Cecilia Cubillo Young Achiever Award. The award recognises a person between 15-25 who is excelling in the area of fashion, textile design, modelling, styling, wearable art or jewellery, considering the individual’s journey, leadership and commitment to learning. Rogers was crowned Kimberley Girl in 2021 and has since had a stellar career on the catwalk, including venturing far from her community of Wangkatjungka, 130km south-east of Fitzroy Crossing in WA to the runway at Paris Fashion Week in 2023. Kimberley Aboriginal Fashion Textiles Art was shortlisted in two categories — Business Achievement Award and Community Collaboration Award — for its fashion runway event, SKUTTA. The runway event brought together the region’s fashion industry professionals and communities and was presented at the Town Beach Jetty on sunday. SKUTTA project co-ordinator Belinda Cook said the team was thrilled to be recognised as a NIFA finalist, having debated whether to apply but felt there was a “special story” to share. “We hoped that they would recognise the collaborative nature of what KAFTA is, and what it’s been over the last couple of years, because it’s really built from the collaboration between everyone in the Kimberley,” Ms Cook said. “We’re really thrilled to be recognised, it’s wonderful.” Formerly known as STRUT in 2022, the event was named SKUTTA to acknowledge and support the Fitzroy Crossing groups affected by the devastating one in 100-year Kimberley floods, with Rogers as the lead model. “SKUTTA came about because there has been no opportunity for Indigenous fashion designers, creatives and artists to showcase what they’re doing and their innovations within the Kimberley,” Ms Cook said. “Everyone has to travel and there isn’t even very much in Perth for them, so the only option was to get to Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair and Country to Couture. “That’s quite a big jump from community, especially remote and regional communities in the Kimberley to get to Darwin and to spend a huge amount of money, and it’s quite a big risk and hard to get into as well. “So we really wanted to create, firstly, a platform just for us all to celebrate and enjoy what everyone’s doing in the Kimberley. There’s so much innovation. “A big part of what we wanted to do was to help the people that are doing this work already on the ground, with resources and with networks, and enable our creative leadership in the Kimberley to be in the Kimberley, not have to go to Darwin or go to the east. “(SKUTTA) has just taken off and its kept growing . . . it’s wonderful.” Seven winners for the 2024 NIFA will be announced at the sunset awards ceremony on August 7 at Darwin’s Deckchair Cinema, with tickets available at ifp.org.au/nifa.