Carmel Ryan stuns with wearable art; it’s time to catch Crocodile Country and fashionista Allison Harvey shares her race day tips
This week in Cooee From the NT, we talk to Carmel Ryan and Allison Harvey about the art of fashion and discover why everyone’s singing along with Kevin McCarthy’s Crocodile Country
Carmel Ryan is both a collector and a creator. The 65-year-old spends days scouring Wagait Beach and sifting through her tropical garden for biodegradable debris, from palm fronds and old animal bones to fish scales and coffee filters. She will then tease, twine, knot and layer it upon a frame of jute-webbing until the waste is transformed into an awe-inspiring work of wearable art.
Her latest work, Love Til Dust, was a finalist in this year’s Australian Wearable Art Festival. To be eligible for the Sustainable Nature category the garments had to be 100 per cent biodegradable and while Carmel says she found that challenging, it led to a deep contemplation of the life cycle.
“The (design) concept was based on La Catrina and Dia de los muertos, more commonly known as Day of The Dead and it was a tribute to my two younger brothers who lost their battle with cancer, but will be loved eternally.”
“They were in my mind while I was making it.”
Carmen wove the Day of the Dead icon into the design, red roses into the skirt and selected the song Never Tear Us Apart to be played as the model wearing her piece took to the catwalk.
“Wearable art is very performance based,” says Carmel. “The model doesn’t even have to have much on, it doesn’t have to be elaborate, but they move to the music that you pick and tell the story behind it. ”
As a professional dressmaker Carmel has done a lot of costume work, but this work of art is not going to end up in a wardrobe. It’s currently in her shed and may be used for her next project, or end up hanging in the garden.
The artist, who grew up making her own clothes, is part of the Sustainable Couture in Alice Springs.
“We made new clothing out of upcycled material that people could actually wear. It’s very common now, but back when we started 12 to 15 years ago, people weren’t wearing, you know, old blankets and tablecloths as a mainstream thing,” she explains. “But now I think it’s a strong movement.”
As a sustainable fashion crusader, Carmel encourages everyone to be aware of fashion waste and the value of recycling.
“I don’t feel there’s any shame in admitting to someone that you got a piece of clothing from an op shop – often I’ll change something about it, but I certainly won’t go and buy something new,” she says firmly.
Time to catch Crocodile Country
Fans of Crocodile Country and their “homegrown music with bite” can catch the band at the last First Folk’n Friday for 2023, tomorrow night.
The band has developed a strong following since singer-songwriter Kevin McCarthy hooked some fellow musicians with the idea of performing songs that were written in, or about places, where there were crocodiles.
These days, Kevin is accompanied by Richard Grace on bass, Lauris Hedenig on accordion and Lou Elliot on fiddle and Crocodile Country continues to entertain with rousing tales of legendary Territorians. They perform a song about Darwin Rubbish Warrior Trevor Jenkins and his tussle with the law, a tribute to Campbell the Swaggie and a catchy tune about the notorious outback hotelier Thelma “Old Ma“ Hawks.
The Folk’n Fridays at Happy Yes showcase the Territory’s rich and diverse folk, roots, Indigenous and world music scene - it’s the musical equivalent of the Mindil Markets, according to Kevin.
“I started Folk’n Fridays two years ago with Lou Elliot as a musical mirror of the social fabric of our great town,” he explains.
“People from just about all the countries on the planet live in Darwin and we all get on.
“I think it’s a lesson in humanity for all the world to see.”
Tomorrow night’s event at Happy Yess will be hosted by comedian Teghan Hughes and Crocodile Country will join Patsy Coleman, The Pulse and singer-songwriter Mandy Boots. The show starts at 8pm, tickets cost $10 and you can book here
In 2022 her race day outfit was made from Merrepen fabric, printed in Daly River.
Off and racing
The biggest day on the nation’s racing calendar, Melbourne Cup Day, will be celebrated at the Darwin Turf Club on Tuesday in true Territory style.
The club is expecting more than 200 guests to attend functions in the grandstands and corporate suites, and a further 2000 racegoers through general admission – and that’s despite the heat.
“It’s not a public holiday like in Melbourne, but it still draws a big crowd and it’s a great day,” said the turf club’s marketing manager Steve Taylor, who moved to Darwin from Melbourne three years ago.
“It’s an incredibly hot time up here, but locals get that, so they dress appropriately.”
The official fashion code for Tuesday’s BTC Constructions Melbourne Cup Day states “footwear and a shirt must be worn at all times.”
So we asked one of the event’s Fashion on the Field judges Allison Harvey for some fashion tips.
“Up here, being comfortable means looking towards more natural fibres and more flowy design that will allow for a bit of airflow” she explained.
But racegoers should resist showing a lot of skin, she warned.
“It’s quite a modest sort of event, and if you have a look at Fashions On The Field around the country there’s always an element of vintage wear, so it’s definitely longer hemlines and definitely sleeves in dresses.”
A senior teacher at The Essington School and a past winner of the Darwin Cup Fashions on The Field, Allison said her most important tip for racing fashionistas was to ensure their outfit flowed from top to bottom.
“I hear,`That’s an amazing piece of millinery, or that’s an amazing dress,’ but the outfit should all fit together. So from the millinery, to the accessories, to the dress – and then it should suit the wearer.”
Allison will be judging Fashions on The Field with Irene Estrellan from Silk Laser Clinics and Alex Maestracci, Tarocash manager.
As for the track action, the first of seven races will run just after The Melbourne Cup’s main race, at 1.45pm.
You can book tickets to the race day here
Allison Harvey’s race-day fashion tips
* Dress for style and comfort
* Select an outfit that suits your style
* No strapless dresses, or cut-outs around the midriff
* Embrace eye-catching colour
* Ditch your boots for sandals, or fully-closed shoes.
* Ensure the theme of your outfit flows, from your millinery down to your shoes.
* Consider Indigenous art from dress fabric to woven baskets and earrings.
Cooee From The NT is a column that celebrates life here in the Territory. We would love to hear about your milestones, from weddings, anniversaries, births and graduations to business and school awards. Simply email us at cooee@news.com.au and we will be in touch.
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