Recognised as one of the most anticipated fashion awards in the industry, the National Indigenous Fashion Awards are back for 2024.
Presented by the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair (DAAF) Foundation's (DAAFF) Indigenous Fashion Projects (IFP), the National Indigenous Fashion Awards (NIFA) recognise and showcase excellence across seven award categories, providing a unique opportunity for the Australian and international fashion community to connect to the world's oldest living cultures.
With nominations now officially open, IFP is inviting the public to nominate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists and designers for the 2024 NIFA ceremony.
With past NIFA winners including Lillardia Briggs-Houston, Gapuwiyak Culture & Arts artists, Ikuntji Artists, Ngali by Denni Francisco, and MAARA Collective by Julie Shaw, NIFA is known for propelling emerging and established Indigenous fashion designers, artists, and art centres to new heights.
By providing pathways to elevate their careers and profile through mainstream mentoring opportunities with established brands like Country Road and RMIT, NIFA has been the starting point for many designers who have gone on to have immense success.
From having their work featured in leading magazines to walking on international runways, NIFA has been known to positives benefit a designer's industry exposure, business growth and individual self-confidence.
Michelle Maynard, IFP manager and Tasmanian First Nations designer, is also looking forward to welcoming the awards back this year.
"The NIFA is a really exciting event celebrating the excellence, and achievement in our sector. It is the only national awards program of its kind and such an important event to acknowledge, celebrate and showcase Australia's First Nations peoples working in fashion and textiles," she said.
"We encourage First Nations creatives, talent and Art Centres to nominate and be recognised for their work and contribution to the fashion and textiles sector, or for people to nominate someone who they think should be recognised. We're looking forward to seeing who nominates this year and hosting the celebration together to shine a spotlight on the next round of nominees."
Scheduled to return to Darwin on August 7 - alongside the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair (Aug 8-11) and Country to Couture runway (Aug 6) - the NIFA ceremony will again be supported by the Northern Territory Government through Northern Territory Major Events Company, NITV and QIC.
The awards ceremony will recognise talent across seven categories including the, Traditional Adornment Award, Community Collaboration Award, Business Achievement Award, Textile Design Award, Wearable Art Award, Fashion Designer Award and Young Achiever Award.
Since launching in 2020, the popular awards ceremony has celebrated the innovation, diversity and ethical practices of Australia's First Nations people in fashion and textiles. With the hype and press coverage surrounding the awards ceremony growing more and more each year, this year's ceremony is sure to be nothing less than a spectacle.
As nominations are now open, IFP is encouraging the public to put forward their vote and have a say in who they believe should be commended and rewarded for their efforts.
It is time to recognise and celebrate the talent of our country's top-performing Indigenous creatives - and who better to have a say in that decision, than the community and consumers who know them best.
Nominations are open from Wednesday, 28th February 2024, and will close at 5pm (ACST) on March 25, 2024.
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