Beaudesert talent will shine at 2023 Australian Fashion Week when local designer Cassandra Pons showcases a collection inspired by her connection to the natural beauty around her.
Waanyi woman Cassandra is one of just seven Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander designers selected to participate in the Indigenous Fashion Projects Pathways Program, culminating in a prestigious showing at Australian Fashion Week.
Local headed to Australian Fashion Week
Local designer Cassandra Pons will celebrate her Waanyi culture and the inspiration she feels living on Mununjali Country, Beaudesert, when she showcases her work at 2023 Afterpay Australian Fashion Week.
Cassandra, 28, is one of seven leading and emerging First Nations designers selected from candidates all over Australia for the Indigenous Fashion Projects Pathways Program.
The program, for Indigenous Australians working in textiles and fashion, fosters business development and cultural learning through mentoring and promotional opportunities.
Cassandra will showcase her new collection at the David Jones Indigenous Fashion Projects runway on Gadigal Country, Sydney on 17 May.
Cassandra’s bespoke, made-to-order Lazy Girl Lingerie brand has grown from strength to strength since she and her now husband Dillon moved to Beaudesert in 2019.
From her Beaudesert studio, Cassandra designs, pattern makes and sews all her own designs, runs her online marketing and packs and posts orders all over the world.
Inspiration for her Australian Fashion Week collection comes from the beauty of Mununjali Country on her doorstep and her journey into connecting more with her own culture.
Her mood boards, designs and sketches show a collection taking shape that is as earthy as it is sensual, sustainable materials and shades of ochre and green combining with the lace, tulle and feminine silhouettes which underpin her signature Lazy Girl style.
“My concept for the collection was drawing on my heritage as a Waanyi woman, because my family descends from the Gulf of Carpentaria and I spent a lot of time growing up in Townsville, then moved to the Gold Coast and now we’re here on Mununjali Country in Beaudesert. It’s about how those different seasons of my life have shaped me,” she said.
“When you learn about your Indigenous heritage it’s about connecting with nature and that’s something I’ve found has come really naturally since moving here. Mununjali Country is so beautiful, the Scenic Rim has such a beautiful landscape and I feel like the whole time we’ve lived here I’ve had this idea for the collection and now it’s all coming to life.
“I feel like you just get to a point in your life where you go, ‘where do I actually come from?’ and wanting to have that knowledge for yourself.”
