Writing about my artwork at Australian Fashion Week still feels a little surreal.
On 11 May 2026, Verity van Ermel Scherer brought stories from my paintings onto the runway in Sydney through her label, VES. Her debut presentation introduced Mattie, her Resort 2027 collection, with Warranha Inaar, Strong Woman, and Marrunga Yubaa, Embrace the Fall, moving through silk and swimwear.
A painting usually holds its place on a wall. Through this collaboration, the fabric carried the work with every step, fold and movement. People could wear the stories and take them somewhere new.
And at the centre of the collection, Verity held a story about the women in her family.
A collection for Mattie
Verity created Mattie in tribute to her late grandmother, Valerie van Ermel Scherer, also known as Mattie Frith.
Mattie, a Larrakia woman and survivor of the Stolen Generations, loved beautiful fabrics and flowing kaftans. From her home in Glebe on Gadigal Country, she chose fabrics for kaftans that expressed her own style. Verity carries that love of fabric and colour into her designs today.
She founded VES to honour her grandmother and carry their family name forward. Through the label, she shares the creativity and strength that Mattie passed down, while making space for a family history that deserves to reach more people.
In her interview with National Indigenous Times, Verity spoke about searching for an artist who could help express her family’s story through their work. She wanted people to leave the runway knowing Mattie’s name and understanding something of the woman behind the collection.
To contribute my artwork to that tribute feels very special.
Strong Woman opened the show
Verity’s mother, Jennifer van Ermel Scherer, opened the presentation wearing a silk crepe kaftan featuring Warranha Inaar, Strong Woman. Mattie’s recorded voice played at the beginning of the show, sharing her own testimony. That connection across three generations gave Strong Woman another place to carry its meaning.
I created Warranha Inaar to honour the strong women in my life, past and present, and the strength of women everywhere.
At the centre of the painting, a woman stands on a mountain. Strong lines carry her determination. Rounded edges hold her softer, nurturing side. Around her, symbols of journey, meeting places and footsteps tell of the experiences that shape a life and the places where we pause before continuing.
I created Warranha Inaar to honour the strong women in my life, past and present, and the strength of women everywhere.
At the centre of the painting, a woman stands on a mountain. Strong lines carry her determination. Rounded edges hold her softer, nurturing side. Around her, symbols of journey, meeting places and footsteps tell of the experiences that shape a life and the places where we pause before continuing.
The painting holds my own journey, and it honours the women who came before me. I also hope other women recognise something of themselves within it. The mountains they have climbed. The strength they have found along the way.
Jennifer carried those meanings onto the runway while honouring her own mother. The artwork and the family story met in such a personal way.
If you have a story you would love to explore through a fashion collection, I would love to hear it.
Embrace the Fall found another rhythm
Marrunga Yubaa, Embrace the Fall brought a different movement into the collection, with turquoise, emerald, sea-green and earthy ochre flowing across silk and swimwear.
My Marrunga Yubaa paintings follow rain on its journey from the clouds to Country. I interpret the traditional rain symbol through my own contemporary style, building layers of colour and fine marks that carry parts of my life story.
With Embrace the Fall, I think about the paths life takes. The difficult stretches, the unexpected changes, and the playful moments that deserve our attention too. Over time, I have learned to welcome more of that uncertainty and make room for joy along the way.
Through Verity’s designs, those painted rhythms took on the movement of fabric and the person wearing it. The story continued, even as its form changed.
If you can imagine my artwork moving through your own designs, we can explore the possibilities together.
A new audience for the stories
The collection brought these stories to people who may never have encountered my paintings before.
Vogue Australia, ELLE and marie claire covered Verity’s debut and the collaboration. Broadsheet selected one of the silk kaftans among its favourite looks from Australian Fashion Week, drawing attention to the connection between the fabric’s movement and my artwork.
I feel grateful when people notice that connection. Colour can catch someone’s eye first. Then they might spend a little longer with the work, learn its name and discover the story behind it.
Thank you, Verity, for trusting my artwork within a collection that holds so much of your family’s story.
Where another collaboration might begin
My work grows from my experiences as a Wiradjuri, Ngiyampaa and Barkindji woman. I carry family, Country and connection into my paintings, and I approach collaborations with the same care.
Working with VES reminds me how much a thoughtful partnership can open up. An artwork can reach a different audience through clothing, while a designer brings their own ideas, understanding and craft to the way it moves.
I welcome conversations with fashion and apparel designers who feel a connection to my work. We might explore an existing artwork, a textile print or a new creative direction that grows from your collection’s story.
Tell me a little about your label, the people you design for and what you hope to create. We can begin there and see where the conversation takes us.
Lizzy x