Mainie: Where Dreamtime Art Meets Timeless Fashion
In a world of fast fashion and fleeting trends, Mainie offers something rare and enduring, a connection to the world’s oldest living culture through the luxury of fine natural textiles and authentic Aboriginal art.
Woven with Purpose
Mainie is more than just a fashion label. It is a heartfelt story, a celebration of Aboriginal women artists, their creative brilliance and the sacred traditions they carry forward.
Founded in 2012 by Charmaine Saunders, a proud Gunggari woman from the Maranoa River region of southwest Queensland, Mainie was born with a vision to share the richness of Australia’s 65,000-year-old First Nations heritage with the world through beautiful, wearable art.
From the ancient heart of the Australian Outback to international showcases of design, Mainie brings together the world’s oldest unbroken art traditions with the finest natural fibres, including:
- Luxurious pure silk
- Ultra-soft Woolmark-certified Australian Merino wool
- Lightweight, vegan-friendly Modal
Each piece in the Mainie collection is created to be timeless and meaningful, a wearable tribute to Country and culture.
Timeless Stories, Beautifully Reimagined
What sets Mainie apart is its authenticity.
Mainie designs feature original Aboriginal artworks, hand-painted by traditional women artists from remote desert communities in the Tanami region of Central Australia. These artworks are not simply decorative, they are visual expressions of ancient Dreamtime stories, passed down through generations for tens of thousands of years.
The collection also proudly includes contemporary designs by Indigenous women artists from Far North Queensland, whose works reflect vibrant expressions of culture, identity and connection to land and sea in the tropical north.
Every Mainie wearable art piece comes with provenance details, including the story behind the artwork and a biography of the artist who created it. These are pieces of cultural significance, created with purpose and pride.
Ethical. Sustainable. Empowering.
Mainie operates with an unwavering commitment to ethical sourcing, cultural integrity and fair-trade values.
All artwork designs are ethically acquired from Aboriginal-owned, community-based art centres and reproduced under licence in accordance with the Indigenous Art Code.
What this means in practice:
- Aboriginal women artists are paid royalties for every piece made.
- Licensing agreements are established with full transparency and respect for cultural protocols.
- All designs are reproduced with approval from the artists and their communities.
As founder Charmaine Saunders says:
"Every Mainie we make gives back to the Aboriginal woman artist who created the original design to elevate and empower her, her family and her community."
The Mainie Promise
Every Mainie wearable art piece is:
- A unique melding of authentic Aboriginal art and luxurious fashion
- Produced ethically under licence with cultural permissions
- Artisan-crafted from sustainable, natural fibres like pure silk, the finest Australian Merino wool and vegan-friendly Modal
Global Recognition of First Nations Fashion
Worn and loved by stylish, discerning women around the world, Mainie’s wearable art has been proudly showcased on the global stage, including:
- Expo 2020 Dubai
- Expo 2025 Osaka
These international milestones affirm Mainie’s mission to honour Aboriginal women’s stories, preserve traditional knowledge, and celebrate an enduring cultural heritage with integrity and pride.
Discover the Collection
Each Mainie piece is designed to become a treasured heirloom - a conversation starter, a statement of support and a symbol of cultural respect.
Explore the collection at mainie.com.au
