Our Australian artists, creatives and designers were dealt a severe blow when the pandemic came knocking on our door almost two years ago. None more so than First Nations designers. While we saw significant changes to the format of AAFW this year, there is still a long stretch ahead of us in order to meaningfully address the disadvantages Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander designers face in the fashion industry. It's for this reason that Indigenous Fashion Projects have issued a call for donations.

All donations will flow directly to emerging designers and businesses, of whom many are located in remote and regional Australia, without access to everyday resources that aspiring designers in cities have at their fingertips. As well as this, IFP is there to mentor Indigenous designers outside metro areas, who often aren't privy to the multitude of positions once can have in the fashion industry. After all, you can't be what you can't see.

As a branch of the not-for-profit, Indigenous owned and governed, Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair, Indigenous Fashion Projects is an incubator dedicated to amplifying and fortifying First Nations creatives. By becoming an annual donor, not only are you injecting confidence into the industry but your support ensures the freedom of expression and preservation of the worlds oldest continuous culture.

Manager of Indigenous Fashion Project, Dave Giles-Kaye, says, "This year has been a watershed year for Indigenous fashion, with our first Afterpay Australian Fashion Week catwalk and unprecedented support from Australia’s leading fashion media and retail brands".

“Every dollar that we receive is a game-changer - Indigenous fashion may have been underfunded but it is no longer being overlooked.”

All donations to Indigenous Fashion Projects are completely tax deductible and grant you tickets to First Nations fashion events. To show your support, you can sign up to become a regular done at the Indigenous Fashion Projects website.

Every dollar makes an enormous difference.