foma 2018 showcase
Fabrics Of Multicultural Australia soft launch at Nanda\Hobbs Gallery pulled the who's who of Australia's diverse diaspora. With huge participation from foreign embassies that included designers from around the world, the FOMA runway show featured 120 looks from 13 designers. Featuring contemporary and traditional collections from African, Brazilian, Christmas Island, Indigenous, Filipino, Indian, Lebanese, Portuguese, Peruvian, Turkish and Vietnamese designers.
The initiative provided a platform for Indigenous, CALD ( Culturally and linguistically diverse) and refugee designers and trendsetters from across the globe to collaborate. Additionally, FOMA fostered deeper cultural understanding within communities and promote cross-cultural artistry.
The FOMA Symbol of Harmony Award was conferred to Portuguese brands Marita Moreno, 7Hills and Elementum, thank you to the Embassy of Portugal in Australia, the Consulate and the Portuguese Trade and Investment Agency for facilitating this participation.
The FOMA Designer of the Year Award went to Alberto Barros for his Language of the Eye Collection, thank you to the Embassy of Philippines in Australia and the Consulate for facilitating this participation.
The FOMA International Designer of the Year award went to Abdullah Oztoprak for introducing fashion as a form of art, thank you to the Embassy of Republic of Turkey in Australia and the Consulate for facilitating this participation.
FOMA ARTISTS & EXHIBITORS
Abdullah Oztoprak is a Turkish Cypriot globally famous designer who has started to work in the Fashion Design sector by settling in Ankara. This year, he has won The TRNC Republic of Turkey Award. Famous for the extravagance that has always distinguished his performances, on this occasion Abdullah Öztoprak intÅends to tell, through his clothes, the ancient and long history of migration. More than a simple fashion show, what is on show is a majestic show, an animated tale that combines fashion, art, music and theatre to convey culture and arouse emotions.
Amalina Aman
Christmas Island
With a heritage embedded in the Christmas and Cocos Keeling Islands, Amalina is a freelance fashion designer and stylist from Lakemba, NSW. Despite being born in Australia, she is heavily inspired by the culture of her ancestors, citing her "Nenek" (Grandmother) as her biggest inspiration. She specialises in modest yet colourful fashion which truly allows one's feminine side to flourish
Alberto Barros
The Philippines
Alberto Barros is a Sydney based couture designer, offering bespoke high-end garments with a focus on design, quality, and versatility. Growing up in a traditional Filipino household Alberto was surrounded by traditional mastery and the art of handmade crafts, inspiring his couture designs. His focus on quality and the value of making garments not just as art but as an heirloom, is driven by the values of his Filipino heritage. Alberto’s vision for creating bespoke designs stems from his passion for seeing each of his clients embrace in their ability to freely express their own unique and wonderful style.
Representing
New Zealand
Colleen Tighe Johnson
First Peoples of Aboriginal Australia
Colleen Tighe Johnson is a proud descendant of the First Peoples of Aboriginal Australia. A proud Gomeroi woman, Colleen grew up in Moree, NSW. Colleen uses her fashion as a way to revive Gomeroi Dreaming Stories in today's youth culture. Her brand "Buluuy Mirrii" has been featured in international fashion events including Fashion Speaks International World Fusion Wearable Art 2017 in British Columbia Canada. In 2017 she also became the first-ever International Indigenous Designer to open PLITZS New York City Fashion Week
Amelia Jan Tahere-Angus
Australian Wearable Art
In 2004, Laura Fontan and Diego Cortizas arrived in Hanoi Vietnam. Chula is pleased to be launching its brand in Australia through the FOMA platform. They were inspired by “the people, and the colors” and most of all, they were inspired by “all the amazing fabrics and crafts” that surrounded them in their new lives. It was then that they decided to start Chula, a company that has now grown to have a very unique and recognizable image all over Vietnam. The combination of simplicity in shape with their fresh and radical designs served as a starting point and Chula is now a thriving creative company that hopes to continue expanding in the future
Elementum/Marita Moreno/7Hills Shoes
Portugal
This is how we see the future of Fashion Wear: clothes and shoes made of sustainable materials where design does not compromise your comfort.
Each shoe and each piece of clothing will be designed to be an expression of yourself and make you feel confident.
Portuguese brands Marita Moreno, 7Hills and Elementum bring this future to FOMA today.
They are crafting a future inspired by you.
Lebanon
Ilham A Ismail is a brand targeting the Muslim Women living in Western Countries who want to keep up with contemporary fashion trends. Inspired by the designer's Lebanese heritage and several issues that affect the world today, Ilham A Ismail is a brand that does much more than produce beautiful clothing. With almost every project linked to a charity project, Ilham A Ismail makes a difference.
Pakistan
Kausar Sajid, born and raised in Saudi Arabia, found home in Karachi, Pakistan. Here she acquired an arts degree and an interior design diploma while freelancing her fashion design business. Her designs consist of traditional hand-work, Gotta, Tilla and textured with sequins, rendering a luxurious Mughal aura. The Pakistani designer brings to the table a culturally rich, Mughal-inspired collection of bridal and formal dresses.
Peru
Sol Alpaca presents annual and exclusive collections of luxurious, contemporary and sophisticated knitted and woven clothing for women and men, as well as accessories and a home line, where trendy, classic, eco, premium, and hand-made products made out of the finest Peruvian fibers. All collections are designed by the exclusive and well-known designer Fariba Heydari, who travels every year to Asia, Europe and the United States to ensure that the Sol Alpaca collections reflect the latest fashion trends
Australia
The Darnell Collection by Charlotte Smith is considered the largest private vintage clothing collection in Australia. The collection holds a mirror to our time and tells the story of the woman's wardrobe from 1720 to the present day. It includes 8000 pieces from 32 different countries. Many internationally recognised 20th-century designers are represented including Lucile, Vionnet, Dior, Chanel, Balenciaga, Pucci, Jean Muir, Zandra Rhodes, Westwood, Versace, Dolce & Gabana and Jil Sander.
Brazil
Vanessa Moe is a Brazilian born fashion designer who has been working on clothing all her life. Moving from upscaling her parents' clothing as a child to designing formalwear for her friends in her teens, she has since had her work featured in Mercedes Benz Fashion Week just a year after graduating from college. Vanessa is dedicated to always finding new ways to produce her garments, using a variety of methods (including 3D printing) to create sophisticated eveningwear with an elegant, modern edge. A firm believer in sustainability, Vanessa manufactures her fashion using only natural fibres.
Africa
Wanyika Mshila has brought Creative Africa to Australia. She was born in Nairobi, Kenya and when Wanyika Mshila migrated to Australia, her goal then was to secure an education that she believed would open doors to success. She now owns her own fashion label; Wa-Nyika, a boutique label that is inspired by the beautiful African Landscape, the vast wilderness, the bold unapologetic colours and the fresh vibrancy and elegance that can only be found in Africa. All her design are made in Australia, Africa, and Asia using exotic fabrics sourced from all over Africa.
Global
From the land of love, beauty and magic came a wandering pair of shoes. Shaizy is a shoe designer, Poet, a Writer, Reiki therapist, Media Personality and Travel, Fashion and Food Blogger.using only natural fibers. She is a Sydney based shoe designer, designing eclectic comfortable shoes inspired from regions across the globe and works with local artisans from across the world. Shaizy Shoes is also a proud FOMA partner in providing the goody bags on the night of the runway show.