Our Mission

Breaking barriers and paving the way for the people behind the scenes, like photographers, stylists, hair and make-up artists. 

For people in events, marketing and social media, ‘Mob In Fashion’ is a pathway that’s designed to open doors for First Nations people wanting to work in the industry. A place where emerging talents can bloom and allowing a ‘behind the scenes’ look inside the industry, the goal is to provide resources and ongoing, sustainable employment opportunities.

Mob In Fashion is a fresh new step towards what the type of industry First Nations people want, inclusive with a safe space to create behind the curtain.

The Program

The Mob in Fashion program is the first of its kind, directly addressing the problem of underrepresentation in parts of the industry that are frequently overlooked. Having a program that’s built into the festival behind the scenes from someone who’s Aboriginal and in the fashion industry.

  • Mob in Fashion is an avenue for First Nation creatives to get meaningful work experience at the Melbourne Fashion Festival,” says Nathan, who is spearheading the program. “Just to get their foot in the door so they can experience what an industry-level event is like, see who’s around, and get in amongst it. It’s a culturally safe passage into the industry.

    Whether they’re interested in hair and makeup, design, choreography, photography, or any other ‘behind the scenes’ element of fashion, successful applicants will receive valuable employment experience to help kickstart their careers. They will have opportunities to learn about industry events, network with other creatives, and get some exposure for their own work.

    The program won’t be exclusive to emerging talent, either. “It’s a well-rounded introduction for people who are new to the industry, but also experienced people who have never been part of the festival and have always wanted to,” Nathan explains.

  • It’s no secret that First Nations people are grossly underrepresented in the fashion industry, most noticeably in modelling. For a long time, there has been little to no representation on the covers of magazines or at runway shows, and it’s not for lack of talent.

    Some organisations have tried to address this problem already by designing programs that mentor emerging models and designers within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. But inclusivity issues are prolific, and they extend to other areas of the fashion industry, too.

    Historically, the behind the scenes area of fashion weeks, photoshoots and the industry in general is lacking in First Nations’ talent, when we know the talent is out there,” Nathan tells me. “You couldn’t list five photographers who are First Nations that are shooting all major campaigns. You probably couldn’t even name three.”

  • The Mob in Fashion program will be the first of its kind, directly addressing the problem of underrepresentation in parts of the industry that are frequently overlooked. “Having a program that’s built into the festival behind the scenes from someone who’s Aboriginal and in the fashion industry, there’s nothing else like it out there that I know of.”

    It will also do more than provide a one-off employment opportunity for its participants. Nathan envisions that the program will empower First Nations creatives by helping them cultivate new skills and launch sustainable careers. “It’s about having careers, not just entry-level programs that people should apply for,” he explains. “It’s about building these careers that will last in the industry and then inspire other creatives to get into fashion.”

    In order to have a lasting impact, however, there needs to be more consistency within the industry as a whole, and a widespread effort to find and cultivate the talent of First Nations people. “The industry is only just now taking the steps to be inclusive of First Nations culture,” he says. “It’s not because the First Nations talent hasn’t been there, it’s because they haven’t been engaged, and their culture hasn’t been engaged.

    “First Nations creatives just want the opportunity to have work and be seen, and valued in their creative ability – not because they’re First Nations talent, but because they’re good at it, and they can contribute to the industry the way a lot of other creatives have had the opportunity to contribute.”

  • Although there’s a lot of work still to be done, the Mob in Fashion program is a monumental first step, and has already seen success. “It’s come together really quickly and really organically… everyone’s been really open to it, everyone wants this to be a staple in the industry,” Nathan explains.

    “I’ve had that feedback from many of the applicants and people I know who are First Nations creatives, who are like ‘I wish I had this when I started, because it would’ve just given me a foot in the door’.” Ultimately, Mob in Fashion will provide clear pathways within an industry from which First Nations people have, historically, been excluded. Here’s hoping we see more of these kinds of initiatives going forward.

“It’s about getting that exposure and experience in the industry. I want our mob to have autonomy over their careers. In the next couple of years, it’s going to start looking really good.”

– Nathan McGuire, Founder

About
Nathan McGuire

Nathan McGuire is a proud First Nations man and is the most in demand male model in Australia.

He has worked for David Jones, Country Road, Sportscraft, RM Williams, H&M, Tiffany and Co, Dior, Nike, Tommy Hilfiger and graced the pages visually and vocally for GQ Magazine. Nathan is passionate about using his profile to advocate for Indigenous representation within all aspects of the fashion industry.

  • Diversity in the fashion industry is lacking. Sure, we’ve made some progress in recent years, but it often feels like we’re taking baby steps rather than strides. And sometimes our so-called ‘progress’ is just downright tokenistic. When it comes to creating a more inclusive and diverse fashion industry in Australia, there’s still a long way to go.

    Enter Nathan McGuire, an experienced model and First Nations Culture and Safety Consultant, who is working with PayPal Melbourne Fashion Festival (PayPal MFF) to launch its new, inaugural program Mob in Fashion. In a rolling initiative, Mob in Fashion will increase the representation of First Nations creatives within the industry, by enabling them to work behind the scenes during PayPal MFF.

BACKGROUND: Whadjuk/Noongar
HOMETOWN: Boorloo (Perth)
CURRENT LOCATION: Naarm (Melbourne)

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO CREATE MOB IN FASHION?

I saw a gap in representation for First Nations creatives in behind-the-scenes roles in the fashion industry. I was always the only First Nations person on set. So I wanted to create a space that was inspiring and interactive for creatives to have an entry point in fashion under the guidance of some of the best in the industry. Creating meaningful career opportunities for people and to set the creatives up for success.

WHO ARE MOB IN FASHION?

Mob in Fashion exists to elevate First Nations creatives to further increase representation ‘behind the scenes’ in the fashion industry. We provide various programs and industry relationships to help equip First Nations creatives with on-the-job learning, training placements, networking and relationship building opportunities, plus pathways to employment, internships and scholarships. 

As a First Nations-led company, we are blazing a trail forward by providing meaningful and culturally grounded career opportunities and experiences.

Forever evolving, we now work with Australia’s leading fashion brands and companies acting as a creative agency which allows us to continue our training within industry. Our outcomes are professional on the job experience such as assisting top photographers, hair and make-up artists, stylists and Creative Directors.