FROM MPARNTWE TO MELBOURNE: A FIRST NATIONS FASHION MOMENT

During Melbourne Fashion Week, one of the city’s most anticipated cultural highlights was the Ganbu Marra Runway, a signature showcase celebrating First Nations fashion, culture, and contemporary design. Meaning “one mob” in Woi Wurrung, Ganbu Marra brought together leading and emerging Indigenous designers whose work blends storytelling, craft, and modern expression.

The StandardX, Melbourne partnered with Agency Projects, an organisation championing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art and culture, to bring the extraordinary Yarrenyty Arltere Artists (YAA) from Mparntwe (Alice Springs) to Fitzroy. YAA, an Aboriginal-owned, not-for-profit art centre, celebrates the creativity and resilience of its community while creating economic opportunities through textiles, sculpture, and storytelling.

The lobby featured a striking YAA screen-printed installation, alongside a capsule of collaborative The Standard and YAA pieces—screen-printed merchandise, hand-crafted homewares, and table linens made in Mparntwe. On October 23, a meaningful breakfast panel with Leila Gurruwiwi, Tahnee Edwards, and Mayatili Marika explored how First Nations fashion is reshaping narratives, inspiring sustainable, culturally grounded design, and influencing global fashion conversations.

For a limited time, YAA’s work remains on display in the lobby, with the full capsule of merchandise and table linens available in The Box. Experience the creativity, culture, and connection woven into every piece—a story bridging Mparntwe and Melbourne, and embodying the inclusive, inventive spirit of The StandardX.