FAQs
Where does your Aboriginal art come from?
Most of the Aboriginal artwork designs featured in the Mainie fashion collection were painted by traditional Warlpiri women artists from the remote Tanami Desert region in Central Australia. These designs depict age-old Aboriginal Dreaming stories that have been handed down to the artists through many generations of their Warlpiri ancestors over tens of thousands of years.
Mainie also sources artworks from contemporary Aboriginal artists in Far North Queensland.
How are the Aboriginal artists paid for their work?
Mainie is an approved Dealer Member of the Indigenous Art Code.
The artwork designs featured in the Mainie collection are ethically acquired from Aboriginal owned and controlled arts centres under strict licensing conditions in accordance with the Indigenous Art Code.
Under the terms of the art licensing agreements, Mainie purchases the original artworks at the prices set by the Aboriginal artists. The artists retain the copyright to their designs and Mainie pays art royalties from every piece that we produce for sale.
Mainie embraces social responsibility ethics and is committed to supporting Aboriginal women artists to earn an income from the own work and preserve their traditional cultural heritage for future generations.
Why is Australia’s Aboriginal art so special?
Australia’s Aboriginal art is the world’s oldest unbroken arts tradition. Scientists have found evidence that Australia has pigment art going back to when the Aboriginal people first arrived on the continent around 60,000 years ago.
Aboriginal art from the remote Central and Western Desert regions is particularly valuable because many of the artists are among the last generation of Aboriginal people in Australia who first encountered white people on their tribal homelands in the latter part of the twentieth century. These traditional artists have kept alive their spiritual and cultural connections to their country and their ancestors through their paintings.
How and where are Mainie products made?
The provenance of the textiles used to create each of our Mainie fashion pieces is just as important to us as the conscientious sourcing of the brand’s authentic Aboriginal art designs.
Mainie’s premium quality silks are sourced from the ancient city of Suzhou in Jiangsu Province, China. Situated in the Yangtze Delta and known as the Venice of China, Suzhou has been an important silk making centre for over 4,000 years.
Mainie’s luxury wool scarves are made with the finest Woolmark certified, Australian grown Merino wool.
Mainie sources only the best materials from audited and reputable manufacturers whose workplace conditions and production techniques fully comply with international quality standards, labour laws and environmental protection conditions.
Every Mainie wearable art piece is carefully handcrafted by highly skilled artisan textile workers.