Join kuril dhagun for an engaging panel forum to conclude our latest ‘A night by the fire’ conversation series. The discussion will continue to explore the practice of cultural expression through fashion as it evolves and expands over time.
Hosted by Nadia Buick, author and co-founder of The Fashion Archies, the panel features previous speakers Arkie Barton and Elisa Jane Carmichael alongside special guest Grace Lillian Lee. Come along to take part in the conversation and learn how traditional practices are being revitalised in contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander fashion.
Grace Lillian Lee is an Australian designer from Cairns. She started her own business at 17, making her mark in the racewear fashion stakes selling ‘Tantalizers’ (hats) she designed and created herself.
Grace has since graduated with qualification in Fashion Design (Honours) from RMIT. Her graduate collection ‘Intertwined’ was modelled at Melbourne Spring Fashion week in 2010, and will be presented in San Francisco this coming August.
A trip to the Torres Strait Islands to visit relatives inspired Grace’s work, enhancing her interest in cultural artistry and native design, including hand crafts such as palm leaf weaving, lino printing and basket making. Recently Grace travelled to Sri Lanka and India to explore the cultural craftsmanship of diverse communities around the world. She is eager to interpret different cultural artistries into fashion whilst celebrating the cultures she has learnt these techniques from.
This forum will bring together the discussions from the free talks in this series on 3 May and 17 May, though attendance at these sessions is not a prerequisite to participation in this forum discussion.
Missed the earlier sessions? Catch up online at www.slq.qld.gov.au/
Image: Arkie the Label design by Arkie Barton. Photo courtesy of Arkie Barton.