The National Indigenous Fashion Awards (NIFA), Australia's premier showcase of First Nations fashion, recognised a unique international collaboration on Wednesday, August 5th, 2026. The partnership between the Bábbarra Women's Centre, located in the remote Northern Territory community of Maningrida, and India's Tharangini Studio received the Community Collaboration award. This category celebrates strong, reciprocal relationships between Indigenous communities and the textile and fashion sectors.

Their collaboration involved translating 78 Indigenous designs from 14 clans into woodblock stamps for printing, employing ancient techniques passed down over hundreds of years in Bangalore (also known as Bengaluru). Govind from Tharangini Studio noted that while lino printing tools used by Bábbarra artists tend to disintegrate over time, woodblocks can last up to 100 years if crafted from appropriate materials.

The partnership fosters a craft-led dialogue despite language differences, with English being a fourth language for the Indigenous artists and a third language for the Indian collaborators. It serves to preserve stories of artists both living and deceased, and to teach future generations about traditional printing methods.

Designer Cockatoo-Collins expressed the personal connection in her work, stating, "My work always starts with a story and I'm wearing what I make — that is hand-printed, naturally dyed, small batch, all connected to my mum and her stories, my grandmother's written and oral history."

The awards ceremony took place at Darwin's Deckchair Cinema on Larrakia country and was presented by the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair Foundation as part of Indigenous Fashion Projects. The event followed the sold-out Country to Couture runway celebration held the previous week.

This recognition highlights the cultural legacy and sustainable practices embedded in the collaboration, which features handmade textiles including clothing, accessories, and homewares.

Sources