An Indigenous designer the next Camilla? Surely, that would be iconic

Most consumers, even the least engaged fashion customer, could probably name a few Australian brands: Camilla, Zimmermann, Rebecca Vallance. But relatively few could list a single Indigenous-owned fashion brand.

Designer of Aarli, Nyikina woman Teagan Cowlishaw, believes that change is long overdue. “Not only is there hunger [for Indigenous fashion] from a consumer point of view but also from the designers to be [recognised],” she says. “They want to be like a Camilla, where you walk in and see multiple retail stores … I dream of them being household names.”

As a co-founder (with multidisciplinary artist Meriam Mir woman Grace Lillian Lee) of First Nations Fashion Design, which supports and promotes Indigenous designers, Cowlishaw has partnered with online retailer The Iconic to launch an incubator program that will not only hold the hand of burgeoning Indigenous designers but support them on a path of commercial success.

Although labels such as Clair Helen, Clothing the Gaps, Ngali and Maara Collective have been critically acclaimed and won awards, few First Nations brands in Australia have enjoyed commercial success or starred in their own runway show.

Cowlishaw, who has been in the industry for more than a decade, says many Indigenous designers haven’t the tools or contacts to elevate themselves from cottage industry to commercial powerhouse. “The Iconic has been trying to build its First Nations platform, but the thing is most of our mob are not ready,” she says.

The Iconic’s chief executive, Eria Berchtold, says it was time for the company to progress its support for Indigenous fashion beyond the superficial, such as including models in its runway shows. “It’s easy to flick a bit of money to help them showcase some product on a runway but what is the meaningful support we can offer these designers,” she says.

Australian retailers’ attempts to showcase Indigenous brands are not new. Last year, David Jones supported the Indigenous Fashion Projects runway at Australian Fashion Week in May, and included a 66-piece limited edition capsule collection from brands including Liandra Swim and Kirrikin in its spring collection.

But The Iconic program aims to be different by not only supporting the brands to grow according to their own business objectives but also by involving First Nations community members from the get-go. The program will offer access to mentoring across financial, human resources, sourcing and cultural issues, and more.