The Guuliil Fashion Collection was designed by Queensland University of Technology fashion students in collaboration with Aboriginal artists from the Hope Vale Arts and Cultural Centre in Northern Queensland. The collection was officially unveiled and displayed in a virtual runway show at the 2020 Cairns Indigenous Art Fair.

The collection name ‘Guuliil’, which means ‘Jellyfish’ in the native Australian Guugu Yimithirr language of Far North Queensland, was inspired by the marine life and oceanic landscapes depicted in the beautiful paintings made by Indigenous artists from Hope Vale. Fitting to the 2020 CIAF theme which was Climate Change, the collection aims to showcase the beauty, fragility and resilience of our oceans and the life it contains, through a creative merger of fashion and art.

The wearable art was designed, crafted and showcased entirely under the social distancing restrictions of COVID-19. While this created initial challenges for the QUT design and media teams, it provided a unique opportunity to be creative with the application and delivery of the project. The outcome was an entirely unique fusion of art, fashion and technology that highlighted the versatility of each garment, and brought to life the magnificent artworks of five talented Aboriginal artists.

This project was nominated for the Community Collaboration Award in the 2020 National Indigenous Fashion Awards which recognises “effective and productive relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and the textile and fashion industry.”

Watch the official Cairns Indigenous Art Fair Fashion Showcase featuring the Guuliil Collection.