French exhibition: Canoe dress by Kaiela Arts was on display at the Australian Embassy in Paris this year.
A dress that was born on the banks of the Goulburn River has been on display at the Australian Embassy in Paris this year.
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The ‘Charcoal Canoe Dress’ — designed by Tammy-Lee Atkinson — was created by Kaiela Arts as part of a collection entered into the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair’s Country to Couture show in 2019.
It was the second year the group entered a collection in the show, and members wanted to add elements of Yorta Yorta country in the design, former Kaiela Arts manager Angie Russi said.
It was the fabric’s print that originated from country: a campfire with red gum and wattle created the pigment for the dye.
Some of the charcoal was sent to Stewart Russell at Spacecraft printing in Melbourne, who created the colour and printed Ms Atkinson’s print design on to linen.
On display: Kaiela artist Tammy-Lee Atkinson designed the fabric for the Charcoal Canoe Dress (centre).
Karin Berg made the pattern and Wendy Crow sewed it.
“It was a creative process that was authentic and it came from the heart,” Ms Russi said.
“It’s lovely to think a garment with pigments from wood from a campfire next to the Goulburn River made it to Paris.”
After the runway show in Darwin, the canoe dress and several other pieces from Kaiela Arts’ Yurri Wala Kaiela (Freshwater River) collection were purchased by Bendigo Art Gallery and exhibited as part of Piinpi: Contemporary Indigenous Fashion.
From there, the dress was selected to travel to the Australian Embassy in Paris.
Co-designer Ms Crow described the collection as “wearable art”.
“The pieces were designed here in Shepparton, went on the runway in Darwin, and then (one dress) ultimately ended up in Paris,” she said.
“It’s a huge achievement.”
Runway: The Charcoal Canoe Dress worn by a model on the Country to Couture runway in Darwin, 2019.
Ms Russi said the group always aimed to show its work to an international audience, but wasn’t sure how it would happen.
“It’s been a wonderful, serendipitous thing,” she said.
Kaiela Arts attended the Darwin Aboriginal Arts Fair three times, as one of only three groups from southern Australia.
Its designs were some of the only ones that used warmer materials such as wool and possum skin.
Its collections were twice featured on the runway as part of Country to Couture.
“For us to be chosen for the Country to Couture show twice was very special,” Ms Russi said.
“It’s been a long, amazing journey.”
The canoe dress, created in collaboration with Kaiela Arts and designed by Tammy-Lee Atkinson with collaboration from Wendy Crow and Karin Berg, was on display in Paris as part of Piinpi from January 31 to April 19, 2022.
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