Australian lifestyle brand Liandra returned to the Australian Fashion Week runway on Friday, showcasing a new collection inspired by the coral of life and ancestral connection.

Founded by designer and proud Yolŋu woman Liandra Gaykamangu, Liandra's garments seamlessly blended contemporary design with deep cultural storytelling.

Since debuting her first resort wear line on the DHL Next Gen runway in 2023, Gaykamangu has grown her ready-to-wear offering far beyond beach attire.

When speaking with the talented designer during fashion week, Gaykamangu shared that whilst it has been a busy year she is thrilled to have been able to return to Australian Fashion Week (AFW).

"We kicked off 2025 with being a finalist in the Melbourne Fashion Festival x David Jones National Design Awards. This was such a huge honour to be named in and a great way to kick off the year. We have also spent the start of 2025 preparing for Australian Fashion Week, which continues to be a powerful platform for us to grow our brand and enhance our stories through fashion," she said.

"Returning to AFW feels like coming home—but with fresh energy. It's always a huge honour to share space with so many incredible creatives and to represent First Nations excellence on a global stage."

This year the new Liandra collection showcased two new exclusive hand-drawn prints: 'Coral of Life', inspired by the dynamic beauty of a reef ecosystem, and 'Seascape', evoking golden-hour summer tones and balmy coastal evenings.

Drawing from Yolŋu culture, the new collection speaks to a living ecosystem of tradition and community where each element supports the other.

"Our 2025 collection is titled Coral of Life. It's inspired by the beauty and fragility of coral ecosystems and draws a metaphor between coral and our interconnected lives, stories, and environments. The collection features vibrant prints, elevated silhouettes, and textures that mirror the ebb and flow of ocean life. Creatively, the process has been purposeful, grounding and reflective. I have an incredible team of industry veterans and to work with that calibre of talent is always so humbling," Gaykamangu told Style Up.

"We had three months to put this runway together - last year we had nine - and I am truly so eternally grateful to my team for bringing my creative vision to life so effortlessly."

Just like coral, the connection continues to grow and evolve over time, symbolising the richness, resilience, and spiritual continuity of culture through generations.

Similar to earlier collections, Liandra has utilised ACETEX swim fabrics, embracing innovation which enhances both performance and sustainability. Crafted with a focus on quality and durability, ACETEX fabrics offer superior stretch, shape retention, and resistance to chlorine, saltwater, and UV rays.

Liandra also prioritises working with fabrics which are certified sustainable, such as the Bamboo Satin Blend, a core part of the Coral of Life fabric.

When it came to the runway's backdrop and music, the popular First Nations brand executed a show with a soundtrack just as engaging as its garments.

The showcase utilised the music of Rona Ngamperle, a proud Anmatyerr woman and rising artist whose music is rooted in First Nations identity, storytelling, and strength.

Her sound blends ancestral echoes with contemporary expression making her the perfect match for Liandra, whose collections are also deeply embedded in Yolŋu culture, legacy, and connection to Country.

"We were very intentional with what we did this year and how we did it. For example, we had VIP bags made from seaweed (WeSea), First Nations DJ RONA bringing the vibes to life with a live set and Yaru provided the water for everyone backstage and at the show. We were also able to support Jack Minmidhi, a Yolngu Creative and fashion enthusiast, to experience fashion week; he attended private dinners with Vogue x eBay, runways, a behind the scenes look of Chadwick's Modelling agency and working backstage at the Liandra show," said Gaykamangu.

Striving to create a runway which resembled the freedom, joy, and collective celebration of the brands garments, Liandra's Australian Fashion Week runway was upbeat in music, tempo, vibrant colourways and bold accessories - including cowboy hats, oversized sunglasses, and trendy soled sneakers.

"I hope people walk away with a sense of connection with our love for Australia's diverse Country, culture and community. Fashion can be a vessel for deeper conversations, and I want our audience to feel the energy, the intention, and the legacy that's stitched into every garment. I want them to remember that fashion can be bold and beautiful, but also deeply responsible and culturally rich," said Gaykamangu.

One of the industry's top performing First Nations designers, Gaykamangu's 2025 presentation at Australian Fashion Week cemented the designer's ongoing success and status.

Always striving to use the runway as a platform to honour her heritage and amplify conversations around Indigenous knowledge systems, slow fashion, and ethical production, this year's Liandra showcase was no different.

Whilst revealing two new prints from the brand, Gaykamangu focused on highlighting Liandra's distinct colourways, striking prints, meaningful motifs, beachside aesthetic and ongoing commitment to sustainability.

Gaykamangu said Liandra has a range of new and exciting projects scheduled for 2025.

"We've got some incredibly exciting projects lined up. I'm super excited to have partnered with Authentical to provide verified digital authenticity and provenance for each garment, deepening transparency and connection between our pieces, their stories, and the people who wear them. This technology combines NFC with block chain to offer a secure and transparent method for verifying the authenticity and provenance of physical items," she said.

Continuing to build on her skill set and collection execution each and every year, Gaykamangu is proving that ongoing success as a First Nations designer is possible.

The multi-talented creative has yet again left the Australian Fashion Week audience with a true reflection of the raw talent of Indigenous designers.