Actress Miah Madden stuns in custom-designed Ikuntji Artists dress at Sydney’s Hamilton premiere

Phoebe Blogg Published August 23, 2024 at 5.00pm (AWST)

fashion

Actress Miah Madden wearing Ikuntji at Sydney’s Hamilton premiere. (Image: Chloe Paul)

Actress, presenter and and future Indigenous criminal defence lawyer, Miah Madden's passion for First Nations advocacy and support has seen the talented creative now collaborate and join forces with celebrated Indigenous Art Centre, Ikuntji Artists.

Stepping out at last weeks Hamilton premiere in Sydney wearing a custom Ikuntji Artists Puli Puli Rocks Mini Dress, Madden drew the attention of red carpet attendees, press and paparazzi alike.

Created in partnership with Amex Australia - which supported Ikuntji in producing a small capsule collection for last year's VOGUE Fashion Night Out and Kobie Dee's deadly ARIA suit – Madden's multi-hued custom designed dress was as alluring as it is aesthetically pleasing.

Designed by artist Keturah Zimran with a Puli Puli print, the Puli Puli Rocks dress depicts the puli puli (rocks) at two different sites; the landscapes at Haasts Bluff and also Karrkurrutintja (Lake McDonald).

"The sand hills I paint are my mother's story and the rocks I paint are my own story," Zimran told RUSSH Magazine.

"My paintings are about my story and my mother's. When I look at my paintings I feel happy."

Actress Miah Madden wearing Ikuntji at Sydney's Hamilton premiere. (Image: Chloe Paul)

Ikuntji Art Centre manager, Chrischona Schmidt said it is the centre's aim to always ensure the contemporary designs they create are supported by the backbone of traditional storytelling.

"All designs from Ikuntji Artists are about telling Tjukurrpa stories (Dreaming stories) of our ancestors," Schmidt said.

"The very foundation of all art making is our Tjukurrpa and ngurra (country).

"The designs are printed by hand onto fabrics and then wonderful garments such as this one, are created from it."

Actress Miah Madden wearing Ikuntji Artists Puli Puli Rocks mini dress. (Image: Chloe Paul)

With a prominent focus on storytelling, Schmidt said it is partnerships and collaborations like this that assist in the centre's growth and mission of providing artists with additional opportunities.

"The mission statement of the art centre is Witira Kanyila. It means work together to make it strong," she said.

"Thus getting partners to work with the artists and the art centre is highly valued.

"It means that the art centre can grow and more avenues are available to the artists through partnerships."

Paired with accessories by luxury jewellery brand Bulgari, both the actress and Art Centre showcased how First Nation's storytelling can be fused into modern mediums – or in this case high fashion.