By Neve Brissenden in Darwin

STANDING in a handmade dress and a headpiece adorned with freshwater mussels, Lillardia Briggs-Houston is thinking of her grandparents.

“Everything I am and do is because of them,” she said.

The Wiradjuri, Gangulu, Yorta Yorta designer was crowned 2023’s top indigenous fashion designer at the National Indigenous Fashion Awards in Darwin on Wednesday night.

Ms Briggs-Houston produces all her work on country in central NSW, something she says is crucial to her artistic development.

“Being able to be on country and see that inspiration every single day, whether it be a tree of my grandfather’s or stories from my grandmother, that’s pretty amazing,” she told AAP.

“It’s the backbone of my work.”

The designer and label-owner was trained by her grandmother and carries out all of her own pattern drafting, grading, sampling and textile production.

Ms Briggs-Houston said she was scoffed at as a child for “even considering” fashion as a career.

“It’s really a full-circle moment for me to be recognised and understand that I’m really doing it after all these years,” she said.

Other indigenous designers, businesses and fashion moguls were also recognised in the awards.

North-east Arnhemland’s Gapuwiyak culture and arts centre took out both the Traditional Adornment Award and the Community Collaboration Award for its partnership with designer Aly de Groot.

Yarrenyty Arltere artist Rhonda Sharpe won the Wearable Art Award while Kija designer Rowena Morgan took out the Textile Design Award.

This year’s awards had a record number of entries and shortlistees’, which Indigenous Fashion Projects manager Michelle Maynard credits to a growing indigenous leadership across fashion and textiles industries.

“We’re not just working with designers from urban settings, we know there’s a desire and excitement for fashion and textiles right across the country and in remote areas,” she said.

Ms Maynard said her organisation is working hard to remove accessibility barriers for more remote indigenous designers to be successful in the fashion industry.

The awards were presented in front of a sell out-crowd as part of the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair.

The winners received a range of tailored funding and mentorships, with Ms Briggs-Houston walking away with a 12-month collaboration with Australian label Country Road.