Corella & Crow takes flight: How two Canberra designers are weaving Country into couture
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A milestone moment took place in August as a collection of 12 looks and 150 handmade pieces travelled from Canberra to Darwin, sharing the stories of Ngunnawal Country through wearable art.
Corella & Crow – a bold new First Nations-owned fashion label created in Canberra – showed their debut collection at Country to Couture, the biggest celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander textiles and fashion design.
Featuring botanical dyeing, silk painting, screen printing, and weaving all done by hand, it’s hard to imagine that just five months before the first model walked the runway, all designers Rechelle Turner and Megan Daley had was a lookbook and a dream.
In fact, when they applied to Country to Couture, they were prepared – and even expecting – that their designs wouldn’t be selected for the show.
Meant to be a small first step in a long-term plan to create an ethical, slow fashion label that explores their culture, connection to Country and creative backgrounds here in Canberra, their inclusion helped Corella & Crow to take flight amongst an incredible line-up of First Nations designers.
“We were so fortunate and honoured to be selected to participate and share the runway with designers we really admire,” says Megan.
“We were so surprised and pleased by the response to our collection, and it’s definitely lit a flame for both of us to keep creating and building on what we’ve already showcased.”
First meeting as ACT delegates to Purrumpa – a five-day national gathering of First Nations arts and culture held in Adelaide during 2022 – the Wiradjuri and Ngunnawal women say that it was almost kismet.
Both working with paint as an artistic medium and wanting to learn about natural dyes and different practices, they instantly connected and became fast friends, seeing them host joint art exhibitions together.
But as they played with colour and form in various ways, discussions about exploring textiles began, and from there, the idea for Corella & Crow was born.
Named after their totems – Rechelle is Corella and Megan is Crow – the significance of the brand name goes beyond their personal connections to the symbols. It’s also a nod to another kismet moment: when they both were trying to decide if they would (and should) commit to the project following the news they had received a grant from Arts ACT.
“I was on the phone to Megan and as I walked out of the office, some corellas flew past. I said, ‘Oh, that’s a good sign,’ and Megan was at home and told me she had some crows sitting outside her window,” says Rechelle.
“We just took it as a sign and that was the push we needed,” adds Megan.
When Country becomes couture
Featuring loose-fitting silhouettes, and hand-dyed materials in earthy tones that reflect Country, Rechelle and Megan’s debut collection Nguramban-dhi (“From Country”) was created using upcycled and recycled materials and natural items.
Designing one-off pieces that speak to their heritage, every element in the 12 looks carries meaning – from the 150 hand-sewn Bogong moths on a bush-dyed silk cape to hand-painted copper gum nut earrings tipped with emu feathers.
Weaving First Nations stories into the collection, the duo says that the five-month sprint to the finish line to bring the collection to life was well worth the late nights spent hand sewing, weaving, screen printing and dyeing each piece as they raced to bring Nguramban-dhi from the page to the runway.
“I think storytelling is a really integral part to Corella & Crow, and we always want to represent that through our work, the Ngunnawal/Wiradjuri connection,” explains Megan.
“Several of our looks incorporate stories from our region, like showcasing the Bogong moth throughout the whole collection. We also have a cyanotype shawl with the print of the Emu in the Sky.”
“There’s a lot of stories here that are held by Country,” adds Rechelle. “We’re wanting to tell that through fashion and also that sustainability element.”
Noticing a lack of First Nations designers in Canberra’s fashion scene, Rechelle says their label was only the second in Country to Couture’s history to represent Wiradjuri/Ngunnawal Country.
Joining a slew of talented designers, Megan says that as a First Nations-owned business in the Australian fashion industry, they now have an important opportunity to share their stories, culture and identity in new ways and reach new consumers.
Already thinking about their next collection and working out how they could eventually sell the pieces to those looking for a unique and meaningful addition to their wardrobe, as Corella & Crow begins to take flight, Megan and Rechelle are setting their sights high.
Hoping to showcase at the 2026 Country to Couture Show, they say that it would be a dream to see their designs on the Indigenous Fashion Projects (IFP) Runway at Australian Fashion Week (AAFW) and the First Nations Runway at the Melbourne Fashion Festival.
But for now – as they smooth their ruffled feathers after a busy few month – selected looks from Nguramban-dhi will be highlighted on First Nations models during the Clothing The Loop runway show, right here in Canberra.
“We are both really proud of our individual connections to Ngunnawal country, and I think that really influences our vision for the brand. We want to create something that speaks to our own communities,” says Megan.
“There can be a really negative discourse about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the media. We’re in a little bit of a bubble here in Canberra, so we don’t see it as much, and I think it’s really important to be celebrating successful stories,” adds Rechelle.
“You can’t be what you can’t see.”
Follow @corellacrow to see where Corella & Crow land next.
Photography: Dylan Buckee.
