Named for Anita Pallenberg, noted 60s “it girl” and muse of The Rolling Stones, this 70s style oversized maxi is the kind of statement dress that’s perfect for a special occasion but also worth wearing as often as possible. Whether it’s dinner at a fancy restaurant, cocktails by the pool or an excuse to get dressed up and feel confident, this is your go-to dress that will deliver on all levels.

This design depicts the bush seeds that come from the ininti tree (batwinged coral tree).  The tree is native to the Western Desert of Central Australia, growing in sand around creek beds. The ininti grow abundantly in Muruntji country where the artist has spent much time collecting the seeds. Muruntji is west of Kungkayunti (Browns Bore), the outstation where the artist’s family is from. Both Patricia Multa, and her daughter Virgillia Multa paint the ininti at Muruntji, expressing the colours and movement of the ininti tree and its seeds and flowers throughout the seasons. Patricia remembers collecting the seeds when she was a child and making them into necklaces. The seeds can be found in the sand, or inside the pods still on the trees. The seeds naturally grow in varying colours from dark reds to light yellows. The flowers are equally vibrant, ranging from rich oranges into reds. Ininti are still collected today and made into jewellery at Ikuntji Artists.

Hand printed by Publisher Textiles & Papers in Leichhardt as a 3 colour (taupe, cream and rust on navy) print on 60% linen 40% cotton. Being handmade there may be some print variations, making each garment unique.

Treat this handmade garment with love and it will love you back! Cold gentle machine wash, drip dry in shade, warm iron. Avoid the tumble dryer and dry cleaner.

Sizing information included in the photo gallery.

Virgillia Multa
Virgillia was born in 1990 at Mpwernte (Alice Springs). Her mother is Patricia Multa, her country is Kungkayunti (Brown’s Bore) an outstation 1.5hrs drive, south/west of Ikuntji (Haasts Bluff). She is the niece of Traditional Owner and lawman Douglas Multa and acclaimed artist Alison Multa. Kungkayunti is the site of her grandfather’s Tjukurrpa (Dreaming), where the ancestral women came to rest on their journey towards Walungurru (Kintore).

Virgillia is the grand-daughter-in-law of acclaimed Ikuntji Artists’ Kumuntjai Nampitjinpa Dixon (dec) who is the grand-daughter of one of the founding members of the acrylic painting movement in Papunya in 1972, Uta Uta Tjangala. Tjangala was central to the establishment of Papunya Tula Artists in 1972 where he painted continuously into the late 1980s. In the 1970s, he travelled extensively through the Western Desert, settling in Muyin outstation, west of Walungurru (Kintore) in the early 1980s.

Virgillia’s mother Patricia Multa and her father Jeffrey Jackson are both artists at Ikuntji Artists. Since 2013, at age 23, Virgillia has been developing her painting techniques alongside her family at Ikuntji Artists. She works full-time at Ikuntji Kuula, the local primary school, painting whenever she has spare time. Like her mother, she also paints the native Ininti seeds at Muruntji. In 2018, Virgillia travelled to Brisbane for an artist-in-residency at International Educations Services (IES), during which time she taught seed jewellery workshops to students and completed a work that is now part of their collection.

In 2022, Virgillia participated in several screen-printing and design development workshops at Ikuntji Artists and created her first fabric-by-the-metre design. She had also participated in t-shirt design workshops in 2017.

Ikuntji Artists

Ikuntji Artists is a member-based, not for profit, Aboriginal art centre. It is situated in the community of Haasts Bluff (Ikuntji), and has a board of seven Indigenous directors all of whom live and work locally. Haasts Bluff has a population of around 150 people. 

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