With the opening of his new creative studio, Friend of David Jones Nathan McGuire is providing First Nations creatives with a dedicated space to collaborate, share ideas, and connect with the broader fashion industry—we spoke to him about Mob In Fashion, its Pathways Program and what this milestone means for the creative community.
Who is Mob In Fashion and what is your vision?
Mob In Fashion is a First Nations-owned and led creative studio dedicated to supporting First Nations creatives in the fashion industry. We work across various fashion outcomes, including runway shows, campaigns, editorials, events and workshops, all with the goal of providing tools, experience, and education.
Our new studio in Brunswick VIC serves as our creative hub, allowing us to facilitate our work while fostering a community where creatives and talent can collaborate and grow.
A key initiative of Mob In Fashion is our Pathways Program, which we run in partnership with Melbourne Fashion Festival. This program provides paid industry experience at a top-level fashion event, offering valuable opportunities for emerging talent to gain hands-on experience.
Our vision is to increase representation, education, skills, and career opportunities in the fashion industry—not just in front of the camera, but behind the scenes as well. Ensuring that First Nations voices are part of the creative decision-making process is at the heart of what we do.
How does Mob In Fashion platform and support First Nations creatives?
Our industry partnerships and connections are key to creating opportunities for First Nations creatives in fashion. We launched in 2022 with the Pathways Program, which I created in collaboration with the Melbourne Fashion Festival. The goal was to increase representation behind the scenes, so we introduced roles in photography, hair and makeup, styling, content creation and journalism.
Since then, we’ve expanded into independent runway productions, such as our Future History Runway at Fringe Festival, where we showcased 18 one-off garments by three First Nations designers, with a fully First Nations-led production team. This project allowed us to take even greater control of our narrative, and we’re excited to build on this in 2025.
Beyond runways, we also support career development through initiatives like our scholarship program with the Australian Style Institute, which helps First Nations creatives gain industry-leading skills in editorial and personal styling. Additionally, our mentorship program with David Jones has provided participants with hands-on experience in large-scale commercial photoshoots, offering valuable insight into the commercial fashion space.
Looking ahead to 2025, we are actively working on new projects, including our Back In Blak Runway at Melbourne Fashion Festival and the Mob In Fashion Pathways Program, now in its fourth year. This year, the program will offer ten roles across key creative areas such as photography, hair and makeup, journalism, and styling. The goal remains the same: to increase representation, upskill First Nations creatives, and open doors to lasting careers in the fashion industry.
You’re launching a new Mob In Fashion studio – what will be the purpose of this studio and how can people engage with the space?
The purpose of our studio is to be a dedicated space where we can bring our projects to life while providing First Nations creatives and talent with a place to connect, collaborate, and engage with the broader fashion industry. It serves as our creative hub, designed to support all aspects of our work, from runway shows and editorials to workshops and industry partnerships.
The studio is a multi-functional space, making it the perfect setting for hosting events, producing photoshoots, running workshops, and offering a welcoming environment for creatives to come together. Whether you’re here to learn, create, or simply have a chat—I’ll even make you a coffee! This space is about fostering a community that celebrates First Nations creativity and allows us to do what we love in fashion.
If you’re interested in collaborating or being part of our work, we’d love to hear from you! We are always open to connecting with people who share our values and vision. Get in touch, and let’s create something incredible together.
What does this studio mean to your community?
From Mob In Fashion’s perspective, this journey means that we are building something truly special—something that has a rightful place in the fashion industry and ensures that First Nations creativity is valued, recognised, and celebrated. Our goal is to shape an industry that is not only engaging and dynamic but also a culturally safe space where First Nations creatives can thrive.
For Rhys and me, this vision is deeply personal. Throughout our careers, we often wished for a community like Mob In Fashion—a space where we could connect, learn, and grow alongside other creatives who understood our experiences. If something like this had existed when we first entered the industry, we would have had a strong support system to navigate the challenges of the fashion world. Now, we are dedicated to creating that community and network for emerging creatives who share a passion for fashion and want to turn it into a career.
Beyond just providing opportunities, we want to open doors at every level, tailoring experiences to help each creative grow in the direction they aspire to. Whether it’s through hands-on industry experience, skill-building workshops, or direct mentorship, our aim is to ensure that First Nations creatives are not only welcomed but also industry-ready—equipped with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to succeed in fashion at a professional level.
David Jones has partnered with you to extend on-set learning opportunities to emerging First Nations creatives. Can you tell us about this?
Being a Friend of David Jones is incredibly meaningful to me, as it allows me to deepen my relationship with the brand and explore new ways we can collaborate. I am truly grateful for the longstanding connection I’ve had with David Jones—spanning more than ten years as a model and the past four years in this official role.
One of the most rewarding aspects of this partnership has been its evolution beyond personal involvement, extending into opportunities that support and uplift First Nations creatives through Mob In Fashion. A great example of this is our mentorship placement with JONES Magazine and on-set learning experiences during major campaigns.
This year, we were thrilled to offer this opportunity to Renee Henderson, a talented creative and designer who has worked with Mob In Fashion for years. Through this experience, she was able to immerse herself in a large-scale campaign photoshoot, gaining firsthand insight into the fast-paced, high-level production process. This kind of access is invaluable, as it provides emerging creatives with a real-world understanding of the industry and the skills needed to succeed at that level.
I’m excited to continue growing this relationship and to find new ways to bridge the gap between First Nations talent and the broader fashion industry, ensuring that more creatives have the chance to step into these spaces with confidence and support.
How can people support Mob In Fashion?
We are excited about the future and looking to expand in the coming years, creating even more opportunities for First Nations creatives in the fashion industry. Collaboration is at the heart of what we do, and we are eager to build meaningful partnerships with brands, companies, creatives, and talent who share our vision.
One of the things we love about Mob In Fashion is that our work is intentionally targeted and operates on a smaller, more personal scale. This allows us to create deeply impactful, hands-on experiences while maintaining a strong sense of community. However, our long-term goal is to grow into a larger studio, increasing our capacity to support and uplift more creatives. While we’re still in the early stages of that journey, we are incredibly proud of the progress we’ve made and love how our new studio is allowing us to expand in a sustainable and meaningful way.
We also hope to continue growing our partnership with David Jones, building on the strong relationship we’ve developed over the years. Their support has played an important role in helping us create new pathways for First Nations talent, and we’re excited about the possibilities ahead.
For anyone who is interested in working with us—whether you’re a brand, company, creative, or emerging talent—we would love to hear from you. Mob In Fashion is all about collaboration, mentorship, and innovation, and we’re always open to exploring new ideas and opportunities to make the industry more inclusive, representative, and empowering.
Mob in Fashion exists to elevate First Nations voices and representation ‘behind the scenes’ in the fashion industry. You can find out more about Mob In Fashion via their website: https://www.mobinfashion.com.au/