On The Frontline Of Indigenous Fashion
When Wiradjuri woman Denni Francisco launched her Ngali label in 2018, it wasn’t just friends and colleagues who gave her support. “I also felt guided by my ancestors: it seemed that when Ngali started, it had a positive flow to it,” she says.
Denni has more than 25 years’ experience in the fashion industry and had previously launched a children’s clothing company label, Billiecart Clothing. But from the start, Ngali was about more than just clothes. “I was looking at the why of what I was going to do. What’s the point of another fashion label … what difference would it make?”
Ngali celebrates Indigenous creativity, the garments made with silk fabrics printed with First Nations artworks. The silk’s quality highlights the vibrant colours of her designs, which can be dressed up or down.
“Fashion can help us as First Nations people share our stories in different ways. It’s a soft entry for people to want to find out more about First Nations culture.”
Initially, Denni’s designs were based on her own photography practice. “I spent time on Country and did a whole collection around the amazing patterns that show up in our gumtrees,” she says. Soon after, she went to the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair, and was introduced to the paintings of Gija artist Lindsay Malay, which featured in her next collection.
“I was really struck by his paintings and fascinated by his story. We formed a collaboration there and then that enabled me, as a textile artist, to translate his artwork into fabric prints with his approval.”
For Denni, that meeting was more than just good luck. “At the art fair there was so much beautiful and stunning art around, but beforehand I asked my ancestors, ‘Direct me to where I’m supposed to go’. And as I entered, there were two works of art that stood out for me. I asked the man sitting behind the table, ‘Can you tell me about these two paintings?’ and he stood up and said, ‘They’re both mine.’”
“We can find the things that prop us up if we [can identify] the things that fuel us emotionally – and what drains us. For me, that’s why I go out on Country.”
Denni – who is a speaker at the Australian Fashion Summit at the Melbourne Fashion Festival, which runs from 11 to 20 March – says having a broader purpose feeds her inspiration. “A ‘why’ for what you’re doing is the most critical part. If someone wants to start a business, they have to ask, ‘Why do I want to do that, and what is the outcome of that?’ If the why is powerful enough, it will help you get over the hurdles. It fortifies you to go on.”
Apart from drawing on her Indigenous culture and collaborations, Denni relies on her female friends for support. “I really surround myself with those that have a positive energy. We can find the things that prop us up if we [can identify] the things that fuel us emotionally – and what drains us. For me, that’s why I go out on Country.”
What does she find there? “First and foremost, it’s the space, the expanse. You just feel that you’re part of something that’s much bigger, but within that bigger space you have your own place, with your feet firmly planted on the ground. Just being there, spiritually as well as physically, you can hear the sounds, feel the breeze and the wind, without any intention apart from just being on Country. When it’s like that you can just feel the seeping of the energy, and it feels amazing.
“Somebody once asked me, ‘Do you need to be Indigenous to have that experience?’ I said no, I don’t think so. It’s open for everyone but it comes from honouring and appreciating and valuing Country. And if you can’t get out on Country, it’s anywhere – botanical gardens, a park. And then doing things for yourself that fills you with energy – taking a walk or doing a meditation or sitting and reading an uplifting book, whatever those things are. Because as women, the tendency is to put ourselves last and try to take care of everything else.”
Words_ Rachelle Unreich
Photos_ @clintpeloso Hair & Make-Up_@nigelstanislaus