Liandra steals the spotlight at Melbourne Fashion Week’s opening runway
Coined as one of the most popular First Nations’ owned fashion brands, designer Liandra Gaykamangu on Monday, 23rd October 2023 debuted her swimwear brand ‘Liandra‘, at Melbourne Fashion Week for the very first time
Celebrated for the brand’s reversible swim styles, timeless designs, signature prints, and commitment to sustainability, Liandra is a luxury Australian resort and swimwear label like no other.
Taking to the stage at Melbourne Fashion Week’s Le Meriden Pool Deck Runway, Monday marked the brand’s first time showcasing at the annual fashion event.
Presenting the brand’s newly launched River Run collection, models strutted the runway in the collection’s two new signature prints – those being the River Run and Oyster Print.
“The River Run print encompasses the river systems witnessed as you fly above the landscape from West to East Arnhem Land. In particular, we wanted to capture the swollen rivers during the wet season, in Tropical North Australia, and the way they snake inland to our red earth centre,” said fashion designer Liandra Gaykamangu.
“Our Oyster Print was inspired by the opulence and sophistication of pearls. Humanity has been eating and cultivating oysters for thousands of years and they are an integral part of our history.”
Whilst a select handful of garments from the brand’s recent Deep Sea collection did feature in Monday’s runway, the catwalk presentation primarily focused on the launch of the new River Run collection.
With River Run being Liandra’s first resort wear offering – in addition to swimwear – the runway was a celebration as much as it was a debut. Spotlighting Gaykamangu’s connection to culture and craft both the River Run and Oyster Print collections, highlighted earthy hues of red and burnt orange.
Striving to continue the brand’s ethos to do better and be better throughout all aspects of the brand, each Liandra luxe swim fabric is made from reprieve upcycled consumer plastics, in addition to being ethically produced and reversible.
For Gaykamangu, debuting Liandra’s newest collection at Melbourne Fashion Week further cemented the brand’s rapid growth since launching in 2018. Whilst the Indigenous entrepreneur does gain her inspiration from a variety of sources, Gaykamangu states that it is her culture that she utilises for contemporary representation.
“Every Liandra collection represents a unique story, with each hand-drawn print showcasing a collections theme. These exclusive prints are a contemporary representation of my culture and how I identify with the world around me,” she said.
Having just returned from presenting internationally in the Netherlands and London, Liandra is showing no signs of slowing down. Blending contemporary Aboriginal Australian culture with premium designer swimwear has seen the brand gain press attention both locally and overseas.
Now acting as a director with the Kirrikin foundation – offering her skills as a leading female and Indigenous entrepreneur – both Gaykamangu and her brand are at the forefront of industry and international success.
Source: Phoebe Blogg (National Indigenous Times); Images: Liana Hardy
