Celebrating First Nations fashion design with Yatu Widders Hunt

Yatu Widders Hunt has forged a career out of storytelling. A proud descendant of the Anaiwan and Dunghutti peoples from north-western NSW, her passion for social change and communications has led to roles with the Federal Government, National Indigenous Television and the National Centre of Indigenous Excellence, to name a few.

Today, Yatu is the Director of PR and Research agency Cox Inall Ridgeway and Founder of online community @ausindigenousfashion. A clear authority in the Indigenous art and fashion space, it’s no surprise that Yatu was handpicked to be a judge for the inaugural National Indigenous Fashion Awards (NIFA).

As the Presenting Partner of NIFA’s Fashion Design Award, we spoke to Yatu on her journey so far, where to next and the valuable lessons we can learn from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander fashion designers.

Can you tell us a little bit about your career and how you got to where you are today?

“I would say that I have had a pretty varied career, but everything I’ve done has certainly had a focus on storytelling and social change. I actually started my career in the Federal Government, where I worked in communications and policy roles across a range of portfolios including sustainability and mental health. I studied communications and politics and have always been passionate about how public relations can change things for the better.

From there, I moved into working in freelance communications and was lucky enough to have worked for the Koori Mail, National Indigenous Television and the National Centre of Indigenous Excellence. Through that work, I connected with Indigenous PR and Research agency Cox Inall Ridgeway, where I now work as a Director. When I was studying communications in the early 2000s, I never would have dreamed that there would be an Indigenous-owned agency like this, so it was exciting for me to see that growth in the sector and I love being a part of continuing our Indigenous storytelling traditions.”

What was the inspiration behind launching @ausindigenousfashion?

“I’ve always personally loved fashion and design and think it’s a great way for us to share culture and story. When I was freelancing, I used to write a lot of stories about Indigenous fashion designers and artists. I was so excited by what I was seeing in this thriving sector and I couldn’t believe it wasn’t getting more attention. So many people would ask me about what ‘Indigenous fashion looked like’ and were curious about what was going on, so I decided to show people the diversity of the sector on a page. I thought Instagram provided a fun, accessible and visual medium to get people excited and engaged.

It really was born from a desire to celebrate this sector and share what was going on with the rest of the country. Plus, it’s a nice way for me to stay connected to what’s going on in the industry and to keep discovering new and exciting fashion brands!”

Can you tell us a little bit about your relationship with the National Indigenous Fashion Awards (NIFA)?

“I am lucky to be a judge for the inaugural NIFAs which is very exciting for me personally. I have attended the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair a number of times and always loved the runway event, so to see it grow into industry awards is really special. The Indigenous fashion community is an incredibly close and supportive one, so I have known many of the NIFA and DAAF team for a long time and it’s just great to be involved in this next step, in elevating Indigenous fashion onto the national stage.”

What are you most looking forward to as part of NIFA?

“I think the NIFAs are a major step in acknowledging and respecting Indigenous fashion as a sector and as a community. I am most excited about the opportunity it presents to both honour the work of Indigenous fashion designers, but also connect with a much broader audience across the country. From speaking to designers and communities, I know there is so much buzz and excitement about this and I hope the impact is felt across the board. We often talk about how Indigenous peoples have a proud tradition of fashion design that extends 60,000 years and beyond. To really highlight that as part of our national fashion conversation is something that I think the NIFAs can help to do.”

What change would you like to see in the Australian fashion industry?

“I think we have a thriving and unique Australian fashion industry, but I would really love to see more acknowledgment of Indigenous fashion as part of that sector. It really speaks to who we are as a nation and it’s a sector of which we should all be incredibly proud.

I would also like to see more practical support and pathways for Indigenous people to work in in the industry, whether that be as designers, models, make-up artists, creative directors, or anything else you can imagine. Fashion and design are beautiful and creative ways that we can share our story with the world, so to have more Indigenous voices and perspectives as part of that narrative will only strengthen that story. I would like Indigenous fashion to be seen not as a sidebar of the Australian fashion industry, but as an anchor to a design tradition that is uniquely Australian.”

What lessons can we learn from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander fashion designers?

“We talk so much about sustainability and slow fashion in our modern industry and I really think that Indigenous designers are a wealth of knowledge on this. Caring for Country is a cultural value and underpins the work of so many Indigenous fashion designers. I think through greater collaboration and education, we can grow together in our sustainability practice. I think it’s important to acknowledge that sustainability has been part of Indigenous design forever. I also think there is so much for us to learn about what true co-design and collaborative practice looks like. There are some wonderful examples of collaboration from brands like MAARA Collective and Ngali, that actually demonstrate how to work together respectfully and ethically. So much of our culture is based around working and coming together, so that’s another area that presents so many opportunities.”

You wrote an incredible poem which we shared recently. Can you tell us a bit about the inspiration behind it?

“I actually wrote that poem because I was struggling to articulate what I wanted to say and wasn’t sure how else to express it! It was written in the context of the Black Lives Matter movement and increased public conversation around Indigenous Affairs. I wanted to remind people that Indigenous Australia is always speaking and sharing, whether that be through the media, protest, or even design. I also wanted to remind people that our fashion and design also carry important messages of Country, healing, pain, community and many other things. I hoped that people would see that we have always been here, ready to share and start conversations and that design can be a really beautiful way to do that. We are not just speaking through traditional channels, we are always generous in what we share and we want us all to walk together.”

2020 has been a year of great change and uncertainty for a lot of people. How do you remain inspired and motivated?

“I think finding strength in culture and connection has been really important, so I have really enjoyed staying engaged in the online fashion community through @ausindigenousfashion. There has also been so much digital innovation in our communities, which keeps us strong. The East Arnhem Live series was a great example, where remote communities were live streaming concerts from Arnhem Land on Facebook, to keep sharing stories and to build connections around the country.

Having some more downtime means we also have the opportunity to dive into books and podcasts that share important messages. I have been enjoying the Always Our Stories podcast and there are some great books like Dark Emu and The Yield that can keep us connected to Indigenous ways of seeing and knowing.”

What are you working on at the moment?

“I am working on so many exciting projects through Cox Inall Ridgeway which focus on issues of mental health, Aboriginal design and land and sea management, so that is keeping me busy. I am also just really focused on growing the @ausindigenousfashion community and exploring ways we can amplify our stories through collaborating with brands, magazines and podcasts. I am also exploring the idea of an @ausindigenousfashion website so that’s something I am looking at behind the scenes!”

Country Road is The Presenting Partner of Nifa’S Fashion Design Award.