Held annually in the Northern Territory, the Barunga Festival is a unique celebration of Aboriginal culture, sport, music, and community.
For more than 30 years, it has brought together people from all walks of life to honour and share in the strength and diversity of First Nations traditions.
In 2025, the Festival is proud to announce the launch of a new talent discovery initiative, Barunga Next Top Model: Unearthed.
Led by renowned Tiwi Islands model and mentor Cassie Puruntatameri, professionally known as Cassie Black, the new initiative is set to equip aspiring First Nations models with the education and experience they need to make it onto the runway.
A proud and successful Tiwi woman, Puruntatameri has had an impressive career on the global fashion stage, walking runways at Australian Fashion Week, Melbourne Fashion Week, Country to Couture and many more - not to mention her attendance and participation at international events in Europe.
Initially discovered on a Melbourne tram in 2017 by Perina Drummond of Jira Models, and in 2018 made her runway debut walking for Melbourne Fashion Week, the talented young model has gone from strength to strength.
From a remote community of fewer than 450 people to signing with Chadwick Models, Puruntatameri is an example of the talent and determination demonstrated by today's First Nations communities.
Now bringing her expertise back to Country, Puruntatameri is thrilled to be mentoring the next generation of Aboriginal fashion talent through the Barunga Next Top Model: Unearthed program. In 2025, this new first-of-its-kind initiative aims to provide Aboriginal youth with the skills, confidence, and cultural grounding to navigate the fashion industry.
"This is about more than modelling, it's about cultural pride, self-expression, and opening doors for young people from remote communities who might not see themselves represented in fashion," said Puruntatameri.
"I'm honoured to walk alongside them on this journey."
Having long been known as a champion for greater First Nations representation in fashion, the multi-talented creative has facilitated workshops for emerging Indigenous talent and played a key mentoring role at events such as Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair and Country to Couture.
Puruntatameri's advocacy for cultural safety and meaningful inclusion in the fashion industry has made her a respected figure among both peers and aspiring models alike.
Barunga Next Top Model: Unearthed will be hosted as part of the 2025 Barunga Festival. Models will participate in photoshoots with fashion photographers Dave Blake and Grace Fox and will be modelling textiles and accessories from local art centres and fashion labels including the House of Darwin.
The program offers participants the chance to engage in hands-on mentoring sessions with Puruntatameri, participate in runway training, and gain behind-the-scenes insight into the world of modelling. It represents a new chapter in the festival's dedication to celebrating and elevating First Nations culture, creativity and fashion.
Tickets to Barunga Festival are now available to purchase online.
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