TEAGAN “TJ” COWLISHAW

TEAGAN “TJ” COWLISHAW is a First Nations artist, fashion designer, creative producer and founder reshaping the future of Australian fashion through culture, creativity and connection.

Through her grandmother’s family, TJ’s cultural and family lineage connects her to the Nykina, Bardi and NyulNyul peoples of the Western Kimberley, with Bindunbur connections traced through her apical ancestor, Abraham Kongodu. This lineage sits at the heart of her creative practice and continues to shape the way she approaches culture, storytelling, fashion and First Nations talent.

Her journey began in 2013 with the founding of sustainable fashion label AARLI, rooted in her Bardi heritage. AARLI quickly established TJ as an emerging voice in Australian fashion, with her work going on to feature in major exhibitions including Piinpi: Contemporary Indigenous Fashion at Bendigo Art Gallery, the National Museum of Australia and Paris, and Eucalyptusdom at Powerhouse Museum.

TJ’s creative career has also been captured through two significant Australian fashion documentaries. She featured in Step Into Paradise (2021), exploring the influential work of designers Linda Jackson and Jenny Kee, and ABC TV’s The Way We Wore (2023), a three-part history of Australian fashion, appearing across Episodes 1 and 3.

Her industry impact extends beyond her own design practice. TJ has worked nationally across fashion and creative production, including as Chief Operations Officer and Producer at First Nations Fashion + Design, and Show called + produced major platforms including The Beginning (2021) + Our Island Our Home (2022). Her contribution to Australian fashion has been recognised through Vogue Australia’s 21 Women of 2021, as a finalist in the 2022 Australian Fashion Laureate, and as 2026 Designer of the Year at Darwin Fashion Week.

The evolution of TJ’s practice can also be traced through Vogue Australia — from AARLI’s feature in 2022, to BLAKLIST and its Next Gen talent being featured in 2025 and 2026.

In 2023, TJ founded BLAKLIST, a 100% First Nations-owned fashion and creative agency representing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander models, artists, performers and creatives. Now in its fourth year, BLAKLIST Next Gen has become a growing national platform for emerging First Nations talent, creating pathways into fashion through mentorship, industry access, major runway opportunities and professional development.

Now headquartered at Powerhouse Museum, TJ is bringing more than a decade of experience into a new chapter — building creative infrastructure where First Nations fashion, culture, talent and technology can meet, evolve and lead.