Newly arrived migrant and refugee fashion designers wowed the public in November with a fashion parade showcasing a unique collection of elegant and traditional garments.
One Thread Connect, a creative project organised by CORE Community Services, was a three-month long initiative that culminated in a fashion show that allowed experienced refugee and migrant designers from the Fairfield area to express their personality, diversity and culture.
The seven fashion designers — all of humanitarian background and most having lived less than two years in Australia — produced a collection of 30 garments from sketch to a final article for the runway event.
The fashion parade, engaged local talent including makeup artists and hairstylists, and models of diverse backgrounds and ages.
It drew a crowd of 280 and demonstrated to the broader community how the skills and talents of refugee and migrant people could enrich the existing fashion landscape when allowed a platform.
It was an evening of style, fashion and entertainment, creating unity, belonging and resilience.
The project promoted pathways to employment and linked participants to key industry partners and organisations to assist participants into educational and career pathways.
Participants expressed their desire to engage in the program again and highly recommended it to others.
