At a runway show 65,000 years in the making, the clothes do the talking

Until members of the front row leapt from their seats to join Ngali founder Denni Francisco in taking a modest bow, the significance of this Australian Fashion Week moment was as discreet as a petticoat.

Before the joyous runway takeover, the audience had seen contemporary prints immaculately executed on loose silk dresses, trousers and shirts, slouchy knitwear the colour of ochre dust and handpainted boots from the Melbourne-based label. This was seemingly similar to other polished collections presented to buyers, media and industry enthusiasts at Carriageworks in Sydney, except this was the first solo show by a First Nations brand in the 27-year history of Australia’s premier fashion event.

Model Latahlia Hickling backstage at the first First Nations solo Indigenous Fashion Show at Australian Fashion Week by Ngali.Credit: Louise Kennerley

“I was a bit embarrassed when I heard this,” says Francisco, a Wiradjuri woman. “I kept thinking ‘why am I the first?’ There could be others going out there. Now there will.”

The wait won’t be long, with Ikuntji Artists from the Northern Territory taking a solo slot on Thursday. Last year, Ikuntji Artists appeared in the First Nations Fashion & Design group show, while Ngali was part of the Indigenous Fashion Projects group show, returning tonight.

“I asked the organisers of Fashion Week if there was an opportunity for me to return in a group show and when I was offered a solo slot, I vacillated a bit,” Francisco says. “I decided to tackle it one piece at a time, which meant dividing 30 simple looks into five blocks of six. That felt easier.”

Francisco’s humility disguises 25 years in the fashion business, including founding the direct-sales children’s wear company, Billiecart Clothing, and taking home the National Indigenous Fashion Awards’ top prize for two years running.

Ngali founder Denni Francisco with models Samantha Harris and Latahlia Hickling ahead of the first solo show by a First Nations brand.Credit: Louise Kennerley

There is also Ngali’s participation in the Indigenous Fashion Projects program established in partnership with David Jones in 2021, which resulted in the brand being stocked at the department store and the beginning of a relationship with Country Road.

“Denni was a standout in the program because she understands the business of fashion and embraced the commercial benefits of the program,” says Brigid Veals, general manager of womenswear at David Jones. “She passes that knowledge onto others but she has also taught us so much.”

Francisco is quick to include others in her journey. Ngali’s motto is “together we create”, which enables attention to be deflected to the artists, Gija man Lindsay Malay, Ngarrindjeri Wirangu man Keedan Rigney, and Muruwari Kamilaroun woman Laura Brown, who were the last-minute runway stars from the front row.

“We started the brand five years ago to shine a light on our creativity and our culture,” Francisco says. “If we can use our pathway to bring forward more First Nations designers, everyone benefits.”

Five years is a short journey for a brand to reach centre stage at Australian Fashion Week. During the show’s welcome, Michael West noted that it has taken 65,000 years for this moment. Elaine George, who modelled in the show and was the first Indigenous Australian to appear on the cover of Vogue in 1993 has been waiting decades.

“It’s been 30 years since I was on the cover of Vogue and there hadn’t been many Indigenous models or designers in those 30 years,” George says. “Since 2021 the industry has embraced Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture. They know that our shows are not just runways, they are from the heart.”

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