ART & DESIGN

Birrimbi Dulgu Bajal

Reviewed by Alexia Brehas

Tonight, fashion and performance are fused in a spectacular display of colour and vibrancy. The setting is an elegant white tent that extends the size of the Showtime Events Centre, erected on Melbourne’s South Wharf. The show is Birrimbi Dulgu Bajal, a unique fashion performance featuring 11 Indigenous designers and 20 Indigenous models.

Inside, three thin, stylized faux trees peppered with Central Aboriginal dot paintings are positioned in the middle of the catwalk, their leafy canopies brushing the light structures above. The room is bustling with Melbourne’s fashionable and high society, all sipping from their frosted wine glasses. We take our seats, and the show begins. Birrimbi Dulgu Bajal is split into three sections – runway, interval, and performance. The show is introduced, and the audience is offered a translation of Birrimbi Dulgu Bajal to mean ‘Rainforest and Sea Dreaming’. After calling upon the traditional owners of the land, and paying respect to their ancestors, the hosts launch the runway.

The choreography is deliberate, following the same movements for each collection, with two models walking down the catwalk to the beat of the music, and posing at the end of the runway. When all of the models have walked in pairs, the entire troupe weaves their way through the trees, and upon reaching the end of the runway, they raise their arms upwards and forwards. This ‘reaching out’ gesture seems symbolically tied with the emphasis on ancestry in Indigenous culture.

The uniform styling on the models is absolutely impeccable – simple, pared back makeup is used to emphasise the bold, blue shadow on their eyelids, so pigmented and swooping that it looks like strokes of paint. This blue ‘paint’ stroke motif is also seen on the sides of the model’s head, extending into their hair. The hairstyling in particular is stunning, with a middle section that is braided upside down and sewn into the hair roots, with one model describing it as looking “like a cassowary”. The sides of the hair are ultra slick and tied back, splitting into two braids, creating an extremely modern and contemporary feel.

Each designer collection looks like a work of art. Ranging from the bold, sea-creature earrings and patterned headscarves in Cynthia Voglier’s ‘Paradeese’, to the woven, rope necklaces and fascinators in Yalanji Arts Centre’s ‘Majda’, each collection brings something hand crafted and stimulating. The Yarrabah Art Centre introduces smart-casual work wear into the mix, with structured blazers and cape jackets, while Teho Ropeyarn showcases one of the few monochromatic collections of relief screen print patterns on leggings and tunics. Headwraps, bold pops of red, yellow, blue or green, and layers of patterning are prominent across the board, with unique inclusions of rope crowns and shell necklaces. Grace Lillian Lee’s ‘Jetty Love’ collection is a personal favourite of mine, with her statement woven and feathered neckpieces juxtaposed against soft, sea foam coloured swimsuits and tieback halter necks. Finally, Mornington Island’s ‘Miart’ concludes the runway with a male model clad only in tight black shorts dancing and crouching throughout the space with a large square of rainbow fabric in his hands. Models soon appear in similarly multicoloured felt accessories, with sheer, knotty, asymmetrical tunics made of textural fabric resembling crepe paper.

The colours of the runway evidently reflect reef and rainforest hues, with textural fabrics, basketry, and woven headpieces demonstrating the intricate detail of hand crafted Indigenous design. During the interval, a beautifully shot video is shown to the audience, documenting the behind-the-scenes process of the show. The curators, choreographers, designers and models all express their thoughts on being involved with Birrimbi Dulgu Bajal, and due to the young age of many of the models, there are several touching moments in which they state they just want to “make [their] parents proud”. Grace comments in the video that the performance will showcase fashion that is like “pieces of art holding so much representation of who [the designers and models] are and where they come from.”

The final section of the show tonight is a performance, choreographed by Fiona Wirrer-George. The house lights are dimmed, while circular, geometric yellow lights slowly rotate on the runway floor against the sounds of the rainforest. Models take tentative steps to arrange themselves across the runway, standing or sitting in front of the trees in a breathtaking tableau. One of the male models appears covered in ritualistic, chalky white powder, weaving, crouching and dancing his way amongst the motionless models. The chalk is dusted across the model’s foreheads, blown into the air in a spectacular puff of powder, and is dusted onto the floor.

A woman playing a woodblock soon accompanies 17 year old Taeg Twist, who is undeniably one of the highlights of the show, as she begins to sing in a tremulous, melodic, and utterly breathtaking voice that surpasses her years. She sings in an Indigenous language, and for someone who is an outsider to this culture, you cannot help but feel you have been granted special access to a very sacred and significant moment. The performance crescendos and concludes with a beautifully choreographed dance, that is received by a smattering of applause and a standing ovation.

Birrimbi Dulgu Bajal is a parade of cutting edge design that simultaneously makes bold nods to the rich and vibrant history of Indigenous culture. This collection of far-north Queensland design encapsulates the deep, sea blue hues of the reef, and the tropical textures and colours of the rainforest through pattern, craftsmanship, and movement. Olympic Gold winner Cathy Freeman who attended the show as a VIP, commented:

“I feel extremely proud to have been here tonight to see Indigenous Australia – but particularly far-north Queensland – Indigenous creativity, expression and power shape Australia in this way.”

Ultimately, this performance is only a small glimpse of the pulsating and electric heart that is the Cairns Indigenous Art Fair. One of the most memorable aspects of the show is the fact that despite having a professional attitude to the catwalk, the models occasionally ‘break out of character’. They would steal quick kisses from parents in the front row, hastily hug a friend or mentor sitting close by, and toss their woven headpieces to grandparents as they strut past. This solidifies the uniqueness of the show, and demonstrates that the traditional boundaries of runways are not only able to break, but should be encouraged to break. Birrimbi Dulgu Bajal is unlike any runway I have ever attended, and more than being a fashion show, it is an immersive experience of colour, culture, and total creative expression.