Bush Dye Capsule Collection 2023

July 2023 | Look-book 

Expanding on their famous Bush Dye practice, the women of Anindilyakwa Arts have drawn on their ancestral dyeing practices and knowledge of Country to develop a new palette of colours – green, purple and pink hues, accented by our more familiar inky tones. 

Diving into a pre-existing love of fashion, the arts workers and artists of Anindilyakwa Arts designed a ready-to-wear capsule collection of trans-seasonal, mostly unisex pieces; each comprised of ethically sourced and sewn silk textiles.    

Layered or worn alone, each piece embodies distinctive impressions of Anindilyakwa Country. Featuring delicate imprints of the endemic leaves, roots, barks, and shells used by the women during their communal dye practices. Every item is a unique work of art.  

The dying of our 2023 capsule collection included women of all ages across Eylandt. All pieces were dyed by hand, on Country and in circle. During this project, the art centre’s weekly dying workshops grew significantly. This resulted in an increase in our micro-finance outcomes for Anindilyakwa women across the archipelago, in addition to allowing greater opportunities for inter-generational transmission of knowledge within community.  

Paired with contemporary shell and fibre jewellery, kayuwa (traditional dilly bags), maminjirrada (hook spear) and awulmarra (spear thrower), our Bush Dye Capsule Collection firmly brings Anindilyakwa Country into the realm of fashion.  

The collection was made possible by Creative Australia’s Flourish II grant funding.