A Mother Watched Her Daughter Follow the Same Artistic Path She Began as a Child

For designer Brodie George, seeing her young daughter step onto a fashion runway in their remote hometown was more than a celebration of creativity. It was a moment that connected two generations of artists.

George, a Walmajarri and Gooniyandi woman from Fitzroy Crossing in Western Australia’s Kimberley region, began developing her artistic skills when she was around 10 years old. Decades later, she watched her daughter, Ngoorloona, make her own artistic debut at almost the same age.

The moment took place during SKUTTA ’26, a fashion runway held in Fitzroy Crossing and organised by the Marra Worra Worra Aboriginal Corporation. The event brought together designers, artists and models from more than 40 communities across the region.

George is the founder of Jalayimiya, a swimwear label she launched in 2022 to celebrate local artwork, community and connection. She returned to Fitzroy Crossing for the runway, where several of her collections were presented.

Among the pieces shown during the sunset event was a surf suit featuring artwork created by Ngoorloona.

For George, watching her daughter’s design become part of a real fashion collection was especially meaningful because of their shared beginnings.

“She’s making her debut at a similar age to me,” George told ABC News. “It’s really, really beautiful.”

Ngoorloona is still in primary school, making the opportunity an unusual early introduction to the world of creative work. Her mother’s experience has given her a close example of how art can develop into a career while remaining connected to family, culture and community.

The runway also highlighted the wider creative community around Fitzroy Crossing. Multiple generations participated in the event, demonstrating how established artists and emerging designers can share the same space and learn from one another.

George said events such as the runway could give young people an opportunity to imagine possibilities that might otherwise seem far away from a remote community.

Artists from the Fitzroy Valley have already taken their work well beyond the region, with some travelling internationally for exhibitions and creative opportunities. George hopes younger generations will see those examples and understand that their location does not have to limit their ambitions.

“I think just seeing what can come out of such a small place really inspires people,” she said.

For George, that possibility is personal. She remembers wishing she had seen opportunities like this when she was a child. Now, her daughter is growing up with those opportunities already visible around her.

The story of the two generations is therefore about more than one fashion show. It is about how creativity can be passed from parent to child, while each new generation finds its own way to express identity, family and connection to home.

Source: ABC News, ABC Kimberley, September 30, 2026.