Jessica Mauboy Talks First Nations Fashion and What DAAF Means to Darwin
- Words by Peppermint
above JESSICA MAUBOY BY WAYNE QUILLIAM
August is an exciting time to be in the Top End. Alongside the epic Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair (DAAF) from 11–13 August, Indigenous Fashion Projects (IFP) celebrates First Nations fashion and design with two incredible events: the Country to Couture runway on Tuesday 8 August and the National Indigenous Fashion Awards (NIFA) on Wednesday 9 August.
Supported by the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair Foundation (DAAFF), IFP is an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-owned and managed collective that works with First Nations designers – offering development pathways, mentoring and the chance to show at events like Country to Couture and NIFA.
top MANDY MALBUNKA, ILTJA NTJARRA (MANY HANDS) ART CENTRE left YARRABAH ARTS & CULTURAL PRECINCT X SIMONE ARNOL 2022 right CINDY ROSTRON WEARS PIECES FROM ‘A BEAUTIFUL CHAOS’ COLLECTION BY KYLIE CALDWELL IN COLLABORATION WITH SPELL BY MARLEY MORGAN
This year’s Country to Couture event will showcase the brightest in First Nations wearable art, fashion and textile design, as 23 unique collections take to the runway in two packed shows. For DAAFF’s artistic director, Shilo McNamee, the shows offer an amazing example of the marriage of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art and high-end fashion.
“These events are recognised globally and in Australia’s Indigenous communities for celebrating and propelling designers to new heights, while maintaining an authentic and grassroots feel,” Shilo says. “These are special fashion events steeped in over 60,000 years of culture and heritage, but also showcase some of the most contemporary designs in the country.”
These are special fashion events steeped in over 60,000 years of culture and heritage.
Similarly, NIFA recognises and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists and fashion designers, with the winners announced in a sunset ceremony at Darwin’s Deckchair Cinema that’s also broadcast on NITV. This year’s awards have seen a record number of entries, with more than 60 nominees across the six categories that include recognition for business achievement, wearable art and community collaboration.
Working with IFP since 2022, when she performed at their second Indigenous Fashion Projects Runway at Afterpay Australian Fashion Week, DAAFF community ambassador Jessica Mauboy has a soft spot for her hometown of Darwin so we caught up with her to chat all things DAAF and First Nations fashion.
above JESSICA MAUBOY BY WAYNE QUILLIAM
You’re going into your second year as the community ambassador for DAAFF. Tell us a bit about how the relationship began…
DAAFF is best known for its vibrant platforms and support of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across the arts and fashion industries. As a proud Kuku Yalanji and Wakaman woman and creative myself, it was an easy yes from me when the foundation asked me to return this year as their community ambassador.
Collaborating with the foundation means I can shine a light on the amazing First Nations talent coming from some of the most remote regions across Australia. I’m so grateful that this role has allowed me to give back to the community and other Indigenous artists, designers and creatives.
I vividly recall the excitement it created in the community and throughout the Top End.
As someone who was raised in Darwin, what does the fair mean to you personally?
DAAF holds a very special place in my heart. Although I was quite young when the first fair took place in 2007, I vividly recall the excitement it created in the community and throughout the Top End. All my friends and their families who lived locally would get excited to go together and enjoy it.
The fair is deeply meaningful to me, not only because it celebrates and empowers Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists, designers and culture on Larrakia Country, but also for the essential role it plays in expanding opportunities and providing exposure for Indigenous artists and creatives in Australia and around the world.
How would you describe the atmosphere of Darwin during DAAF?
It creates an electric atmosphere in Darwin. With visitors from remote communities, major cities, and other countries all together in one place, the space comes alive with stalls, great music, dance performances, delicious food and interactive activities. I’m so excited to be a part of the physical events this year as DAAFF’s ambassador.
Why do you think it’s important for non-Indigenous people to attend events like DAAF?
DAAF offers non-Indigenous attendees a unique opportunity to learn from industry leaders about the world’s oldest culture throughout the three-day program with cultural workshops, demonstrations, and discussions.
Importantly, the fair also provides an ethical way to purchase Indigenous artworks and fashion items, with all sales going directly back to art centres, First Nations artists and designers, and the communities they represent.
I can’t wait to see the incredible designs of First Nations creatives on the runway fusing creativity, colour, and culture into an unforgettable experience.
What’s on your must-do list for this year’s fair?
With so many exciting events happening in August, it’s tough to choose just one! Along with the fair itself, I’m especially excited about attending the Country to Couture shows. I can’t wait to see the incredible designs of First Nations creatives on the runway fusing creativity, colour, and culture into an unforgettable experience.
READ MORE: DEEP DIVE INTO FIRST NATIONS CULTURES AND STORYTELLING AT DAAF
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Ditch the dishes. Clear your cutting table. Pop the kettle on. Because Together We Stitch is back from 15 to 22 March for seven joy-filled days of sewing, learning and reveling in the joy of shared community, no matter where you are in the world!
Hosted by Megan from @SewAndTell.Co, this global online sewing event brings thousands of makers together for a week of practical know-how, confidence boosts and those “why didn’t I know this sooner?!” moments.
This year’s line-up is packed with masterclasses and practical inspiration, like:
🪡 Simple knit finishing tricks to make your garments look store-bought by @SewAndTell.Co’s Megan Linley
🪡 Troubleshooting your sewing machine by Jenni Miller from @LetsGetSewingNow
🪡 Hands-on pattern adjustments for sway back from @GinaReneeDesigns
🪡 An interview with Brandon Hayden from @HappilyDressed about building a garment around the fabric you love
🪡 Iron Care 101 by @MicheleMuska
🪡 Kate Boyle from @MindMovementHealth shares posture tips and exercises to help prevent sewing aches and pains
🪡 An easy jeans-to-skirt upcycle project from @LaCreativeMama’s Victoria Martinez Azaro
🪡 DIY custom fabrics and creative craft-room upgrades by Stephanie Young from @So_Stephanie_Says
🪡 Plus choosing prints with intention, making your dream wardrobe a reality, and meeting the creator of Project & Cut, Clinton Blackmore to talk all things PDF pattern future
Together We Stitch is all about expert-led sessions, creative demos, practical tips you can take straight to your sewing table, and a community that celebrates every win along the way. Join live or catch the replays when it suits you.
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Coffee begins long before your morning cuppa! ☕️
2026 has been declared the International Year of the Woman Farmer, led by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the @UnitedNations. It’s a global spotlight with a practical purpose: to recognise women’s indispensable roles across agrifood systems, and to push for the changes that still haven’t arrived evenly, like equal access to land, finance, training, technology and decision-making.
Into that bigger picture steps Elizabeth Duna, a coffee farmer from Papua New Guinea and the chairwoman of the Keto-Tapasi Progress Association. Elizabeth is also the only female chairperson across the @FairtradeANZ cooperative network in the Pacific, overseeing farmers across the association and helping ensure Fairtrade standards are met.
We had the privilege of chatting to Elizabeth (just in time for International Woman’s Day this Sunday, too!) about what’s been growing and changing within her cooperative, what ‘fair trade’ means to her, and the hopes that manifest in a ‘simple’ bag of coffee beans.
Link in bio ☕️
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DIFFICULT ✊🏻✊🏽✊🏿
The collab we needed for International Women`s Day… and every day!
From @DangerousFemales:
"Hands up if you’ve ever been called difficult behind your back, to your face, or by an Australian Prime Minister during a Q&A?
DIFFICULT by Grace Tame, in her own handwriting is… one word: ICONIC!
100% of profits from our tees are donated, 100% of the time. Funds from this @TamePunk tee will go to @BerylWomen_inc, a First Nations led women’s refuge in the ACT.
Kinda ironic, don’t ya think?
Supporting an org in the parliament state with words from a politician for Australia’s longest running and underfunded women’s refuge.
Thank you @TamePunk for being difficult." 🫶🙌
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NEW PATTERN ALERT 🎉
She’s giving comfort, she’s giving style, she’s giving palate-cleansing sewing. There’s nothing quite like an easy breezy dress that’s not only a dream to wear but a delight to sew, and the NEW Peppermint Myrtle Shift Dress delivers!
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Myrtle cuts above the knee with options to customise the length. Don’t think she’s reserved for hot weather either: try a heavier-weight fabric to turn your Myrtle into a pinafore-style garment for layering.
For our fabrics we chose two from @Karmme_Apparel – the bold Rottnest Stripes in a lightweight, soft-drape cotton, and the quality linen in the handpainted Mexico Collection. Karmme also stocks darling tassels so we popped a hot pink one on as a closure!
The love child of Imby Langenbach, Karmme Apparel (fittingly pronounced ‘calm’), is a haven of boho apparel sewing patterns alongside complementary fabrics steeped in tradition with modern iterations from Jaipur, India. Hand block-printed and digitally printed soft cottons produced by Indian artisans showcase rich colours and designs from Imby’s travels, perfect for showing off me-made masterpieces.
Our dresses were superbly stitched by our sewing manager @Laura_The_Maker, and modelled magnificently by Shannon @Pins_And_Tonic and Serah @SerahSews. And that perfect pink wall was courtesy of the good folk at @ShareTheDignityAustralia, an organisation that aims to bring dignity to women, girls and those who menstruate who are experiencing homelessness, domestic violence and period poverty.
Get making the Myrtle – the only question is, can you stop at just one?
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Photos: @KelleySheenan
Sewist: @Laura_The_Maker
Patternmaker: @GarmentaApparel
Models: @SerahSews and @Pins_And_Tonic
Fabric: @Karmme_Apparel
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Connection 🫶🏻
Such great ideas from @GrowWithColby:
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No bull - these pants are the cat`s (or cow`s) pyjamas...
Jenny from @RhubarbSundays:
And they are done! My @PeppermintMagazine #PeppermintFernPleatedPants made using a gorgeous fabric from @IndyBindyFabrics! I absolutely love this fabric! It’s soft and drapes beautifully. And the best thing about it is that, from a distance, it looks like an abstract print and then you look closer and theres a curious bull looking right at you. 🤣🤣 🐄 🐮
Really happy with the end product. They are very comfy! I didn’t make many changes to the pattern. Just a touch more room in the rise and a little bit off the waist. I’ll post some closeups of the details tomorrow when I actually take them off. 🤣 "
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