Ali
Rauf

My name is Ali Rauf, and I am the head designer and milliner for my label Bird Skin. This year for the Millinery Award, I wanted to create a piece that represented part of my cultural heritage, while staying true to the elegant Spring carnival aesthetic. Truck art is a distinct art form seen across South Asia. No truck in the region is considered roadworthy without vibrant truck art decorations. The art form even made a ‘truck stop’ in Melbourne for the 2006 Commonwealth Games, where a tram for spectators was decorated by artists from South Asia. The brilliant colours and reflective qualities of truck art are achieved using a combination of aluminium and retroreflective tape - similar to those used on road signage. The tape is meticulously designed and cut to create various motifs, and floral motifs are always a popular choice. The artwork is referred to as ‘phool paty’ in some cultures, which translates directly as ‘flowers and petals’. Truck art also uses a 12th century Spanish metal-punching and relief technique known as ‘repujado’. The materials and techniques lend themselves to sustainability, and I was able to use off-cut reflective adhesives and lightly flawed/damaged aluminium sheets to create my millinery piece. These materials would otherwise have been discarded, but instead make up the entirety of my entry. I styled my piece with a silver chrome dress to bring out the colours of the headpiece, and also as a nod to my millinery’s ‘metallic’ under-structure. For further details, please watch my video diary. This is best viewed in 720p or HD.

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