6-7:30pm
Join us for Labels: Fashion and Identity, a panel discussion exploring the role of fashion in expressing identity. The panel will be moderated by Sophie Prince (ACCA Curator) and will feature speakers Ricarda Bigolin (Associate Dean of Fashion and Textiles Design at RMIT University), Shauna Toohey (P.A.M.) and Jackie Wu (Wackie Ju). The panel will consider unisex and gender nonconforming fashion branding, including designing for diverse bodies and identities. The talk will examine the role of fashion branding and design in a world of individuals, and investigate the idea of style as a tool of empowerment.
Labels: Fashion and Identity aligns with the exhibition Tourmaline: Transcendent curated by Sophie Prince at ACCA, Melbourne. Transcendent will be the first Australian solo exhibition of work by the artist, filmmaker, writer, and activist, Tourmaline, whose practice highlights the experiences of Black, queer, and trans communities.
Labels: Fashion and Identity is presented as part of the PayPal Melbourne Fashion Festival Independent Programme 2026.
About the panellists:
P.A.M. (Perks and Mini) is an independent brand and creative studio. Built on the values of connection, community and expression, P.A.M explores art, fashion and design to connect with authenticity, activity, lifestyle, music, and contemporary culture.
Sophie Prince is Curator at the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art (ACCA). Sophie is a curator, writer, editor, and arts manager with over ten years experience working across exhibitions, publishing, and arts organisations. She has contributed to major exhibition and publication projects focused on Contemporary, Australian and First Nations art through her work at ACCA, the National Gallery of Victoria, VAULT Magazine and Heide MoMA.
Ricarda Bigolin is an Associate Professor in Fashion Design at RMIT University, and an internationally recognised educator and researcher. Key practice includes D&K with Chantal Kirby. D&K has won acquisitive awards, and been extensively platformed and profiled across museums, galleries, publications and universities. Garments, sculpture, performance and writing question value, use and fashion’s impact.
Wackie Ju, founded by Chinese creative director and artist Jackie Wu, is a fashion-oriented art label exploring identity, cultural tension, and postmodern allegory. Through conceptual garments, performance, and installation, Wackie Ju blends theatrical storytelling with critical reflection—presenting fashion as a mirror, a riddle, and a space where paradox becomes meaning.
