Get It On!

Designers have been working their magic on fabric from Injalak Arts Centre in preparation for the second annual Get It On competition – a celebration of the prints coming from Injalak artists and the designers who love to use them.

By Tamara Howie

The arts centre in Gunbalanya sends fabric to designers from all over the world to create wearable art for an exhibition at Aboriginal Bush Traders this month.

An awards night will be held to crown the best designs – including awards for 'most fabulous’ and ‘most surprising’.

Injalak Arts Centre Manager Flick Wright thought up the idea of the showcase whilst pottering in her garden in January 2017.

“People come and visit us and look at our printing and go, what can I do with it?” she says.

“I thought, wouldn't it be great if we could bring together our fabrics with the people who are using them to see what people can make out of them.”

The inaugural year was an overwhelming success, and this year is no different. 30 designers have completed outfits and accessories for the showcase, which opens mid June, with the awards night held at the end of the month.

The project isn’t just about celebrating Indigenous textiles and creative designers – it’s also about promoting slow fashion.

“The fashion industry is responsible for an extraordinary amount of waste,” Wright says.

“It consumes a huge amount of resources and fast fashion is creating a waste problem.

“With Aboriginal textiles, people have a sense of connection with the people who made them."

“We’re encouraging people to be more thoughtful – it’s not about the fashion, it’s about respect for the person who designed it and wearing something that has meaning.

“It’s about being more responsible and respectful of the planet.”

Exhibition | Fri 22 Jun – Sun 19 Aug | Aboriginal Bush Traders | See the event listing

Launch and Awards Night | Sat 30 Jun | 6-8pm | Aboriginal Bush Traders | See the event listing