NIFA celebrate First Nations designers and artists – nominations open now

The spotlight is about to be shone on Indigenous fashion excellence with nominations open for the 2025 National Indigenous Fashion Awards.

Simone Arnol, Fashion Designer Award winner. Picture / Supplied.

The spotlight is about to be shone on Indigenous fashion excellence with nominations open for the 2025 National Indigenous Fashion Awards.

The public can nominate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander designers and artists for recognition.

Hosted by the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair (DAAF) Foundation’s Indigenous Fashion Projects (IFP), NIFA is a major platform for showcasing Indigenous fashion talent.

Nominations are open from February 17 to March 17, 2025, for seven award categories.

These include the Fashion Designer Award, Textile Design Award, and the Cecilia Cubillo Young Achiever Award, among others.

TasWeekend. Lead Arts. Peta Heffernan co-director Liminal Spaces with Michelle Maynard who co-colaborated with the design of the carpet in the new Hedberg Centre for Creative Industries and Performing Arts. Picture: NIKKI DAVIS-JONES

Michelle Maynard, IFP Manager and Tasmanian First Nations designer said the awards

celebrate the excellence and innovation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander designers.

“It’s an incredibly important event to acknowledge, empower, celebrate and showcase Australia’s First Nations designers, artists and talent,” Ms Maynard said.

“Anyone can make a nomination.”

The Fashion Designer Award offers the winner a 12-month mentorship with Country Road, providing invaluable industry opportunities.

Gunggandji Yarrabah artist Simone Arnol won the Fashion Designer Award at the 2024 National Indigenous Fashion Awards on Larrakia Country, Darwin. Picture: Zizi Averill

Last year’s winner, Simone Arnol, called her win a “life-changing milestone,” helping elevate her work and create opportunities for other Indigenous designers.

The awards ceremony will take place on August 6 on Larrakia Country, with the Country to Couture runway show (August 5) and the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair (August 7-10) rounding out the celebrations.

Supported by key partners including Country Road, RMIT, and NITV, the National Indigenous Fashion Awards spotlights Indigenous excellence in fashion.

National Indigenous Fashion Awards 2024. Picture / Supplied.