Kirrikin's First Nations Textiles Take Center Stage in New Delhi

New Delhi’s fashion scene recently witnessed a warm cultural encounter as Australian First Nations design landed on the runway in a celebration of heritage and contemporary style. Hosted by the Australian High Commission alongside Kirrikin and the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI), the evening highlighted Indigenous Australian creativity within India’s vibrant fashion community.

The programme began with a spellbinding Aboriginal dance — a living tradition stretching back some 60,000 years. Dancers moved to rhythms evoking native animals such as the kangaroo and emu, their steps and chants offering a living narrative of the storytelling customs central to Australia’s First Nations peoples. The performance set an intimate, reverent mood for a night where cultural memory met modern design.

Central to the showcase was Kirrikin — the Wonnarua phrase for “Sunday’s best clothes” — the luxury label founded by Indigenous designer Amanda Healy. Celebrated for translating original First Nations artworks into lavish contemporary textiles, Kirrikin presented pieces conceived in Australia and made in Noida, a testament to the growing creative dialogue between the two countries.

“Fashion is a bridge,” said Sunil Sethi, Chairman of the FDCI, noting that the event underscored a rising global respect for Indigenous craftsmanship and storytelling, and the way garments can carry cultural narratives across borders.

The night also marked a personal milestone for Amanda Healy as Kirrikin commemorated its 10th anniversary and made its Indian runway debut. The collection, titled ‘Evoke’, included tailored blazers, flowing wrap dresses, soft crepe skirts and structured trousers — each silhouette carrying First Nations motifs. Drawing inspiration from the Noongar people of southwest Western Australia, the garments were crafted in fine viscose crepe and featured hand-painted prints that spoke of landscapes, ancestral spirits and local stories.

“I chose India as my major supplier because of the sheer fabulousness of your fabrics,” Healy said, underlining the practical and creative synergy between makers in both nations. Beyond fashion, the evening functioned as a cultural exchange, transforming ancient traditions into garments that can travel and resonate around the world.