Ngali’s Denni Francisco Celebrates First Nations Culture with The Yawa: Journey Collection at Australian Fashion Week
- Flaire
- 12 minutes ago
- 3 min read
First Nations fashion designer Denni Francisco showcased Ngali’s newest release, The Yawa: Journey Collection, at Australian Fashion Week on Wednesday.
By Sakara Bell
Ngali’s collections are known for capturing the rich traditions and sacred history of Australia’s First Peoples - the oldest continuing living culture in the world - seamlessly weaving ancestral stories, Country, and contemporary design into each thoughtfully crafted piece.
The Yawa collection is no different.
Speaking with Denni after the show, she explained that Yawa translates to “journey” - a concept that reflects where we’ve come from, where we are now, and where we’re going.
“It’s really about collaboration - between a celebration of Country, which is depicted through photographic essays in some of the prints, and the cultural elements of the artists’ artworks and how they’ve been translated,” she said.
“All of it comes together under First Nations creativity and a shared celebration of Country.”
The Yawa collection connects deeply to the land - evoking the sky and terrain of Australia. Subtle sky blues, deep rusts, and warm outback oranges flow through the collection, grounding it in the essence of Country.
Back in 2023, Ngali made history with its very first solo runway show - the first ever by a First Nations designer at Australian Fashion Week.
Denni described it as one of the most emotional and powerful moments in her career.
“Two years ago, we had 22 other First Nations creatives involved - whether they were models, photographers, stylists, etc.,” she said.
“It was really about how we bring people together and create opportunities to showcase as many First Nations voices as possible. When that happened, it was the most amazing and emotional experience.”
Two years on, those powerful moments remain a defining part of Denni’s journey. In Thursday’s solo show, 10 of the 25 models were First Nations.
“When we had the group of First Nations models come out together collectively in the finale, it wasn’t about separateness,” she said.
“It was actually all the other models joining them.”
“That’s what it’s about - acknowledging who we are as First Nations people, but then everyone coming together in the spirit of collaboration and creativity. It’s just so beautiful. It makes me emotional talking about it.”
Attendees of the show described it as a truly beautiful experience, noting that, as proud Australians, the celebration of First Nations history and culture felt especially meaningful. Many shared how important it is to learn and connect with Australia’s heritage - and how deeply moving it was to see that history so powerfully honoured and brought to life on the runway.
Denni also mentioned that, to First Nations creatives watching her journey, the pathway is widening all the time. She wants them to know there is a place for them here - a place where they belong. She encouraged them to trust themselves and be clear about their why - why am I doing this?
“You know, if I’m having a really tough day, or things are challenging, I remind myself, ‘Hang on a second, this is why I’m doing it.’”
“It’s not always easy, but if you have the why, you’ll get by.”
Looking ahead, Denni is excited about what’s next for Ngali.
“Presence overseas is very important for us. We’re working on that as well. So hopefully this time next year, we can actually do this interview overseas,” she said.
Comments