Country to Couture: Ten Years of Style and Storytelling

What began as a modest showcase amongst the Art Centre booths in the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair hall in 2016, has blossomed into a national phenomenon. Country to Couture evolved from an intimate showcase of Indigenous textiles into the nation’s premier platform for First Nations fashion innovation. And we’re excited to say, it’s back! Country to Couture 2025 will take place on Tuesday, 5 August, 2025, on the beautiful lands of Larrakia Country. This year marks a significant milestone as the event celebrates its 10th anniversary, a decade dedicated to showcasing the extraordinary talent of Indigenous designers from across Australia. And we here at Peppermint are extremely honoured to be the Premium Media partner for the event, as well as one of the founding supporters of the Indigenous Fashion Projects – helping to share the culture and creativity of First Nations artists and designers is a very important part of our work that we don’t take lightly.

Since its inception in 2016, Country to Couture has masterfully bridged the perceived gap between traditional artistic practices and contemporary fashion expression, celebrating the brilliant convergence of art and fashion led by First Nations creatives. Created by the Indigenous Fashion Projects, part of the broader Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair, the IFP is a grassroots community of change makers, building sustainable fashion futures that centre and empower agency of First Nations voices.

“As the fashion world grapples with questions of authenticity, sustainability, and cultural representation, Country to Couture stands as a masterclass in meaningful fashion innovation and empowering representation,” says Indigenous Fashion Projects Manager, Michelle Maynard. “Country to Couture demonstrates how First Nations designers and artists master traditional practices to inform contemporary design, how ancient storytelling can speak to modern audiences, and how fashion can be both culturally significant and commercially viable.”

TOP IMAGE: DESTINEE GREEN IN ROWENA MORGAN. PHOTO: MICHAEL JALARU TORRES.

SONYA COLEMAN AMNA QURESHI MELANIE SARANTOU ELERAZE COUNTRY TO COUTURE 2024 / DYLAN BUCKEE

Country to Couture has become a celebrated platform where traditional Indigenous artistry seamlessly blends with contemporary fashion, and is now the largest showcase of Indigenous fashion in Australia.

The numbers tell a compelling story. Over 120 Indigenous fashion collections, more than 1,000 looks, and 250-plus Indigenous models from diverse language and cultural groups have graced its runway. Yet these figures only hint at the profound impact this platform has had First Nations communities and on Australia’s fashion landscape. Through its commitment to cultural integrity, artistic innovation, and community empowerment, Country to Couture has built a legacy that will inspire generations to come.

“We are thrilled to celebrate the tenth anniversary of Country To Couture, the event has become a highlight of the Australian fashion industry calendar, launching careers of First Nations designers, artists, models and creatives alike,” Michelle said. “To welcome 23 collections to the runway this year will be a spectacle like no other”.

The incredible lineup for 2025 has now been announced – after you’ve had a wander through the talented bunch below, head over to the IFP website to find out more. And don’t forget to clear your calendar for the whole Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair if you can make it to the Top End, it’s a week full of world-class wonder and wisdom.

MEET THE COUNTRY TO COUTURE 2025 LINEUP!

Girringun Aboriginal Art Centre

Established in 2008, Girringun Art Centre in Cardwell, Queensland, showcases multi-award-winning artists from nine Traditional Owner Groups. Covering 25,000 square kilometres, this vibrant centre fosters creativity, with artists engaged in weaving, painting, textiles, ceramics, and crafting traditional objects and tools, doing so while sharing the rich cultural heritage of the region.

Girringun Aboriginal Art Centre’s eco-friendly fashion collection for Country to Couture, called “Murrgan (Blue quandong),” is a testament to their commitment to sustainability and cultural preservation. Made from 100% Linen, the collection showcases the stories of the Girringun region and its unique biodiversity.

SALLY BUTLER OF TJARLIRLI & KALTUKATJARA ART

Tjarlirli & Kaltukatjara Art

Tjarlirli Art and Kaltukatjara Art are two community-owned art centers located on either side of the border between the Northern Territory and Western Australia. The artists of Tjarlirli and Kaltukatjara Art are Ngaanyatjarra & Pitjantjatjara, who live and make art in the Western Desert. A multi-generational group of artists; collectively their artmaking practices are informed by deep connection to Country and Tjukurpa. As individuals they are expressive, charismatic and innovative, with an ever-present sense of humor and vibrant personalities.

Lillardia Briggs-Houston

Lillardia Briggs-Houston is a Wiradjuri, Gangulu, Yorta Yorta custodian, artist and fashion designer currently based in Bungambrawtha/Albury-Wodonga. She produces all her textiles works and garments on country adapting traditional Southeast Aboriginal cultural practices like carving, dying and weaving into her work. Preferring slow, respectful production to ensure her cultural integrity and sustainable values are upheld and at the forefront of her work.

EleRaze Creatives: Sonya Coleman, Sonearae Bilney, Tallulah Bilney

EleRaze Creatives transforms Indigenous art inspired by Country into everyday essentials that help you feel connected, grounded and empowered – because they believe when we connect to Country, we connect to ourselves. EleRaze Creatives are a group artists from three generations that love the ocean; it’s their family’s way of life.

Mowanjum Arts and Cultural Centre x Milpali

The Mowanjum artists behind this collection are cultural custodians and storytellers from the Worrorra, Ngarinyin, and Wunambal peoples. Barbara, Kirsty, Philinka, Sarah, and Sherika each bring a unique style, blending traditional stories with contemporary expression. Their work reflects resilience, identity, and deep connection to Country, honouring the Dreaming, landscapes, and cultural heritage of their ancestors. Through painting, storytelling, and Junba (traditional song and dance), they keep their culture alive. This collection is a tribute to their artistry, celebrating their journey of homecoming and healing while supporting Indigenous creativity for future generations.

Sandra Delaney / Salt Water Murris Quandamooka

Salt Water Murris Quandamooka (SWMQ) is a long-standing Aboriginal art centre representing Quandamooka artists and their connection to Country. SWMQ has always worked in textiles, using fabric and design as a way to share cultural stories and knowledge. Blak Sand is an extension of this creative practice, bringing Quandamooka designs into contemporary fashion. Dr. Sandra Delaney and Shara Delaney are Quandamooka artists who bring their Country and family stories to life through art and fashion. Grounded in cultural storytelling, their work reflects the land and sea, honours their Ancestors, and celebrates Quandamooka identity.

Cortney Glass / Kourt 

Cortney is a contemporary digital artist originally from Katherine, Northern Territory. A proud Dagoman, Wardaman, and Gurindji woman now residing on Gadigal land in Sydney, she draws deep inspiration from her culture, family, and the art of digital expression. Her key strength lies in creating patterns using Adobe Creative Suite and she is eager to explore how her digital art can transform into wearable pieces that resonate with the connection to culture through modern aesthetics.

Rechelle Turner & Megan Daley / Corella & Crow

Corella & Crow is a fashion label founded by Wiradjuri and Ngunnawal women, Rechelle Turner and Megan Daley. The name comes from their totems, the Corella and the Crow, which symbolise their deep connection to Country and their responsibilities to protect and nurture her. At the heart of their label is a commitment to sustainability, cultural storytelling and First Nations representation. Their debut collection, Nguramban-dhi (From Country), reflects their respect for traditional practices, songlines, and elders through screen and lino printing, natural dyes, botanical printing, and handcrafted jewellery and adornments. This brand is for everyone, celebrating and honouring Wiradjuri and Ngunnawal languages and cultures, and the ongoing connection and responsibility we have to Country.

SIMONE ARNOL WITH BUTTERFLY KISSES DESIGN. PHOTO BERNARD SINGLETON

Simone Arnol 

Simone Arnol embodies a profound commitment to grassroots practices while honouring the wisdom of Elders, the custodians of knowledge. As a proud descendant of the Gunggandji Peoples from Yarrabah, her deep connection to family and country serves as the foundation for her artistic endeavours. Drawing inspiration from the Elders, Children and Traditional Owners who have shaped her journey in Indigenous Law and Native Title, Simone is an emerging artist dedicated to representing her culture. Her work spans various mediums, including canvas, paper portraits, photography, textiles, and clothing design, each piece resonating with the rich stories of her heritage.

With a focus on cultural and environmental sustainability, Simone continually explores new mediums and techniques. In recent years, she has made significant contributions to the fields of fashion curation, event design, and artistic showcase. Notably, she has participated in the Cairns Indigenous Art Fair’s Fashion Performance for six consecutive years and co-curated this premier event for three years. In 2017, she became the first Indigenous designer to feature at The Australian Eco Fashion Week in Perth.

Her accolades include winning the National Indigenous Fashion Awards (NIFA) in the Environmental and Sustainability Contribution category in 2021, and most recently, the NIFA for Fashion Designer in 2024. Through her collections, Simone seamlessly merges contemporary aesthetics with compelling narratives, powerfully conveying the history and resilience of her people.

Cassie Leatham / Yanggurdi 

Cassie is from the Dja Dja Wurrung and Daungwurrung people from the Kulin Nation. She is a multi-disciplinary Indigenous artist. Her skills revolve around weaving, fashion and jewellery design, painting, ceramics, bushtukka and cultural education. All of Cassie’s works has a deep connection to Country, biodiversity and traditional sustainable living of the past, to carry on in the present, for future generations to witness and learn.

She is extremely passionate about teaching her skills to both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people of all ages. Her aim is to give participants the opportunity to learn and understand Aboriginal culture and develop knowledge of both historical and contemporary Aboriginal history.

DELVENE COCKATOO-COLLINS DILLY BAG AND MAT MAKING COUNTRY TO COUTURE 2024. PHOTO DYLAN BUCKEE.

Delvene Cockatoo-Collins

Delvene Cockatoo-Collins is a First Nations artist and designer, who lives and works on Quandamooka country. Delvene’s work is far more than just marks on a page. It embodies a rich connection to country, capturing the Quandamooka soul. Her pieces share the stories, culture, heritage and techniques of thousands of years, passed down from generation to generation by her mother Evelyn and her grandmother Bethel.

Sarrita and Tarisse King / KingKing Creative 

KingKing Creative was built as a brand to bring the beauty, the connection and spirit of their deadly culture into everyday life by Waanyi/Gurindji Aboriginal artist sisters, Tarisse and Sarrita King. As second generation artists, they created an avenue to express their stories in another medium. They believe they are bringing a fresh and authentic look at Aboriginal art and storytelling, with their aesthetic style being Blak proud and ally friendly.

Bula’bula Arts x Black Cat Couture NT

Proudly Yolngu; Bula’Bula Arts, is situated in Ramingining within Gurrwiliny (Arafura wetlands) and is part of Northeast Arnhem Land. Their mission is to foster Yolngu culture. Bula’bula represents strong professional artists producing high quality artworks telling stories of cultural lore learned through song and dance.

Black Cat Couture (NT) is a Darwin based clothing designer specialising in Top End Indigenous textiles. Marcia Russell, the person behind the brand, loves using vintage sewing patterns in her work and she often combines the aesthetic of the 1950s – 1990s with First Nations fabrics to create interesting and unique outfits. Since 2017 Marcia has been working in remote NT communities teaching women and young people how to sew and working with Art Centres to create vibrant fashion collections to showcase their wonderful art and textiles.

ROWENA MORGAN AND DAUGHTER JORDAN IN NANGARRI DESIGNS. PHOTO: JALARY PHOTOGRAPHY.

Rowena Morgan / Nangarri Designs

Rowena’s brand is inspired and named after her matriarchs in her family; Grandmother Violet and Mother Olive, her first teachers. Rowena says in her culture their Grandmothers, Mothers are their first teachers – they teach the core strengths of being indigenous and what that means. Her designs in her Country to Couture collection are all inspired by her Grandmothers traditional lands that she was removed from in the Rangers in Kija Country, inspired by vast landscapes of hills, rangers and rivers – the colours inspired by the earthy ochre tones of yellows, reds and browns.

Mim Cole and Tatiana Hoffmann / Mimmim x Tatia 

Rooted in her Larrakia heritage, Mimmim showcases traditional mixed with abstract art through painting, printmaking, and design. Embracing unity, healing, and cultural pride, mimmim aims to uniquely share her art, reflecting identity, family, nature, and community while promoting vibrant and meaningful artistic expressions.

Tatia is a fast-growing fashion brand known for its unique, high-quality designs and dedication to innovation. Tatia focuses on craftsmanship, ethical production, and timeless style. The brand collaborates with many artists and art centers, transforming original artworks into stunning, wearable pieces. Each creation showcases vibrant colors, thoughtful design, and impeccable attention to detail. Bespoke pieces are also available upon request, ensuring a truly one-of-a-kind experience. As tatia continues to grow, it remains dedicated to creating sustainable fashion that empowers women with confidence and individuality.

Nicole Enoch-Chatfield / Goompi’s Girl 

Nicole Enoch-Chatfield was born and raised in Cairns (Gimuy) and a proud Yirrganydji woman. Nicole is an emerging designer, her collection highlights the strength, and ongoing connection as Aboriginal women working “on country” and showcases cultural sustainability and influence broader cultural shifts towards responsible consumption and production.  Each piece responds to my creative expression and cultural identity.  Nicole creates all her textile works, adornments and garments on country inspired by her Yirrganydji heritage as well as her connection to Lockhart River in the north-east Cape York, Musgrave Station, North-West Region (Cloncurry/Mt Isa) and Qandamooka country in the south-east.

Simone Thomson Art 

Simone is a Melbourne based Aboriginal artist and Traditional Owner of Victoria’s Woi-Wurrung Wurundjeri and Yorta-Yorta language groups through her mother, and is Irish and Scottish through her father. She draws inspiration for her art from the abundant textures and colours of this beautiful land along with the ancestral bonds she has to the Birrarung (Yarra River) and Dhungala (the Murray River). Simone’s people are river people, so she finds that waterways often interweave into her art along with dreaming and creation stories of the sky..

Yarrabah Arts & Cultural Precinct

The Yarrabah Arts and Cultural Precinct serves as a creative haven for local artists, providing them with the necessary facilities to express their cultural identity through various artistic mediums such as ceramics, painting, and weaving. Renowned for their exceptional pottery, the Arts Centre continues to produce remarkable ceramics, gaining recognition not only locally but also on national and international platforms within the Indigenous creative arts market.

As a testament to their commitment to artistic excellence, social cohesion, and economic development, the Yarrabah Arts and Craft has garnered national and international acclaim. This recognition underscores the significant economic potential of their precinct, aligning with the long-term goals of the Yarrabah Aboriginal Shire Council. They aspire to further enrich traditional practices while educating and enlightening visitors from around the globe about the cultural richness of regional Queensland.

Amanda Hayman – Magpie Goose x Quandamooka Artists

Magpie Goose is an Australian social enterprise celebrating and showcasing Aboriginal culture through bold, unique fashion. By partnering directly with Indigenous artists and communities, Magpie Goose brings authentic stories and designs to the forefront, transforming them into vibrant, wearable art. The company promotes sustainable practices and slow fashion as a means of ‘caring for country’. Every piece showcases Indigenous artists and invites customers to experience the rich storytelling and heritage of Australia’s First Nations.

DEBRA BEALE. PHOTO: ANNA KUCERA.

Debra Beale 

Debra’s brand is a reflection of her inner deep self, connection to land, sea and sky and her own personal healing journey. She is a Sydney, Blue Mountains-based First Nation Designer Maker dedicated to her artistic practice, ‘Designing From Country’ on the Nations where she grew up and visited with family throughout her life. Debra’s work is her everyday experience deeply rooted in experimentation, utilising natural materials sourced from ‘Ngayi Parri (Mother Earth)’ to create paintings, drawings and eco-dyed artwork. This process transforms these materials into 2D, 3D and digital artworks, embodying a unique blend of earth colours, creativity and sustainability.

Corina Jadai / Jarli

Jarli, where luxury meets heritage. Named after Corina’s cherished Great Grandmother, the resort wear fashion brand is a tribute to cultural identity and legacy. It represents the essence of heritage and unity. Jarli is more than fashion, it’s a movement of empowerment and belonging, where everyone is welcome to grace themselves in the vibrant Indigenous garments.

Nagula Jarndu Designs

Nagula Jarndu art centre works to provide a space for First Nations women to come together to share and preserve their stories through art, predominantly in the medium of hand- printed textiles. Their focus is working in a way that supports the slow fashion industry where sustainable practice is core, using natural fibres and inks and creating small collections where there is limited waste from the production of garments and accessories. They chose to collaborate with Saheli Women centre in India to share cultural knowledge and creative skills with another women’s run and led centre that has very similar core values. This collection is hoped to be the beginning of an ongoing relationship between the two groups.

Bianca Long and Jaydene Long / Jaru Girl Designs

Jaru Girl is inspired by Bianca Long’s Halls Creek roots and connection to Wyndham where she has made it her home. For Bianca the Jaru Girl brand is not only about representing her Aboriginal culture and identity, it’s also about connecting others though country and showcasing the beautiful land of the Kimberley where she lives.

Peppermint is extremely honoured to be the Premium Media partner for the Country to Couture event 2025, at the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair on Tuesday, 5 August, 2025, on the beautiful lands of Larrakia Country. Peppermint is also a founding supporter of the Indigenous Fashion Projects – a grass roots community of change makers, building sustainable fashion futures that centre and empower agency of First Nations voices.