What began as an educational journey in Bundjalung Country resulted in a beautiful capsule collection of wearable art.
When Ashley Moran hosted the team at Spell, an organic fashion label based in Byron Bay, on an educational tour of Bundjalung Country it was the start of a beautiful collaboration.
Moran introduced the team to his wife, Bundjalung artist Kylie Caldwell.
It was a meeting which inspired a seven piece collection creatively directed by Caldwell over two years.
Caldwell said it was a collaboration which allowed her to expand into textiles and design.
"Ever since I was a young girl I had a love of fashion, my dream was to become a fashion designer," she said.
"When my daughter was born I would make her clothes and then my nieces, nephews and sometimes family and friends requests.
"These experiences have given me so much in life, seeing the joy and confidence of young Aboriginal girls after a fashion show, to share that with their families and being able to learn weaving of an age-old ancestral textile practice of Bundjalung people."


The main inspiration for the collaboration was Caldwell's artwork, A Beautiful Chaos.
The vibrant print filled with bright oranges and ocean blues captured the attention of the Spell team and became a huge part of the collection.
Caldwell said she never thought her print would one day become part of a capsule collection.
"It's a dream come true for me to see my artwork on garments that I helped design," she said.
"The artwork was painted with me thinking about how life is never a straight path - as much you plan and dream, things can so easily change. It was an experimental piece where I allowed my creative energy to flow through paint.
"The artwork is a piece that allowed me to accept life, the trials and tribulations of it all."
Shot by Wiradjuri fashion photographer Marley Morgan and modelled on Bangardidjan model Cindy Rostron, the campaign brings out the sprightly prints created by Caldwell on effortless silhouettes within the collection.
The collaboration was also guided by the consultation of Eloise Schnierer, David Giles-Kaye, Kirli Saunders and Yatu Widders-Hunt.

Spell co-founder Elizabeth Abegg said this is Spell's first collaboration and is unique to anything they've seen on a Spell garment.
"We entered this collaboration knowing how much we had to learn and sought consultation with many First Nations experts to help us approach the project mindfully and with cultural sensitivity," she said.
"The legacy of this collaboration has really been woven with the rich new relationships formed with our First Nations friends, peers and colleagues along the way."
The Spell x Kylie Caldwell collection was released on January 18 with many pieces already sold out.
Pieces are still available for purchase through the Spell website.