[ad_1]
DUBAI: A group of 10 Indigenous Australian girls are on a nine-day cultural tour of Dubai to meet some of the UAE’s inspiring female talent in art and fashion.
The group of girls, flown in from the Western Australian community, are on the Fashion Advocates International Leadership Tour, an event that aims to empower young Aboriginal women, often from remote communities, through the medium of art and fashion entrepreneurship. The team’s first stop 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 line of conservative and trendy women’s clothing in the region.
Chelsea, a 21-year-old single mother, said she joined the program to build her confidence and fulfill her dreams, as she aspired to become a model.
“What I can conclude from the conversation today is that you learn something new every day. I’m a stay-at-home mum and I want to change that and become a full-time model too so I can tell my Son, the sky’s the limit, you can do anything you want if you put your mind to it,” Chelsea said.
Treneya Phillips, 18, finds inspiration in Emirati design and incorporates it in Latifa-designed fashion pieces.
“Her designs inspired me a lot, and it made me think about putting pieces of art that represent my culture on fashion,” says Treneya.
While working with children at a local daycare center in her hometown puts a smile on Treneya’s face, filmmaking and the arts are her true passions.
Fioana White-Hartig, founder of Fashion Advocates Group, who has supported Indigenous girls for more than 13 years, noted that Dubai is very supportive of women and their aspirations and is an inspiring place for girls who aspire to be part of the fashion industry.
“This journey isn’t just about fashion and modeling, it’s about building self-esteem and confidence and showing girls a world of opportunity,” says White-Hartig.
Participating girls from different language groups in Western Australia must return as role models and facilitators for the Fashion Advocates programme.
The life skills program focuses on women by encouraging and developing self-sufficiency skills and knowledge that ultimately empowers them.
The girls toured the Twisted Roots warehouse and heard about Latifa’s journey as a designer.
“It’s all about the journey and if you don’t appreciate it and how you’ve grown then you won’t appreciate the end goal and how much you’ve achieved [it]Latifa said.
[ad_2]
Source link