Awi mamanta (hello everyone), welcome to Bima Wear
Bima Wear is a Tiwi women’s creative enterprise based in Wurrumiyanga (Nguiu), Bathurst Island, Tiwi Islands off the northern coast of Darwin in the Northern Territory of Australia.
OUR HISTORY
Back in 1969 with the assistance of Sister Eucharia, we Tiwi women created our own clothing label Bima Wear - some of us still work here since we started fifty years ago.
Tiwi women proudly own and operate Bima Wear. We design, print and manufacture everyday, occasion and ceremonial wear that celebrates our distinct language and culture.
Bima Wear fabrics feature traditional symbols, structures, family and environmental representations that are central to Tiwi culture.
OUR FUTURE
We want to make sure there will always be a place like Bima Wear for Tiwi women and girls for as long as we need it.
We want to make sure Bima Wear keeps making clothing for our community.
We want a future where Tiwi women and girls feel free to express ourselves, are in control of our lives and where we have financial independence.
We want Bima Wear to be a place for Tiwi women and girls to have cultural and enterprise leadership, autonomy and skills.
OUR ISLAND WORKSHOP
At Bima Wear we are our own bosses determining our work practices and schedules.
Only Tiwi women staff our island workshop. We engage external non Tiwi where needed to support our enterprise and the Bima Wear Incorporated Association.
In our workshop on Bathurst Island we are kept busy printing and manufacturing
- the famous ‘tops and skirts’ worn proudly by Tiwi women on the islands, in Darwin, interstate and overseas
- custom made coffin covers for funerals
- ceremonial nagas for men, ceremonial skirts and tops for women
- group uniforms for travelling Tiwi
- outfits for our kids to wear to their first Holy Communion and Confirmation
- wedding dresses, priest vestments and homewares
OUR WEBSITE PRODUCTS
We commission other ethical, small Australian makers, based on the mainland, to manufacture the majority of clothing and other products on this website. 100% of sales from this website goes back into Bima Wear.
The knit garments are 100% Australian made and manufactured. As it is now rare to find woven fashion fabrics milled in Australia, our base woven fabrics are sourced overseas and printed and sewn here in Australia.