One year ago Taungurung and Djaara artist Cassie Leatham launched her label Yanggurdi on the Melbourne Fashion Festival runway.
A year later and she's back with a new collection.
Leatham, an artist and master weaver, describes Yanggurdi as wearable art and an important way of carrying on the journey of her ancestors.
Yanggurdi means 'walkabout' in Taungurung language and Leatham's design practice involves a close connection to Country.
The wearability of clothes plays a big part in her new collection and Leatham has been inspired by "everyday lifestyle".
"Just because the seasons change doesn't mean your style has to," she said.
"I've created these beautiful block prints of symbols, fine lines, details, metallics but also of course my weaving journey.
"You're going to see some really bold and really cool designs that are for young and old."
In creating for her label, she harvests lomandra grass and other native grasses for weaving before piecing together pieces to be worn.
View this post on Instagram
It's become a staple part of her designs and her new collection is a true evolution of her previous collection.
"My signature lomandra print has evolved. It's shown on a couple of the other designs like tops, not just the pants or bathers or the bags," Leatham said.
"It's actually on t-shirts and crop tops and windcheaters now.
"It crosses over from the first collection into the second but with a bit of mixture and a bit more movement with the designs."
However because of her design practice, Leatham has had a front row seat as to how climate change is affecting Country and the land.
"Every time I go out to get a particular plant, the seasons are changing and things aren't coming out when they normally come out," she said.
"This is showcased in my works as well, we have to start looking after our native wildlife and our plants.
"Because it's heating up, it's cooling down, we've got floods, we've got fires, there's so much happening and people are oblivious to it."
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Yanggurdi 👣 (@yanggurdi)
Leatham said the changing climate is very much at the forefront of her mind while she was designing this collection.
"Landfill clothing is just one of the biggest disasters ever," she said.
"I don't want to make a footprint with Yanggurdi and add to that landfill of wasted fashion for no purpose.
"This is what it's about for me, fashion is great and design is great but we've got to think about sustainability for the future."
Leatham will debut her new collection at Melbourne Fashion Festival on March 9 in the Urban Oasis Runway show.
Her designs are also on display at Melbourne Museum as part of the Future/History exhibition.
Melbourne Fashion Festival will conclude March 11.
