Gurindji Waanyi contemporary artist Sarrita King has again teamed up with Alice van Meurs, the visionary behind EDITION to revive their 'Walking on Country' collection on the Resort Glam Runway at PayPal Melbourne Fashion Festival (PMFF).

First debuting on Larrakia Country (Darwin) for last year's Country to Couture, the pair joined forces to transform King's artwork into wearable pieces designed to move effortlessly with her art paying homage to the culture and landscape of the Northern Territory.

King shared her excitement about making her debut in Naarm and connecting with a new audience of fashion enthusiasts, a goal she achieved considering the response from attendees at Wednesday night's show.

With a friendship spanning more than a decade, King and van Meurs embarked on an artistic collaboration after attending the Country to Couture 2023 showcase.

Feeling inspired, the pair decided to take a leap and combine their individual talents and create something truly special.

"The fashion industry is totally new to me so I entrusted Alice with guiding the process while I could focus on the creative, and what I would like to express on the Runway," King said.

Delving into the inspiration behind their harmonious, earth-toned collection, King said she draws upon Country and the legacy of her ancestors

"Living on and growing up on Larrakia Country I was spoilt by the landscape, it is a never-ending resource of beauty," King said.

"When I see something wonderful in nature like the bark of a tree, the colours of a rock or the turquoise water of a spring, I wonder how my ancestors felt when they would have looked at that place.

"In this way, I feel close to them, and I thank the country for allowing them to survive so I can now carry their legacy.

"What I love about this collection is it's actually sitting with the resort-wear and it's just showing the strength of Aboriginal design across many realms and how it can carry itself into different genres across fashion and really introduce an audience that's used to different design, to the beautiful Aboriginal flow."

Having been in the art space for more than 17 years, to King, her craft is ingrained in connection as she aims to honour her late father, William King Jungala.

"I have been a contemporary Aboriginal artist for over 17 years, my father William King Jungala was an artist for many years before his passing," she said.

"Through his storytelling and love of creating connection through art, I was able to soak up all of his inspiration and the culture he instilled in his pieces.

"He taught me to paint what I love, what feels like home to me."

Exploring the Top End in her younger years, King's bond with her family and her ancestors deepened, allowing her to weave these influences into her creations.

"I am able to entrench these memories into my artwork, so the viewer can feel the essence of the land and those who have been embraced by it," King said.

Finding the balance between "staying in the game" and being true to her art has been a journey of adaptation and resilience for King, especially when navigating the pressures of visibility in the social media realm.

"I have been creating Aboriginal art and storytelling for a very long time, the new generation of social media didn't exist when I started up," she said.

"It is hard not to get swept into that lane and feel overwhelmed.

"I am so fortunate to have great support from my galleries and together we have elevated my career and artworks... I am happy and fortunate to be able to feel connected to my family and ancestors everyday, I try to celebrate that whenever I feel hardship.

Offering some wise words to the next generation of up-and-coming First Nations artists, King stresses the importance of remaining authentic in one's craft and always approach a creation with respect.

"Make sure you are connected to your family, consult with your community Elders, go back out to Country," she said.

"Make sure your work is authentic to your mob and family.

"The integrity of our industry has been watered down in the last few years, I would love to see more original contemporary artists making their mark with authentic family stories."

While she wasn't able to reveal too much about the year ahead, King said: "I have a very big 2025 planned, but nothing I can speak about at this stage - the ball is rolling but it's all still on the down low."