Buy Blak This NAIDOC Week at the Melbourne Finders Keepers Market
- Words by Peppermint
above THE FINDERS KEEPERS MELBOURNE AW22 BY SAMEE LAPHAM
Melbourne friends, are you feeling the winter chill? Rug up and get down to The Finders Keepers market this weekend to enjoy the warm fuzzies that come from supporting small businesses!
Over 270 makers will be filling the majestic Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton Gardens from Friday 7 July until Sunday 9 July. Tickets are on sale now (just $6) and when you buy a ticket, you’ll go in the running to win one of five subscriptions to Peppermint! Head to the link here for all the details.
As the proud media partner of Finders Keepers, you’ll spot lots of Peppermint goodness all over the place. Head to the Read and Refresh Lounge to add a free back issue to your market tote or look out for us as you shop with a selection of debut stallholders: they’ll have copies of our latest issue to give to their first five customers. And, while the ceiling of the Royal Exhibition Building is a sight to behold, don’t forget to look down – you might see one of our fun flower decals that link you straight to our beloved sewing patterns!
above THE FINDERS KEEPERS MELBOURNE AW22 BY SAMEE LAPHAM
Of course, this weekend also sees celebrations continue for NAIDOC Week and the market will feature some amazing First Nations talent. Finders Keepers has once again partnered with Aboriginal Melbourne and the City of Melbourne for the 2023 Indigenous Designer Lineup – supporting a range of First Nations businesses with a fully funded stall space. Check out the incredible lineup of makers here to plan your wishlist!
We were lucky enough to catch up with a couple of the amazing makers from the Indigenous lineup – read on to meet the creatives behind Amber Days and Kenita.Lee.
BUY TICKETS NOW!
AMBER DAYS
Tell us a bit about what you make…
I’m an Aboriginal designer, nature protector, campaigner, mother and founder of ethical children’s wear label, Amber Days.
Amber Days is a 100% Aboriginal-owned children’s wear label inspired by the Australian bush, desert and sea. With the aim of having a minimal environmental impact and creating positive change in the fashion industry by supporting ethical manufacturers and fabric suppliers, Amber Days collaborates with a different female Aboriginal artist for each collection, to share stories through art – continuing culture as we have done for tens of thousands of years.
Why do you love The Finders Keepers?
Finders Keepers is one of my favourite weekends of the year. I love being among so many creatives and meeting my customers face-to-face. One of my fave parts now is the Aboriginal business space; it just feels like a huge get-together with community.
Personally, I create a list of things over the year that I need and then shop at the Finders Keepers Market. I love purchasing from small businesses that are sustainable and ethical and what better way than to buy directly from the maker?
It just feels like a huge get-together with community.
What can market-goers look forward to when they visit you at the Melbourne market?
We love being able to share the stories of our artwork with everyone and talk about the importance of taking care of Country and why that is important to us and the way we produce our clothing. To us, this means using organic fabric, printing with non-toxic dyes and also being plastic-free with our packaging and the way we live. We are also really excited to release a new baby tee and onesie at the market!
Why is the creative community so special?
The creative community is so special for so many reasons. It makes space to do things differently. It makes space to create a business for purpose, to tell a story through fashion and to celebrate. It’s just a joyous, inspiring space to be in.
KENITA.LEE
Tell us a bit about what you make…
I am a proud Wemba Wemba, Wiradjuri, Wotjiboluk, Nari Nari and Boon Wurrung woman living on the stolen lands of the Wemba Wemba people. I’m a creative artist, making prints, blankets and picnic rugs from my art.
Creating for me has always been my way to express emotions, experiences, healing and self-care. As an adult, I began expressing myself through various creative practices, including dance and weaving.
Keeping our traditions alive is so important to me. My pembemgguk (children) are growing up strong within their identity and culture, surrounded by art, culture and community. I like to paint in mostly vibrant colours to express myself but turn to a natural palette through different seasons in my life.
It’s so supportive, no matter where we come from.
Why do you love The Finders Keepers?
Finders Keepers is such an exciting event; I love that First Nations peoples are represented!
Why is the creative community so special?
It’s so supportive, no matter where we come from, I love that about it!
The Finders Keepers is Australia’s largest curated marketplace of makers, designers and entrepreneurs. Online, and via their major market events, the Finders Keepers is where communities come together to shop, explore and discover the very best from designers, makers and entrepreneurs in our country.
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Look, I don’t want to make anyone panic but IT’S DECEMBER!!! If you’re planning to give homemade gifts, you’re going to have to act fast. …
Hang out with us on Instagram
🌻 The Paddington 🌻
This is a much-loved staple, created for Issue 50 in 2021. We love seeing the #PeppermintPaddingtonTop continually popping up in our feeds!
How stunning is our model Elon MelaninGoddessEfon – she told us it was one of the first times she had been asked to come to a shoot with her natural hair. 🌻
We worked with South African patternmaker Sarah Steenkamp of @FrenchNavyNow_ to create this wardrobe essential – the perfect puff-sleeve blouse. Raglan sleeves make it the ultimate beginner sew, plus the gorgeous back buttons let you add your own personal twist.
Pattern via the link in bio! 🪡
Photos: @KelleySheenan
Fabric: @Spoonflower
Model: MelaninGoddessEfon
“In the 1940’s, Norwegians made and wore red pointed hats with a tassel as a form of visual protest against Nazi occupation of their country. Within two years, the Nazis made these protest hats illegal and punishable by law to wear, make, or distribute. As purveyors of traditional craft, we felt it appropriate to revisit this design.”
Crafters have often been at the heart of many protest movements, often serving as a powerful means of political expression. @NeedleAndSkein, a yarn store in Minnesota, are helping to mobilise the craftivists of the world with a ‘Melt The Ice’ knitting pattern created by @Yarn_Cult (with a crochet pattern too), as a way of peaceful protest.
The proceeds from the $5 pattern will go to local immigrant aid organisations – or you can donate without buying the pattern.
Raise those needles, folks – art and craft can change the world. 🧶
Link in bio for the pattern.
Images: @Gather_Fiber @NeedleAndSkein @a2ina2 @KyraGiggles Sandi.204 @WhatTracyMakes AllieKnitsAway Auntabwi2
#MeltTheIce #Craftivism #Knitting #CraftForChange
TWO WEEKS TO GO! 🤩
"The most important shift is moving from volume-led buying to value-led curation – choosing fewer, better products with strong ethics, considered production and meaningful stories. Retailers have real influence here: what you buy signals what you stand for. At Life Instyle, this means using the event to discover and invest in small-scale, planet-considerate brands that align with your values and your customer’s conscience. Consumers don’t need more things; they need better things, and retailers play a key role in selecting, contextualising, and championing why those products matter."
Only two more weeks until @Life_Instyle – Australia`s leading boutique retail trade show. If you own a store, don`t miss this event! Connect with designers, source exquisite – and mindful – products, and see firsthand why this is Australia’s go-to trade show for creatives and retailers alike. And it`s free! ✨️
Life Instyle – Sydney/Eora Country
14-17 February 2026
ICC, Darling Harbour
Photos: @Samsette
#LifeInstyle #SustainableShopping #SustainableShop #RetailTradeEvent
Calling all sewists! 📞
Have you made the Peppermint Waratah Wrap Dress yet? Call *1800 I NEED THIS NOW to get making!
This gorgeous green number was modelled (and made) by the fabulous Lisa of @Tricky.Pockets 🙌🏼
If you need a nudge, @ePrintOnline are offering Peppermint sewists a huge 🌟 30% off ALL A0 printing 🌟 when you purchase the Special Release Waratah Wrap Dress pattern – how generous is that?!
Head to the link in bio now 📞
*Not a real number in case that wasn`t clear 😂
#PeppermintWaratahWrapDress #PeppermintPatterns #SewingPattern #WrapDress #WrapDressPattern
8 Things to Know About January 26 - from @ClothingTheGaps:
Before you celebrate, take the time to learn the truth. January 26 is not a day of unity it’s a Day of Mourning and Survival for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
It marks the beginning of invasion, dispossession, and ongoing colonial violence. It’s time for truth-telling, not whitewashed history.
Stand in solidarity. Learn. Reflect. Act.
✊🏽 Blog written by Yorta Yorta woman Taneshia Atkinson.
🔗 Link in bio of @ClothingTheGaps to read the full blog
#ChangeTheDate #InvasionDay #SurvivalDay #AlwaysWasAlwaysWillBe #ClothingTheGaps
As the world careens towards AI seeping into our feeds, finds and even friend-zones, it`s becoming increasingly hard to ignore.
We just wanted to say that here at Peppermint, we are choosing to not print or publish AI-generated art, photos, words, videos or content.
Merriam-Webster’s human editors chose `slop` as the 2025 Word of the Year – they define it as “digital content of low quality that is produced usually in quantity by means of artificial intelligence.” The problem is, as AI increases in quality, it`s becoming more and more difficult to ascertain what`s real and what`s not.
Let`s be clear here, AI absolutely has its place in science, in climate modelling, in medical breakthroughs, in many places... but not in replacing the work of artists, writers and creatives.
Can we guarantee that everything we publish is AI-free? Honestly, not really. We know we are not using it to create content, but we are also relying on the artists, makers and contributors we work with, as well as our advertisers, to supply imagery, artwork or words created by humans. AI features are also creeping into programs and apps too, making it difficult to navigate. But we will do our best to avoid it and make a stand for the artists and creatives who have had their work stolen and used to train AI machines, and those who are now losing work as they are replaced by this energy-sapping, environment-destroying magic wand.
Could using it help our productivity and bottom line? Sure. And as a small business in a difficult landscape, that`s a hard one to turn down. We know other publishers who use AI to write stories, create recipes, produce photo shoots... but this one is important to us.
`Touch grass` was also a Merriam-Webster Word of the Year. We`ll happily stick with that as a theme, thanks very much. 🌿
