Paul McCann

Paul McCann is a Marrithiyel man born and raised on his family’s traditional Country, 350 kilometres south-west of Darwin. Growing up he was surrounded by his father’s uncles and aunties creating paintings, wood carvings and didgeridoos and his own art practice, depicting the landscape of his traditional Country through wearable art and jewellery. Now based in Melbourne, McCann explores modern and abstract ways to bring his traditional culture to red carpets and festival runways.

McCann studied fashion design at Darwin’s Charles Darwin University, but it wasn’t until 2021 when his fashion career got its first wings when his Gumnut ball gown appeared in the first-ever First Nations runway event at Australian Fashion Week. McCann went on to win the Cultural Adornment and Wearable Art Award at the 2021 National Indigenous Fashion Awards.

The fashion business is all about the art of storytelling and Paul is an inspirational and articulate storyteller. He is an experienced panellist and keynote speaker and has appeared on the ABC’s documentary, ‘The Way We Wore’, a vibrant exploration of Australian fashion uncovering its cultural and historical significance, revealing how the clothes we wear can give intimate and surprising insights into how this country has evolved.