How Kirrikin Tell Indigenous Stories Through Fashion | #339 - a podcast by Nathan Bush
from 2023-09-24T19:00:14
In this episode of Add To Cart, we are joined by Amanda Healy from Kirrikin. A proud Koori woman, Amanda has more than 30 years experience in mining, but when she noticed the lack of authentic Indigenous products, she took matters into her own hands and in 2014, she launched her own brand. Kirrikin is a luxury fashion label that showcases Indigenous art and offers customers the opportunity to directly support the artist behind the design. In 2021, Amanda’s brand even hit the runway at Australian Fashion Week and has started to expand overseas into the US and Europe. I really enjoyed hearing Amanda share some of the stories that are woven into Kirrikin’s fabrics and her experience of taking Australian culture overseas. We also chatted about her thoughts on the Voice, the impact it could have on the Indigenous community and the challenges she has faced as a First Nations entrepreneur.
Links from the episode:
Questions answered:
- Coming from the mining industry, why did you start a fashion brand?
- How would you describe Kirrikin and your inspiration behind your designs?
- What tips do you have for businesses wanting to collaborate with Indigenous designers?
This episode was brought to you by…
About your host: Jo-Anne Hui-Miller from The General Store
Jo is content and insights director at multi-disciplinary creative agency, The General Store. She was previously managing editor of premium content at Inside Retail Australia, Asia and New Zealand.
About your co-host: Amanda Healy from Kirrikin
Amanda is from the Wonnarua nation – traditional owners of the Hunter Valley in NSW. As with many Indigenous people, she has broad connections across the country. With more than 35 years’ experience in the mining industry, both in Australia, Africa and Canada, Amanda has founded her own engineering businesses in the Pilbara and Cape York supporting Aboriginal people in business. She developed Kirrikin in late 2014, which is a social enterprise sharing profits with the artists – to address shortage of authentic Indigenous products. Kirrikin digitally prints gorgeous Aboriginal artwork onto luxurious Cashmeres and silks, turning them into scarves and ties. Rapidly developing an international reputation for its beautiful products, Kirrikin is popular in the USA and Europe as well as at home in Australia.
You can contact Amanda at LinkedIn
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