Stories you can wear, threaded together by Magpie Goose
Magpie Goose is a fashion label working with First Nations communities and an exhibition at the Museum of Brisbane shows how First Nations culture lives on through clothing, one stitch at a time.
Is fashion art? Well, the answer is yes … to varying degrees. Galleries have found that fashion exhibitions are big drawcards, although some purists still consider fashion more in the line of design than art.
I have been of that mind in the past, but I have slowly come around to the idea. We even went to Melbourne to see the big Alexander McQueen exhibition at the NGV a couple of years ago.
It’s exhibitions such as the one on now at the Museum of Brisbane that have changed my mind. Stories You Wear: Magpie Goose is where art and culture meet fashion in the most exciting and heart-warming way.
This exhibition, which runs until October 2026, is exclusive to MoB and it invites audiences to connect with the world’s oldest living cultures through the vibrant and statement-making designs of First Nations artists and communities from South-East Queensland and beyond.
Curated in collaboration with Aboriginal owned and led sustainable fashion label Magpie Goose, the exhibition embraces fashion as a canvas for storytelling. Led by owners Amanda Hayman (Wakka Wakka and Kalkadoon) and Troy Casey (Kamilaroi), Magpie Goose stitches style and culture together to create positive impacts for artists from 13 regional and remote communities in Queensland, the Northern Territory and Western Australia.
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What they do means a lot to them professionally and emotionally. That was demonstrated by Hayman and Casey getting a bit teary at the exhibition opening, which was heart-warming.
the exhibition is colourful and edifying with extensive didactic panels telling stories along the way
Stories You Wear: Magpie Goose features First Nations creatives from across the country, with a particular focus on collaborations with South-East Queensland communities Jinibara and Quandamooka, including senior artists Sonja Carmichael and Belinda Close.
Sonja Carmichael draws inspiration from traditional Quandamooka weaving, using found materials and contemporary techniques to incorporate both environmental and cultural preservation into her craft. Artist and community member Belinda Close collaborated with her daughter Mahala Burns to create an intergenerational artwork exploring the importance of the Bungwal fern.
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Coupled with artworks and design materials, the exhibition is colourful and edifying with extensive didactic panels telling stories along the way. As co-curator Hayman says it invites audiences to connect with the diverse and distinct cultural stories of First Nations artists and discover the sustainable processes of the Magpie Goose brand.
“Every Magpie Goose garment carries a story,” Hayman says. “Designs are created in collaboration with the artists and communities, screen-printed by hand onto natural fibres and proudly made here in Australia. This exhibition shows how fashion can be a powerful way to share diverse First Nations stories, spark conversations with the broader community and create meaningful impact in communities.”
Museum of Brisbane CEO and director Zoe Graham says the exhibition increases the visibility and viability of artists in remote and regional communities, including those in the surrounding areas of Brisbane.
“Stories You Wear: Magpie Goose embraces clothing as a canvas for First Nations cultural expression, going beyond the garment to explore powerful stories of culture, community and Country,” Graham says. “The garments are more than just fashion statements – they are works of art, fostering respect, understanding and appreciation for the world’s oldest living culture. We invite you to experience the bold and bright designs of Magpie Goose and immerse yourself in the cultural stories generously shared by First Nations artists and communities through their designs.”
Casey and Hayman have overseen the opening of Magpie Goose’s flagship store at inner-city Bowen Hills, in case you want to wear some of the art on display. I have a feeling you will.
Both are continuing to work with communities across the country to develop new and exciting collections that celebrate First Nations stories and designs. Interestingly, it was two non-indigenous women, Maggie McGowan and Laura Egan, who started the label and nurtured it through to Indigenous ownership. Now, after almost a decade in business the label has collaborated with more than 70 artists from 13 regional and remote communities.
Queensland has some amazing indigenous fashion designers including Grace Lillian Lee and Delvene Cockatoo Collins, both of whom have had success internationally. International visitors to Brisbane who visit this exhibition will get an insight into indigenous culture in a rather unique way. And that applies to all of us.
Stories You Wear: Magpie Goose continues at the Museum of Brisbane, City Hall, until October 5, 2026 (free admission). Stories You Wear: Magpie Goose is supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland.