The social loss of fashion and its power has never been lost to Kirikin’s founder and designer Amanda Healy.
Healy debuted his collection from Wonalua’s country at Afterpay Australian Fashion Week on Tuesday night.
Her new collection, named Ripples, was inspired by the evolving cultural landscape of Australian society and the way fashion has played its role.
“The new collection is called Ripples and refers to the ripples of change taking place in Australia’s wider community,” Healy said.
“Changes that we can see more often, a more open mind about our history, and the willingness and interest to see better the changes in society.
“It’s also about the impact fashion has on us every day, how we interact with fashion in some way, and it has the power to change our perspective.
“Next year may be called a collection wave.”
The collection is also a new iteration of Kirrikin’s Sunday’s best outfit, with a variety of silhouette and structural contrasts that Healy has never seen before.
“I stretched myself out this year and moved on to daywear and some more tailored parts,” Healy said.
“You will still see our flowing dresses, but I like the reach to daywear, which is what you can wear for work or dinner.”
Healy said she started Kirikin in 2014 because she was frustrated by the lack of genuine Aboriginal fashion products.
“I couldn’t find a real Aboriginal product, especially a scarf or tie, without a genuine connection with the Aboriginal people,” she said.
“There was no transparency about how (indigenous artists) were paid.
“I also fell in love with much of the artwork I saw and knew that I could make them beautiful products.”
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♬ Automatic – Jessica Mauboy
The two artists whose prints are featured in the Ripples collection are Jessica Tedim, a woman from Yaawaalway, and Helena Geiger, a woman from Gambangurr.
Healy said that part of the process of creating a new collection means considering the artist’s sustainable practices and sources of income.
“We use a digital printing process that uses less water and chemicals than traditional techniques,” she said.
“We also use fragile fabrics.
“We want to create opportunities for mobs in every part of the process. We are committed to generating sustainable income for our artists.”
In Kirrikin’s future, Healy said he would only see more growth and better payments for indigenous artists.
“I want continuous growth and I want to confront and challenge our current perspectives on people, culture and works of art,” she said.
“We want us to generate a much better income for our artists, I think they are worth every penny.
“Why don’t you wear something that is not only beautiful, but also beautiful for our community?”
AAFW will end on Friday, May 13th at the First Nations Fashion + Design show.
