Fashion Performances

Reclamation and Regeneration

"This year’s fashion program brings together designers from across Queensland, each sharing stories of Reclamation and Regeneration — from climate resilience and connection to land to personal journeys of healing and identity. Their collections reflect the strength that comes from reconnecting with culture, Country, and community.

For the first time, we are also honoured to welcome three Indigenous Taiwanese designers, whose work adds a rich international perspective. Through their designs, they share personal and cultural narratives that highlight the intersections of tradition and contemporary practice, fostering meaningful dialogue among Indigenous cultures around the world.

Across the program, designers reclaim their voices through making — using fashion to honour cultural knowledge, challenge assumptions, and express lived experiences that have long been overlooked. Their work becomes a form of self‑determination, celebrating who they are and where they come from.

Together, these designers will shape a powerful collective story of transformation in two performances, where fashion becomes a space for reclaiming narratives, regenerating cultural knowledge, and imagining new futures guided by local and global Indigenous voices."

CIAF Fashion Curator, Lynelle Flinders

The Fashion Performance is a living story shaped by community, collaboration and cultural continuity. It honours the foundational leadership of Aunty Bronwyn Singleton and Aunty Maria Laxton, whose vision helped ignite Far North Queensland’s contemporary Aboriginal and Zenadth Kes/Torres Strait Islander fashion movement. Their work, beginning with the grassroots Regional Indigenous Fashion and Textile Showcase (RIFTS) in 2012, laid the groundwork for what has become a nationally recognised platform for First Nations fashion.

Since its launch by Grace Lillian-Lee (First Nations Fashion + Design) under CIAF in 2013, the Fashion Performance has evolved into a bold, future-focused program known for showcasing a breadth of First Nations designers - from emerging voices to established labels - working across textiles, wearable art, sustainable fashion and experimental form. Each year, designers collaborate with models, dancers, musicians and visual artists to create a dynamic, site-responsive performance that goes beyond the conventions of a traditional runway.

Celebrated for its innovation and cultural integrity, the CIAF Fashion Performance has attracted national and international attention, with features in publications including Peppermint Magazine, Vogue Japan and Vogue Australia. In 2026, the program reaches its biggest scale yet, presenting 24 designers across two immersive fashion performances - a testament to the strength, diversity and momentum of First Nations fashion in Queensland and beyond.

Wearable Art Exhibition

People, Culture & Country (PCC) is a North Queensland Department of Education initiative that brings together students, educators and First Nations artists in a powerful, collaborative exploration of identity, culture and creative expression.

Delivered across multiple schools, the program provides students with the opportunity to engage directly with artists and cultural mentors, exploring connection to Country through wearable art, textiles and contemporary design. Through this process, students develop confidence, cultural understanding and a strong sense of creative voice.

People, Culture & Country (PCC) is an initiative of the Department of Education, North Queensland Region, and is supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland, Schools Plus, Townsville City Galleries – Townsville City Council, and Queensland Museum.