Grace Lillian Lee weaves a path from the Torres Strait to Paris

Long rolls of dyed cotton seamlessly move from one hand to the other as Grace Lillian Lee delicately weaves fashionable, one-off pieces using a traditional Torres Strait Island grasshopper technique.

The weave, traditionally using coconut palm fronds, was taught to Lee by Torres Strait artist and mentor Uncle Ken Thaiday Senior almost 15 years ago.

Her woven, wearable art creations have catapulted Lee from the relaxed lifestyle of Cairns and the Torres Strait in Queensland's far north to Paris, France, a bustling textile mecca more than 15,000 kilometres away.

"I had been studying fashion design at RMIT but Uncle Ken was the cultural beacon of light that helped shape and influence my practice," she said.

The Meriam Mir Samsep artist initially created sought-after woven necklaces after a trip to the Torres Strait Islands back in 2010 before progressing to large-scale wearable art and sculptural couture on a global scale.

"I think people are eager to explore who they are through what they wear and have fun with that," she said.

"It feels like we're in an era of change with people wanting a bit of an escape from reality."

From Queensland to France

The 37-year-old credits a chance encounter with French fashion designer Jean Paul Gaultier with launching her international career.

In 2024 Lee caught Gaultier's attention after a recommendation from Brisbane Festival artistic director Louise Bezzina.

So impressed with Lee's work, Gaultier hand-picked her to contribute to his Fashion Freak Show at the Brisbane Festival in 2024.

Lee believes this helped secure a three-month residency at Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris this year, a prestigious artistic exchange and development program.

She also showcased some of her designs at Paris Couture Week in July this year, which Gaultier attended.

"It was definitely a pinch-me moment," she said.

"And a chance for me to tell my stories and celebrate my Torres Strait culture with the world through couture."

"We created eight looks, four sculptures and a mask."

Lee was chosen this year as the inaugural artist to exhibit her work at the Cassandra Bird Gallery, a new gallery space on the ground floor of Zimmerman's Paris headquarters in the heart of the Le Marais.

A huge fan of Grace Lillian Lee's work is Kellie Hush, chief executive officer of Australian Fashion Week.

"It's people like Grace who are going to pave the way for other Indigenous designers," she said.

"She is a representation of what First Nations designers do better than anyone else — creating pieces that are so individual and unique that they become statement pieces."

Hush said First Nations designers harnessed a unique and innovative creativity not seen around the world and was excited at the inclusion of more Indigenous designers at Australian Fashion Week.

Leading the way for others

Thrilled to be one of those, Lee is back in the tropical far north preparing for another showcase at the annual fashion event in May 2026.

She is also finalising costume designs for the Australian Ballet and Bangarra Dance Company's upcoming production, Flora 2026.

In spite of her busy schedule, Lee is eager to continue inspiring and creating opportunities for Indigenous creatives through First Nations Fashion and Design (FNFD) which she founded in 2017.

Elverina Johnson praised FNFD as "one of the first incubator programs for Indigenous fashion in Cairns" and for the doors it had opened.

Johnson, a painter, fashion designer and musician, has collaborated with multiple fashion brands, producing three collections with national Australian fashion brand Taking Shape and designing original silk scarves for Aboriginal-owned ethical fashion brand Mainie Australia.

She has also showcased her work at Australian Fashion Week, the Brisbane Festival, Cairns Indigenous Art Fair (CIAF) and the University of Technology in Sydney.

It is a long way from her small Indigenous community of Yarrabah, about 52 kilometres south-east of Cairns with a population of about 4,500 people.

A respected Gungganji-Yidinji woman, Johnson sees fashion as another avenue for sharing her culture.

"My learnings have become part of my story and are translated onto canvas, and then into my fashion," she said.

"All my designs tell a story and help educate people about Indigenous people and their traditions."

Johnson said her artwork was inspired by a childhood surrounded by rainforest, ocean, rich Australian landscapes of paperbark trees, bush foods, native plants, mangroves and fishing.

As an independent fashion designer, Johnson said keeping up with demand was her biggest challenge.

"There's either fast fashion or slow fashion, which are one-off pieces that tell a story," Johnson said.

"To produce fashion nationally or internationally you need people around you to help make it happen."

Australian Fashion Week CEO Kellie Hush said there needed to be more support for First Nations designers and a cultural shift to view them as mainstream rather than niche designers.

Johnson agreed, adding while she is a proud First Nations fashion designer the label can be limiting.

"I wouldn't mind being recognised as an Australian fashion designer," Johnson said.