Ngarru Miimi Nominated In the National Indigenous Fashion Awards

In June local artist and designer Lillardia Briggs-Houston of Ngarru Miimi was nominated in two categories in the National Indigenous Fashion Awards. Her work was shortlisted for The Cultural Adornment And Wearable Art Award and The Textile Design Award. See all the nominees and their works here https://nifa.com.au/nifa-2020-nominees/

Lillardia says "To even be considered is such an honour especially for my Sandhills dress and print because this was made as a tribute to my Wiradjuri grandmother and where she grew up on the Sandhills here in Narrandera.

Nan left school at 14 and at the time couldn’t read or write. She decided to further her education and also studied fashion in the 60s - even then she was accused of fraudulent work because her teacher didn’t believe she was capable of creating what she did. Against all odds as a Aboriginal woman struggling to make ends meet, raising a family of 7 and working multiple jobs she finally finished and went on to teach a young snotty nosed me from the age of 10. I’ve now been sewing for 20 years and I still wake up everyday with the love and joy I had as a 10 year old little girl sitting at the dinning room table drafting patterns with my grandmother.

This dress represents my Nan’s country but to me it holds all of her resilience, strength and determination dealt to us as Aboriginal peoples in this country then and still now. Our struggles to find equal footing just to live while suffering racism, inequality and injustice. Through all our adversities and challenges we continue to adapt and achieve."