Piinpi: Contemporary Indigenous Fashion

Piinpi: Contemporary Indigenous Fashion brings together a selection of garments and textiles by First Nations designers and artists from around Australia. The first major survey of contemporary Indigenous Australian fashion to be undertaken in this country, Piinpi sheds lights on a growing industry which is blossoming and set to become Australia’s major fashion movement. Piinpi: Contemporary Indigenous Fashion celebrates Indigenous art, history and culture through the lens of contemporary fashion.

Piinpi, an Indigenous word commonly used across regions of East Coast Cape York Peninsula, refers to Indigenous ‘seasonal changes’ and the regeneration of Country. For centuries, Indigenous knowledge and connection to the land has played a pivotal role in art and culture for Australia’s First Peoples. Seasonal changes signify the availability of mayi (bush foods), when to travel, and when to collect traditional materials for ceremony and malkari (traditional dance). Across the landscape of Indigenous fashion today designers and artists are sharing their stories through beautifully crafted fabrics and wearable art.

Piinpi: Contemporary Indigenous Fashion combines Indigenous art and fashion to showcase an exciting and innovative array of designs. The exhibition will feature collections by Lyn-Al Young, Grace Lillian-Lee, Babbarra Women’s Centre, Maree Clarke, Lisa Waup x Verner, Hopevale Arts and Cultural centre and many more. 

Images © Bendigo Art Gallery.