All About AARLI

All our denim dreams have come true with the new Urban Warriors collection from ECA-accredited streetwear label AARLI – featuring a bodysuit, pants, dress, playsuit, skirts and vest all made from a combination of 50% Hemp and PET (recycled plastic bottles) fabric and 50% upcycled dead stock denim from AARLI’s partner Nobody Denim.

The splattered design on many of the pieces is a contemporary reimagining of traditional warrior paint, and designer TJ Cowlishaw says the range represents “the next generation of street warriors spreading the message of change through expression”. The name AARLI means ‘barramundi’ in Bardi language – which originates from the Broome area in Western Australia – and the label is the only ethically accredited Indigenous label in Australia (TJ’s kinship lies with the Bardi people of the Kimberleys, Western Australia and the Chinese Pirates of Shanghai).

TJ has recently been accepted into the British Council’s prestigious ACCELERATE program, a leadership and skills development initiative for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people working in creative industries, and is currently in the UK undertaking professional placements and mentoring in order to grow and develop the brand. Here’s hoping everything goes swimmingly for this unique Australian label!

Image credits: Creative Direction GiDi CREATIVE, Lead by GiDi LOVE, Photographer Aubrey Devin, Model LaRayia Gaston.