Cairns Indigenous Art Fair (CIAF) has announced a striking new venue for one of Australia’s most unique First Nations fashion events, revealing that the 2026 CIAF Fashion Performance will take place at a historic timber mill on Yirrganydji Country in Stratford, Gimuy/Cairns.
The newly branded CIAF Fashion Performances at The Mill will feature 25 designers – the largest line-up in CIAF fashion history – including, for the first time, international collections from three Indigenous Taiwanese designers and a guest designer from Indigenous Fashion Week New York, presenting two immersive performances responding to the theme Reclamation & Regeneration.
Tickets are now available for the matinee and premiere performances on Thursday 9 and Friday 10 July, with CIAF also revealing the judging panel for the inaugural CIAF Fashion: Textile & Design Awards.
The CIAF Fashion Performance brings together Queensland Aboriginal and Zenadth Kes designers, models, dancers, and musicians in a powerful intersection of culture, art, and contemporary design, blending fashion, movement, storytelling, digital projections, and cultural programming.
Minister for the Arts John-Paul Langbroek said Aboriginal and Zenadth Kes/Torres Strait Islander fashion and textile designers in Queensland are sharing their creative talent with growing national and international audiences and markets.
“The Crisafulli Government proudly supports CIAF to showcase the incredible work of Indigenous artists and designers, providing Queenslanders and visitors with opportunities to engage with unique cultural experiences and purchase high quality work.
“CIAF’s vibrant program helps deliver on Queensland’s Time to Shine, our 10-year strategy for arts and culture, by maximising economic opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander creatives and reinforcing Queensland’s reputation as a vibrant cultural destination.”
Fashion rooted in culture and innovation
Each performance will run for 75 minutes, reflecting the program's expanded scale, which has grown from 12 designers in previous years.
CIAF Fashion Curator Lynelle Flinders said the program embodies the strength and diversity of First Nations storytelling through fashion.
“This year’s fashion program brings together designers from across Queensland who are sharing stories of Reclamation and Regeneration – from climate resilience and connection to land to personal journeys of healing and identity,” Ms Flinders said.
“Across the program, designers amplify their perspectives through creativity, using fashion to honour cultural knowledge, challenge assumptions and express lived experiences.
“Together, they create a powerful collective narrative where fashion becomes a space for imagining new futures guided by First Nations voices,” she said.
Building on this exchange, the program welcomes three Indigenous Taiwanese designers, connecting First Nations cultures and expanding CIAF’s reach across the Asia-Pacific.
The CIAF 2026 fashion program features designers and collectives from across Queensland and beyond, including Kerry Klimm; Deadly Creative Sistas; Trinity Bay High School; Kuku Bulkaway Arts; Irene Olive Adams; Girringun Art Centre; Pumicestone Indigenous Education & Employment Council (PIEEC); Badu Art Centre; Delvene Cockatoo-Collins; Sandra and Shara Delaney; Lisa Lui; Felicity Chapman; Amanda Hayman (Magpie Goose); Amy (Wudan) Neal; TAFE Cultural Arts; Nicole Chatfield; Francoise Lane; Samala Cronin (MumRed); Yarrabah Art Centre; and international guest designers.
Inaugural CIAF Fashion: Textile & Design Awards
The 2026 program will also introduce the CIAF Fashion: Textile & Design Awards, which will recognise excellence in First Nations textile design and innovation.
The awards offer $20,000 in prize money across three categories: Textile Innovation Award – $10,000; Sustainable Adornment Award – $5,000, and Cultural Couture Award – $5,000.
Supported by QIC, the awards celebrate designers who combine cultural storytelling, craftsmanship and contemporary design practice.
Winners to be announced on Friday, 10 July at the Awards Ceremony between Show 1 and Show 2.
Judges announced
CIAF has also confirmed the judging panel for the inaugural awards will comprise Founder and Creative Director of ‘Studio Shonae’, Shonae Hobson, Multidisciplinary First Nations practitioner Luke Currie-Richardson and CIAF’s very own Fashion Curator, Lynelle Flinders.
The judges will assess collections across criteria, including cultural narrative, design innovation, technical excellence and sustainability.
Documentary follows designers behind the scenes
The 2026 program will also be documented by Pandamonium Films, a Gimuy/Cairns-based all-female First Nations production company, which is producing a fashion documentary following designers behind the scenes as they prepare their runway collections.
Fashion performance schedule
The CIAF Fashion Performance, Fashion at The Mill, will be held at 60-70 Magazine Street, Stratford, across two days:
- Community Show – Thursday 9 July 2026
The Community Show celebrates emerging and established First Nations designers in an accessible, family-friendly, daytime setting.
Show 1 - Reclamation
Doors open at 12.00 pm for the 1:00 pm performance
Show 2 - Regeneration
Doors open at 2.30 pm for the 3:30 pm performance
- Fashion Performance Premiere with red carpet arrival, exhibition & pop-up – Friday 10 July 2026
In addition to the fashion performances, the Friday evening program will feature a vibrant red-carpet arrival and roving interviews hosted by the CIAF 2026 Ambassador team, digital projections throughout the mill precinct, and the People, Culture & Country exhibition, showcasing mannequin displays of garments created by fashion and textile students from across North Queensland. The evening also features exclusive access to the inaugural CIAF Fashion Pop-Up Shop, where audience members can purchase garments directly from participating designers.
Show 1 - Reclamation
Doors open at 4:00 pm for the 5.00 pm performance.
Pop-Up Shop opens from 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Show 2 - Regeneration
Doors open at 7.00 pm for the 8:00 pm performance
Pop-Up Shop opens from 9:15 pm – 10:30 pm
Visitors will also be able to enjoy food and refreshments within the precinct, with nearby dining options, including the popular NuNu Catering and Narrow Tracks Brewery, located next door to The Mill site.
Tickets are on sale today, with Reclamation and Regeneration ticketed as separate shows across Thursday and Friday.
Prices start at $40 per person for Thursday’s Community Shows, with Friday’s premiere events (seated or standing) offering an elevated experience, including projection lighting and red-carpet arrivals.
For tickets and program details, click here the button below.
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