NEW PATHS AHEAD
From established icons to emerging talent, David Jones is proudly supporting the Australian fashion community through a range of new partnerships.
Having someone believe in you can make all the difference as a designer starting out. Which is why David Jones is so passionate about nurturing local talent. The retailer has recently partnered with the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair Foundation’s (DAAFF) Indigenous Fashion Projects, to present its Pathways Program for First Nations Fashion Designers. It’s an important part of David Jones’s ongoing commitment to supporting diverse design perspectives. Bridget Veals, general manager of womenswear, footwear and accessories at David Jones, says: “Providing an opportunity to design talents who may not have the platform to reach a commercial level is crucial to the development and enrichment of our industry. It broadens our fashion offering and allows for deep storytelling and a greater connection and understanding of cultures … Our role in the program is to listen and understand the needs of our First Nations fashion designers and provide support at all stages of the development of a fashion label.” This will be facilitated through workshops and mentoring opportunities.
A BRIGHT FUTURE
DAAFF chair Franchesca Cubillo is hopeful the program will set a model for the fashion industry as well as other creative industries in how to support Indigenous creatives. “David Jones will bring a depth of expertise to Indigenous labels, and the designers will have a clear insight to the fashion industry through the eyes of an iconic retailer. At the same time, the David Jones team has a strong desire to listen and learn from
our First Nations designers, as well as nurture, support and mentor. We hope this leadership they have taken will encourage others to engage as well,” says Cubillo. “Indigenous design is grounded in more than 60,000 years of heritage and when combined with the current explosion of creative and entrepreneurial energy from our people, we are confident that the future is very bright.”
Being selected as a program participant is an exciting step for Ngali founder Denni Francisco, and the team she supports. “As a social enterprise, everything we do by way of building our brand awareness and our customer numbers helps us to help others in our communities,” Francisco explains. “David Jones’s support of Ngali and other Indigenous labels helps a bigger audience celebrate our culture and creativity and also helps add a meaningful dimension to the fashion choices customers make, because our culture is embedded in everything we do … Ngali fashion is like taking Indigenous
art off the wall and having it walk the streets anywhere in the world. This is the vision I have, and my hope is that the support of David Jones can help to have this vision realised.”
SUCCESS BY DESIGN
Support will also come from Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Australia, alongside David Jones design partners like KITX and Esse. As an emerging designer in her first season working with David Jones, Esse founder Charlotte Hicks says the brand exposure she’s received has been invaluable. To now be able to give back is equally important. “I am so passionate about learning more from the history and the culture of our First Nations people,” Hicks explains. “We need these designers to be heard to breathe more depth and colour into the tapestry of the Australian fashion industry.” KITX founder Kit Willow, who has been able to scale her business quickly thanks to the ongoing support of David Jones, adds: “There is no more genuine Australian designer than one of our First Nations people … I hope to add value to their future opportunities in any way I can.” For more details, visit www.davidjones.com.
“NGALI FASHION IS LIKE TAKING INDIGENOUS ART OFF THE WALL AND HAVING IT WALK THE STREETS”