While there’s an array of local talent set to share their latest work this week at Australian Fashion Week (AFW), it’s the New Generation runway that’s pulling our focus. The lineup features Miimi and Jiinda, Boteh, Buluuy Mirrii, Permanant Vacation and Haluminous, promising a showcase that’s both exciting and provocative.
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As longtime champions of local designers (just take a peek through our newest print mag, out now), we know their work offers a glimpse into the future of Australian fashion.
Miimi + Jiinda
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Every one of Miimi + Jiinda’s garments is vivid, specked with colour and details that mirror the delicate brushstrokes of the artwork it’s based on. An art-turned-fashion label, it was first created by Gumbaynggirr women and mother-daughter duo, Lauren Jarrett and Melissa Greenwood. Having grown up painting alongside her mother, Melissa founded the business in 2018 and has since led the expansion of Miimi and Jiinda into fashion, working as a designer to bring each collection to life.
The label itself is driven by culture and identity. “Each piece I create is a tribute to my ancestors, my grandmothers and my great-grandmothers, the matriarchs of my family who paved the way for me to be here today,” Melissa says. “I also do this in honour of my mother, a survivor of the Stolen Generations, who spent nine years in an orphanage due to government policies.”
Showing at Australian Fashion Week represents a pivotal moment for the label, especially considering First Nations designers are only recently gaining recognition at major fashion events. It’s a responsibility Melissa doesn’t take lightly. ”It’s crucial for me to represent my culture and my people with the utmost respect. Every step I take on that stage is a tribute to my ancestors, Elders and community, and I strive to make them proud through my work,” she says.
Debuting on the New Generation runway, the Bambida Garlaawirr collection is wearable art, as Melissa says. It’s also a representation of the momentum Miimi + Jiinda have built, and are continuing to build.
Boteh
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Mastering the art of bohemian dressing, Boteh comes from the mind of Amelia Mather, the former creative director and head designer of Tigerlily. “Starting fresh with Boteh after many years in the industry felt incredibly empowering,” she says.
Boteh has found its niche in artisanal prints, fluid silhouettes and a grounded colour palette. If you look closely, you’ll see Boteh pays small homages to Amelia’s Greek heritage, too. Embroideries inspired by her YiaYia’s 1960s tablecloth and smocking details from her childhood dresses are woven throughout her work.
Despite having over 20 years’ experience in the industry as a commercial designer, Amelia says she still has a lot to prove. “I’ve always been technical and sewn from a young age, but my aesthetic and specialty are ‘wearable designs’, so I’m finding the balance between practical and elevated design.”
The New Generation runway marks Boteh’s sixth resort collection but its first time showing at Australian Fashion Week. “It feels a bit surreal, to be honest, and makes Boteh feel established,” Amelisa says.
“The Boteh world is one that loves to be touched and felt in real life.”
Haluminous
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Hannah Kim started her label, Haluminous, shortly after she finished studying in London. “I felt quite lost,” she reflects. “No brands were hiring me at the time, so I decided to pour everything into Haluminous.” Hannah soon drew the attention of a director from London Fashion Scout and she was invited to show at Freemasons’ Hall in London. “I funded it with one credit card and borrowed money from my family.” The show featured a body contortionist and a love poem reading. “It was theatrical, emotional, raw… and of course, amateur.” Given this, we can expect big things from her showcase at AFW.
Hannah’s come a long way since, honing her craft and cementing herself as one of Australia’s most exciting designers. The label blends delicate and harsh elements, playing with themes of dark romanticism and abstract silhouettes.
As a Korean-Australian, Hannah says she’s often felt her identity was split between two worlds. “I didn’t speak English when I arrived [in Australia], so I stayed close to Korean media, which shaped how I saw beauty and self-expression.” Having previously been influenced by K-pop and K-dramas, she’s just as inspired by the calm, laid-back rhythm of Australia. “The soft weather, ease of dressing, and muted elegance of Australian life have started pulling Haluminous in a new direction.”
Her AFW collection, the Liminal Space, is a turning point for the label. She describes each piece as a form of emotional armour, “created to support the wearer through moments of change.” The palette is exclusively black and grey. “Black has always made me feel safe, hidden when I needed to retreat, and strong when I had to face the world,” Hannah explains. She says she makes clothes for people who are searching for something deeper in what they wear; who want to draw power from the designs they choose to drape over their bodies. “Haluminous will continue to grow with the people who wear it,” she adds.
Buluuy Mirrii
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Founded by designer Colleen Tighe Johnson, Buluuy Mirrii brings to life Gomeroi culture and art through its garments. Although the New Generation runway is the first time the label will be showcasing at Australian Fashion Week, it isn’t Colleen’s first time seeing her designs on the runway.
From New York Fashion Week to the Cannes Film Festival Showroom, Colleen has been carving out a place for Buluuy Mirrii in the international market. Yet showcasing her designs in her home state of New South Wales still marks an important milestone. “This [runway] will be emotional,” she says.
Buluuy Mirrii is on an upward trajectory, but it hasn’t been a seamless ascent. Basing itself in a regional area has been both a blessing and a hurdle – it’s meant that assembling a successful team has involved regular travel, but it’s also opened the brand up to collaborating with both local artists and using industrial-level services in Sydney and Brisbane. “Challenges are not limiting but encourage you to use the creative process to meet and overcome them,” she says.
Though she celebrates her heritage through her label, Colleen hopes Buluuy Mirrii won’t be pigeon-holed as “just an Indigenous brand”. While her culture is a central part of the label, it also represents a broader vision of design, craftmanship and collaboration. Many hands touch a Buluuy Mirrii garment – from the initial sketches and artwork, to the pattern and print-making process. It’s these many layers and stories shared within each piece that make Buluuy Mirrii so distinctive.
Permanent Vacation
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Permanent Vacation is committed to keeping its supply chain local – like, really local. Every maker who is involved in the production of its garments sits within a 15km radius of its Abbotsford studio.
But that’s not the only way the label is doing things differently. Rather than operating on a season-based model, designer and founder Claire Louise Smith releases ‘projects’ at times that best suit her, keeping her design formula open, adaptive and collaborative. As she told Fashion Journal back in 2019, “My intention is for Permanent Vacation to be an escape from the cyclical: a brand that is beyond time and place… It’s about having a forward-looking mindset and not following a traditional formula. I’d like PV items to be relevant for years to come and to be made well enough to last.”
It’s safe to say that six years on, Claire’s words still ring true. Despite ever-evolving trend cycles and seasons, Permanent Vacation’s designs continue to hold a special place in the wardrobes of the Fashion Journal team, eliciting compliments and curious questions from friends eager to know where ‘that cute top’ came from.
The final member of the New Generation runway, Permanent Vacation’s collection has remained largely a secret. We’ve been left to wonder where we can expect Claire’s signature shades of grey, teal and butter, or if she’s staying true to her experimental layers. If anything, the intrigue has us even more excited for what’s to come.
Explore the full AFW schedule here.
This article Meet the designers showing at this year’s New Generation runway appeared first on Fashion Journal.
2025-05-12 05:00:00
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