Arabic version: جوائز أزياء السكان الأصليين تحتفي بالثقافة والتعاون

According to ABC News, seven artists and organisations received prizes at the 2026 National Indigenous Fashion Awards in Darwin, recognising First Nations fashion, textile design, wearable art and community partnerships. The ceremony was held on Larrakia country at the Deckchair Cinema and was presented by the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair Foundation as part of Indigenous Fashion Projects.

The Community Collaboration award went to Bábbarra Women’s Centre in Maningrida and India’s Tharangini Studio. Their partnership translated 78 Indigenous designs from 14 clans into woodblock stamps for printing. Padmini Govind, who accepted the award with Janet Marawarr, said the women-led organisations had created “textile magic” despite language differences.

Govind said the woodblocks could preserve artists’ stories for up to 100 years when made from suitable materials, compared with lino printing tools that could disintegrate over time. Marawarr said the collaboration could help clans teach children about designs and show older people how the printing is done.

Delvene Cockatoo-Collins of Quandamooka Country won the major Indigenous Fashion Designer award for sustainably sourced, handmade textiles across clothing, accessories and homewares. Michelle Pulatuwayu Woody Minnapinni of Milikapiti on the Tiwi Islands received the Traditional Adornment award for hand-crafted baskets, armbands and headwear made with materials including pandanus leaves and bird feathers. She said she wanted to honour her late sister and pass traditional knowledge to younger family members.

Other winners were Lillardia Briggs-Houston for Textile Design, Kimberley Aboriginal Fashion Textiles Art for Business Achievement, Lucy Simpson for Wearable Art and Jake Powers for the Cecilia Cubillo Young Achiever Award.