Australian Aboriginal Designed Merino Wool Scarves
In 2015, the Australian fashion label, Mainie, launched its maiden collection of pure silk scarves, wraps and tops that featured authentic Aboriginal art designs by acclaimed Warlpiri women artists from the remote Tanami Desert region of Central Australia.
Six years later in 2021, Mainie’s exquisite melding of luxurious textiles and the world’s oldest art has evolved as a uniquely Australian fashion brand that is now loved and cherished by stylish people around the world.
The latest Mainie Australian Merino wool scarf collection is a testament to the fashion house's commitment to establishing a sustainable designer label that embraces impeccable business ethics and social responsibility principles.
Mainie is proud to present the six stunning designs in our new wool scarf collection.
Left to right: Desert Journey Dreaming by Mary Napangardi Gallagher, Desert Tracks Dreaming by Valma Nakamarra White, Rock Pools Dreaming by Joy Nangala Brown
Left to right: Night Ceremony Dreaming by Geraldine Napangardi Granites, Red Bark Trees Dreaming by Nicole Napaljarri Stevens, Red Earth Dreaming by Alicka Napanangka Brown
Each design in the Mainie Australian Merino wool collection was created by a traditional Warlpiri Aboriginal woman artist and depicts an ancient Dreaming story, that has been passed down to her through many generations of her ancestors over tens of thousands of years.
Traditional Warlpiri women artists. First row: Joy Nangala Brown, Alicka Napanangka Brown, Nicole Napaljarri Stevens. Second row: Mary Napangardi Gallagher, Valma Nakamarra White, Nicole Napaljarri Stevens
The original artworks for the Mainie Australian Merino wool collection were ethically acquired from the Aboriginal-owned Warlukurlangu Art Centre, a community-based arts centre that has been stronghold for the preservation of the traditional culture and language of the Warlpiri Aboriginal people for over 35 years.
The Warlpiri homelands extend across the vast Tanami Desert in Central Australia. Due to the geographic isolation of their tribal lands, the Warlpiri were among some of the last Aboriginal people in Australia to make contact with Europeans.
To this day, the Warlpiri people continue to live on their ancestral homelands, speak their own language and maintain a strong physical and spiritual connection to their country and their culture.
Sacred "Water Dreaming" site on the Warlpiri Aboriginal homelands in Central Australia
Mainie is committed to supporting Aboriginal women from isolated and remote communities in Outback Australia to earn an independent income from their own work and keep alive their traditional cultural legacy for future generations.
The art designs included in our fashion collection are purchased and licensed in accordance with the Indigenous Art Code. Under the terms of our licensing agreements, the Aboriginal artists retain the copyright to their original artworks and receive royalties from all sales.
Each scarf in our new wool collection is destined to become a timeless and meaningful heirloom that will be treasured forever. We have selected only the softest and finest Woolmark certified, Australian Merino wool to create our collection. Every piece is beautifully handcrafted by skillful artisan textile workers.
Every Mainie scarf is finished with a hand rolled hem
At Mainie, we believe that the story of Australia’s Merino wool industry is a fitting bookend against the time-honoured history of Aboriginal Australia. As the world’s oldest living culture, Australia’s enduring cultural heritage spans back over the millennia to the dawn of humanity.
High quality Merino wool has been produced in Australia since the earliest days of the first English settlements in the Sydney region and is still a major contributor to our national wealth and prosperity.
Australian Merino wool - The finest wool in the world
The historical importance of Australia’s Merino wool industry is often conveyed in the expression, “Australia rides on the sheep's back.”
The Australian wool industry has boosted the economic development of regional towns and shires and was the inspiration behind iconic works of art and poetry, such as Australian impressionist, Tom Roberts' seminal painting, “Shearing the Rams” and Banjo Patterson’s beloved ballad, “Waltzing Matilda”.
“A Mainie pure wool scarf is so much more than just a beautiful fashion piece. It is a tangible and meaningful celebration of our shared Australian story and our 60,000-year-old unbroken Aboriginal culture.” Charmaine Saunders – Mainie Founder
Mainie is Indigenous Australian owned and Indigenous Art Code approved.
The Mainie Australian Merino wool scarf collection is available at Mainie online at https://www.mainie.com/collections/wool-scarves
