This week National Indigenous Fashion Awards (NIFA) 2021 was live-streamed through NITV broadcast with VIP attendance at the Darwin Convention Centre to celebrate the winners across six unique categories.
The event was a joyous occasion celebrating the innovation, rich cultural diversity and ethical practices of Australia’s First Nations peoples in fashion and textiles. Members of Darwin Innovation Hub Emma Nesbitt (COO), Kate Loh (Growth Facilitator), and Mimi Kunnikorn (Marketing Assistant) attended the awards night on Tuesday 3rd August 2021 to celebrate this year’s winners.
Darwin Innovation Hub sponsored the Community Collaboration Award in recognition of effective and productive relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and the textile and fashion industry. Winners Anindilyakwa Arts with Dr Aly de Groot and Anna Reynolds took home a $5000 cash prize for the NIFA 2021 Community Collaboration Award.
The Anindilyakwa Arts collective, in particular Maicie Lalara and Annabell Amagula, have collaborated with artists and designers Dr Aly de Groot and Anna Reynolds to present their innovative designs at the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair and Country to Couture since 2017. In 2020, they worked with Shonae Hobson and Bendigo Art Gallery to participate in a curated fashion exhibition, which moved to the National Museum Australia. A number of their unique pieces have been nationally acquired.
Missed the celebrations? You can still watch the broadcast here.
