Nova Top - Three Tribes

When designing the Nova, we wanted to create something flattering for all body types. Something you can wear tucked in or left out that lets you eat that bowl of pasta and still leaves you with a sleek, comfortable silhouette. In cotton sateen, it has a soft, natural drape with a subtle shine. It has a gentle rounded neckline, a short, wide sleeve and finishes at the top of the hip bone. Nova is a simple shape that lets the pattern do the talking.

PRINT

Vibrant in its blues and pinks, the design represents the joining of her three tribes - Manbarra, Nywaigi and Piadrum. Says Mahalia of the design "My matriarchal bloodlines connect me to Manbarra and Nywaigi and my patriarchal bloodlines connect me to Piadram. My grandparents were fierce advocates for mob and our bloodlines are strong." The print feels electric and shines with story and life.

ARTIST

Mahalia Mabo is a proud Manbarra, Nywaigi and Meriam woman who comes from a long line of artists and activists. Her art represents Mahalia's connection to family, culture and country, especially the Reef and memories of her grandmother from her childhood. Proudly neurodivergent, she lets her intuition guide her, working on multiple art pieces at a time. Her love for expressing her life and surrounds through art makes each of her pieces feel exciting and alive.

NAMESAKE

Nova Peris is a famous Indigenous Australian athlete and activist.

In the sports arena, she represented Australian in Women's Hockey in the 1996 Summer Olympics and became the first Aboriginal Australian woman to win an Olympic gold medal. She didn't stop there, switching to sprinting and winning herself another medal in 1997.

She then entered politics in 2013, after being invited by Julia Gillard to join the Australian Labour Party, where she became a candidate for the Senate. She then reached another major milestone for the indigenous community when she was elected to the federal government, making her the first Indigenous woman to be elected to national parliament. 

SIZING

Measurements are in centimetres. These are garment flat lay so we recommend using a similar styled garment of your own to compare. A flat lay measurement means it is only the front or back of the garment, not the measurement the entire way around.