Celebrating diversity through fashion

Fashions of Multicultural Australia (FOMA) is celebrating Australia's cultural landscape through fashion.

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Source: SBS

Sonia Sadiq Gandhi is the force behind Fashions of Multicultural Australia (FOMA), a national initiative supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and the Australia-Korea Foundation.

The event's aim is to foster social cohesion and strengthen bilateral trade between participating nations through fashion and cultural diplomacy.

A free daytime exhibition and runway being held in Sydney will showcase 30 different cultures that make up Australia. 

People will also be able to wear traditional clothing and taste food from all around the world. 

Ms Sadiq Gandhi said it's an immersive experience. 

"I mean imagine learning how to wear a sari, a 5.5 metre material, or going to the Korean stall and learning how to wear a hanbok," Ms Gandhi said. 

It allows people to engage directly with local and emerging designers and Foreign Embassies, including South Korea, Russia and India - to name a few. 

Katya Komarova is a Russian fashion designer living in Australia, and is one of 15 designers taking part in the fashion parade on Friday. 

She was invited by the Embassy of Russian Federation to represent her home country on the runway. 

"To actually show a wider audience what we're actually doing here as immigrants and new people of the fashion community is just great," Ms Komarova said. 

"I feel very supported as an immigrant." 

Her pieces are a contemporary take on her Russian heritage.

Katya Komarova
Russian fashion designer Katya Komarova Source: SBS


Fashion designer Anjilla Seddeqi representing Afghanistan at the FOMA exhibit and on the runway. 

She specialises in the design of bespoke pieces.  

"It represents the culture and the traditions. Usually worn during celebratory times in Afghanistan, during a wedding, during Eid celebration and times like that.

Ms Seddeqi moved to Australia when she was seven years old and has since embraced her identity as an Afghan Australia - especially through fashion. 

Fashion designer Anjilla Seddeqi
Source: SBS


It's nice to have that representation so girls who look like me can see this and say look this is what I can achieve if I set my mind to it.

Academic and feminist Susan Carland is a supporter of the designer's self-titled label. 



"She received a lot of positive feedback so that's nice to see as well." 

FOMA founder Sonia Sadiq Gandhi said diversity doesn't stop at the design level. 

"Our models are walking talking diversity too.

"We have models that are over age 50 on the runway show, we have a Paralympic winner who is walking with a prosthetic leg, and that is the sort of stereotype that we want to break.

“Breaking down the stereotype of what you wear is where you come from, which makes the exhibition and show such an important opportunity to reflect on the fashions of the world and help develop a public appreciation for different cultures."


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