Fashion of Multicultural Australia on March 1

Less than one year after its breakout launch in 2018, Fashions of Multicultural Australia (FOMA), supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australia Korea Foundation, is set to make its return on Friday 1 March 2019 at the Cutaway, Barangaroo.

“Barangaroo is a welcoming place that draws people from all backgrounds and cultures – we’re delighted to support Fashions of Multicultural Australia by hosting the spectacular exhibit and runway event in the Cutaway at Barangaroo” said Sandra Bender, Executive Director Activation and Precinct Management.

FOMA is a platform pioneered by Gandhi Creations Pty Ltd, a multi-award-winning marketing and event management company. For over a decade, Gandhi Creations have delivered more than 500 events including initiatives of national significance for state and federal governments.

Returning with the same cultural and stylistic dynamism that made the launch an astounding success in 2018, this year’s Runway Showcase will again deliver a diverse combination of international, local, Indigenous Australian, and refugee designers as they share with audiences a holistic, contemporary depiction of Australian culture and fashion.

FOMA provides a sustainable platform for international and emerging designers and works in collaboration with Foreign Embassies. It is a first-ever national initiative that will acknowledge the origins of Australian fashion and how migration has historically affected it. The platform effectively engages with Australia’s diverse communities and presents an opportunity for designers to showcase their uniqueness and cultural nuances through fashion diplomacy. Ultimately, FOMA exists to integrate communities and foster social cohesion, whilst further strengthening bilateral ties with nations that make up the diverse landscape of Australia.

Held together by Master of Ceremonies, Jeremy Fernandez, ABC News Journalist and Presenter and Internationally renowned Fashion Anthropologist Charlotte Smith, FOMA 2019 will intertwine a unique range of cultural fashion pieces, both traditional and contemporary, to create an entirely new and unique experience. This will involve a streamlined runway showcase on one of Australia’s largest runways spanning 60 metres, as well as a free Exhibit which will offer opportunities for the public to engage directly with the partaking designers and Foreign Embassies throughout the day.

Audiences can look forward to designers such as Ireland’s Anne McConnell, whose designs are influenced by endless generations of her own family’s heritage, or Anjilla Seddeqi, a refugee originating from Afghanistan whose outfits draw inspiration from the classic and feminine silhouettes of the 1950’s. Additionally, this year’s Runway Showcase will once again welcome an opening feature by Indigenous Australian designer, Colleen Tighe Johnson,who was awarded with a 2018 NSW Creative Achievement Award shortly after her participation in the 2018 FOMA Launch.

The 2019 FOMA Runway Showcase will not be short of experimental or futuristic looks either, featuring the likes ofTamara Leacock, whose brand REMUSE draws inspiration from Afro-futurist aesthetics to combine recycled materials and artisan techniques to create fresh and previously unseen looks. Alternatively, The Republic of South Korea’sYoonkyung Jang develops cutting edge color textile designs through her brand ”˜SETSETSET’, which create ”˜lively and kitsy feels’ that express Korean culture in new ways.

FOREIGN EMBASSIES
FOMA 2019 program features designs showcasing fashion in collaboration with The Republic of Korea in Australia,The Embassy of The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, The Embassy of Chile in Australia, The Embassy of the Russian Federation in Australia, The Embassy of Colombia in Australia, The Consulate General of India in Sydney,The Consulate General of Indonesia in Sydney, The Consulate General of Ireland in Sydney, The Consulate General of Pakistan in Sydney, The General Delegation of Palestine to Australia, The Republic of Kiribati Embassy to Australia, and The Republic of Philippines in Australia.
DESIGNERS

Thank you to FOMA 2019 designers, Aida Guirguis, Anne McConnell, Anjilla Seddeqi, Carolina Giraldo, Colleen Tighe Johnson, Charlotte Smith, Denisse M Vera, Katya Komarova, Miranda Day, Naushad Ali, Poornima Sharma, Sav Lavin, Tamara Laecock, Victoria Alonso, Alfia Galimova, Evgenia Lisichkina, Wendy Scully, Yoonkyung Jang, and Novita Yunus. To learn more about the FOMA 2019 designers,

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