Fabric Quarterly
WRITTEN BY FABRIC QUARTERLY
A lack of products incorporating Indigenous elements that were attractive to the broader market was enough to catapult Leah Bennet into action, establishing her interior design company at the beginning of 2021 - Leah Paige Designs. A proud Wudjari Noongar woman, Leah believes that being part of the oldest culture in the world is the key to creating a uniquely Australian design style in the future. “When I got into design, I noticed that many designers were seeking inspiration from overseas travels and I felt there was a missed opportunity to draw inspiration from our shared history and Aboriginal culture,” says Leah. “I also noticed that whilst some designers were featuring Aboriginal art pieces on walls, it wasn’t venturing much beyond that, and it was limited to a restricted setting, very rarely featured in a luxury, high-end interior.” Launching with the “Sevens” range, Leah took inspiration from the Number 7s boomerang, wanting to design a piece that was holistically Indigenous from the design to the shape, fabrics and the parties who were consulted in the process. In collaboration with Noongar artist, Buffie Corunna, two pieces of art were designed, each with three different colour palettes to form the six Indigenous fabrics exclusive to the Sevens range. One of these prints, the Noonak, is representative of the community coming together which will be targeted towards collaborative workplace zones. “The second print depicts our life journey and following our own paths,” says Buffie. “It shows the many levels we must evolve through to continue to grow in life.”
