Lyn-Al Young’s Origin Story
Lyn-Al is a designer known for her unique wearable hand painted silk art pieces. All her creations have a strong cultural element and all her work since childhood has been influenced by her indigenous roots. Here’s her story and how she started.
I’m an Indigenous Australian fashion designer. My grandmother is a Yorta Yorta woman and grew up by the Murray River. It’s a culturally significant place for me and I feel more connected when I paint there.
According to Lyn-Al, she was always into designing but really stated to focus on it from the age of eight. At 10 years old, she would make handbags using indigenous fabrics and style them by putting on beads. By the time she was 12, she was already selling her creations at aboriginal markers across Melbourne. Even as a child, Lyn-Al often dressed up in cultural dresses and painted pieces which made fashion a part of her life from early on.
Therefore, it isn’t surprising that she studies fashion in high-school and right after graduation started her own business. She always knew she wanted to be a fashion designer and artist because she is passionate about representing and celebrating her culture through her creations.
When asked if Lyn-Al always ever though what she would have become if she wasn’t a designer, she said that she was really good at sports and when she was two years old, she wanted to be a sprinter. During this time, Lyn-Al was highly inspired by Cathy Freeman who was a huge influence on her and also a dear role model.
As a child, Lyn-Al was into athletics and netball but maintain that fashion was her calling and she was always meant to do. Fashion is a part of her upbringing because many of her family members are designers. Her great aunts were artists and textile designers. Additionally, her parents are artists too and provided a creative environment. It also helped that her family was business-minded, artistic and supportive.
Launching Herself into the Fashion Industry
Starting a business and launching herself as an Aboriginal designer in a competitive industry like fashion wasn’t easy. According to Lyn-Al, starting a business from scratch right after passing high-school was the hardest part. She had sold her creations at local markets in Melbourne but never really had a proper job. Therefore, she did face some bullies in the industry and had a hard time facing them. But, eventually, through her hard work and perseverance, she learned a lot about herself and the people around her. Her experiencetaught her what she could be and how to tackle different kinds of people.
Through her journey, she also learned various important lessons. One such lesson was what she wanted to become and what she didn’t want to become. She realised the kind the person she can never be. Thus, she was able to be anaboriginal designer who was true to herself and always presented true creations inspired by her culture, history and heritage.
Therefore, all the people who wear her work or see it can feel the authenticity of the designs and all the love and passion she puts into them. If you are someone who is interested in showcasing your talent as an artist, the best advice is to stay true to yourself and your roots. It is the only things that will make you passionate about your creations and also keep your motivated to do much more for your culture.
