Working in coordination with the Queensland University of Technology, 13 Hopevale artists worked with the fashion students to launch a couture collection at Artisan in Brisbane.

The collection is called Wubuul Buii (meaning ‘together’) and has been designed by the students while the textiles were created by the indigenous artists.

Manager of the Hopevale Arts and Culture Centre Melanie Gibson said the local artists requested the students to treat their designs as art on the runway.

“The stories that are told on these textiles are tens of thousands of years old and to see them constructed into beautiful fashion pieces is an opportunity that’s humbled us all,

“The oldest continuous living culture breathes its songlines through new fabrics combined with timeless skills in this collaboration,” Ms Gibson said.

Queensland University of Technology lecturer Lydia Pearson praised the opportunity to connect with the indigenous population and raise awareness of the artwork.

“It was so fulfilling to see the relationships form and for the designers to really commit to understanding the stories behind the textiles they were working with.”

“The collaboration is about so much more than just fashion and design,” Ms Pearson said.

Hosting the event was an honour for Artisan CEO Claire Sourgnes, saying it was “a thrill to shine a light on collaborations such as Wubuul Buii.”

“The textiles coming out of Hopevale are exquisite and not like anything else in the market today, and yet they’re not stocked anywhere outside of Far North Queensland”, Ms Sourgnes said.

“It’s a very exciting space to be to support meaningful investment in our regional and remote areas of Queensland.”

The event runs from September 20 to November 9, 2019.

For further information about the event, visit www.artisan.org.au.