Dubai: A group of 10 Aboriginal Australian girls are visiting Dubai on a cultural nine-day to trip to meet some of the UAE’s inspiring female talent in the fields of art and fashion.
The group of girls, who flew out from their West Australian communities, are taking part in the Fashion Advocates International Leadership Tour, which works to empower young, aboriginal women, often from remote communities, through the medium of art and fashion entrepreneurship. One of the group’s first stops in Dubai was the Twisted Roots warehouse in Al Qouz, where they interacted with Emirati fashion designer Latifa Al Gurg, founder and owner of a clothing line for conservative and stylish women in the region.
Chelsea, a , 21-year-old single mother, said she had joined the programme to build her self confidence and achieve her dreams, as she aspires to be a model.
“What I can take back from today’s talk in that you learn something new everyday. I am a full time mum, and I want to change that and become a full-time model as well so I can show my son that the sky’s the limit, and you can do anything you want if you put your mind to it,” said Chelsea.
Treneya Phillips, 18, found inspiration in the Emirati designs incorporated into the fashion pieces designed by Latifa.
“I was really inspired by her designs, which has made me think about putting my art work, which represents my culture, on fashion pieces,” said Treneya.
While working with children in a local day care centre back home puts a smile on Treneya’s face, filmmaking and art are her real passions.
Supporting aboriginal girls for over 13 years, Fioana White-Hartig, founder of the Fashion Advocates group, pointed out that Dubai is very supportive of women and their ambitions, and an inspiring place for girls who aspire to become a part of the fashion industry.
“This trip is not just about fashion and modelling, but also about building self esteem and confidence, and showing the girls that there’s a whole world of opportunity,” said White-Hartig.
The participating girls, who are from different language groups in Western Australia, are required to become role models and facilitators in the Fashion Advocates programme upon their return.
The life skills programme focuses on women by encouraging and developing skills for self-sufficiency and knowledge to ultimately empower them.
The girls toured the Twisted Roots warehouse and listened to Latifa’s journey to becoming a designer.
“It’s all about the journey, if you don’t appreciate it and how much you’ve grown, then you won’t appreciate the end goal and how much you’ve earned [it],” said Latifa.
