Linda Jackson comes to Canberra for Clothing The Loop – Canberra’s circular design festival

Posted on 29 October, 2026

There are few names as synonymous with style and sustainability in the Australian fashion landscape as Linda Jackson AO.

Born in Melbourne in 1950, it was in Sydney during the 1970s that she met designer Jenny Kee AO and formed a creative partnership that saw them become pioneers in the Australian fashion industry.

Flamingo Park was a boutique and fashion label famous for its energetic amalgamation of art, fashion and music; for decades it was the ‘go-to’ store for fashionable Sydneysiders and international names including David Bowie, Mick Jagger and Joni Mitchell. But it was more than a store – it was a hub for those not only interested in creative and artistic fashion, but also those with a love for the Australian environment. 

While the boutique closed its doors in 1995, the ethos of Flamingo Park lives on, and there’s no better example than Canberra’s own Clothing The Loop. 

An empowering event of sustainable fashion, contemporary dance, live music and immersive design, this year, Clothing The Loop is taking place across one vibrant weekend in November.

The event is presented in collaboration with Australian Dance Party, sustainable fashion pioneer Kelli Donovan, and the Canberra Institute of Technology. The 2026 program not only includes inspiring performances, workshops, installations, and tours, but also a glamorous evening of runway fashion on Friday 6 November. 

Showcasing sustainable fashion collections from leading local and national designers, it feels only right that, as a trailblazer in Australian fashion, Linda will be there on the night to show her own designs.  

“I was very happy to be invited and to learn about Clothing The Loop in Canberra as I was not aware of this vibrant and creative performance partnership and the Craft + Design Canberra Festival,” she says. 

“Since 1992 I have lived and worked in many remote parts of Australia, so to discover the concept and ideas behind this unique event in Canberra and to meet all the creative artists and performers involved will be rather fabulous.”

Linda is known for her distinct approach to fashion design and launched her own label Bush Couture – Australia’s answer to haute couture – in 1982. Working closely with Indigenous communities on textile designs, she blends global influences with native flora, fauna, and the colours of the Australian bush. 

But her roots remain firmly planted in sustainable design. 

“My mum taught me to sew. My parents were passionate ballroom dancers, so I was surrounded by my mum’s wardrobe of marvellous taffeta, tulle, silk and lace ballroom dancing frock,” explains Linda.

“By 15 I was hunting for ‘30s and ‘40s vintage frocks and fabrics in antique, second-hand and op shops, cutting them up…I was making everything I wore and my friends too.”

“It was a great way to learn to make do with what cloth you had. I loved that you could turn bits around and upside down to create something interesting or make it fit you.” 

Linda’s work will be shown on the Clothing The Loop runway alongside 12 other sustainable fashion designers, with live performances by Australian Dance Party and musician and composer Sia Ahmad. 

She says that her collection will feature pieces that fans of fashion might recognise from her early archive of ‘70s and ‘80s looks, as well as a few from the early 2000s. 

“Travels to central Australia and Lightning Ridge in 1980 inspired my long-term passion for opal and the remote outback. These journeys into the landscape led to the opening of the salon-showroom,” she explains. 

“This decade was full of flamboyant inventions created in the studio space and exhibitions – opal jewellery and perfume, Cabaret style fashion shows, and original handprinted, dyed and painted textiles emulating the bush, ocean and fluorescent opals.”

The evening will also feature live dance and music from Australian Dance Party, circular design stalls, and talks from inspiring change makers. 

With the chance to upgrade to a VIP experience for opportunities to meet the designers and learn about the sustainable stories behind their work, it’s a unique opportunity to see fashion history in the flesh. 

“Keep Australia beautiful was the motto,” says Linda. 

“Jenny and I conjured up our dreams and fashion fantasies with no limits to experimenting and challenging ourselves to turn these visions into reality – and have fun doing it, while looking fabulous.” 

Clothing The Loop will also continue on Saturday 7 November with a full program of activities for all ages. 

Along with the opportunity to dive into artist and designer-led workshops, there will be tours of the sustainably designed CIT campus, stalls from local and interstate small businesses, panel conversations and a clothes swap. Promising a vibrant collision of fashion, art, design and activism, visit the website to see the full program. 

Images supplied. Feature: Linda by Hugh Stewart.