Cairns Indigenous Art Fair
- Words by Peppermint
With Cairns Indigenous Art Fair (CIAF) just a few short weeks away, these photos give a taste of what’s to come at the fashion performance – showcasing as they do the outfits of the Djunngaal Yarrabah Elders Group.
‘Djungaal’ is a Gunggandji word that means the action and sound of hitting water, and it’s also closely connected to a special ceremony that takes place at the medicine water “Yealamucka” – a healing place in Yarrabah. Gwen Schrieber, who coordinates the Djunngaal Yarrabah Elders group, says their perspectives are founded upon interconnectedness and the utmost respect for culture and each other.
When it came to their contribution to the CIAF fashion performance, the group were keen to continue the practice of sewing dresses as learned in the ‘Mission days’ of the Aboriginal Protection Act. With this in mind, the group created three dresses – an everyday-wear dormitory dress, a church service dress and a bag dress, which was a punishment dress made from potato sack bags. The collection, named ‘ByDaBell’, tells their story of their life in the dormitory, and shows a continuation of history and culture throughout a heavily burdened and oppressive time in Australia’s history.
This group of strong and resilient women harbour a vast knowledge about their environment and the ecological relationships within it, as well as their community, its history and their children future within it. A visit to the group on any normal day can find them sewing and crafting, painting and teaching language, making fresh bread, weaving or just yarning and drinking tea. The women currently sew from their hub in Yarrabah, and their collection can be seen alongside many others at the upcoming Cairns Indigenous Art Fair Fashion Performance.
CAIRNS INDIGENOUS ART FAIR TAKES PLACE FROM 10TH – 14TH JULY, WITH THE FASHION PERFORMANCE ‘BUWUL-BARRA… MESSENGER. YESTERDAY. TODAY. TOMORROW’ TAKING PLACE ON 11TH AND 12TH JULY – GRAB YOUR TICKETS TODAY!
PHOTO: WADE LEWIS
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We are throwing away clothing at a faster rate than ever before. How can we tackle this problem?
✨️ WEAR
Be an outfit repeater - wear your items of clothing as long as possible. Learn to style your garments in various ways. Loved clothing lasts.
✨️ SHARE
If you really need to move it along, share the love with friends - hold a clothing exchange night! Or organise a timeshare with a friend where you swap a few favourite pieces of fashion. If you really can`t find a new home for it, then donate to an op shop or charity.
✨️ CARE
The care of your clothing – washing, drying and ironing – can account for approx 30% of a garment`s total carbon footprint. Hand wash, line dry, wash in cold water, and only wash when necessary.
✨️ REPAIR
Mending – and making – slows down fast fashion buying habits. Repairing used to be common practice, until disposable fashion took over. Extending the life of clothing by just nine months can reduce carbon, water, and waste footprints by 20–30%. Fixing doesn`t need to just be utilitarian – get creative with visible mending!
*Fact from The United Nations Environment Programme
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