The Sunshine Coat is a multi-layered SLOW fashion and photography project, directed by Shaye Hardisty and Ketakii Jewson-Brown. The intention of the project is to share visual stories and aesthetics unique to the climate and culture of Namba/ Nambour through a collection of coats and an accompanying photographic essay. There is a strong focus on sustainable fashion, with the production of the coats utilising materials such as second-hand fabrics, salvaged waste and recycled/ organic cotton.

The project incorporates the collection of the deeper Nambour stories, feelings and memories from the community. These written submissions will inform, inspire and become part of the coat designs, as well as create an important aspect of the final exhibition. The Sunshine Coat will also see the engagement of seven local, Nambour- loving, artists that will collaborate on one coat each, across their differing mediums. The artists are Jordyn Burnett, Mathilda Muller, Cat Lee, Kirsty Williamson, Humble, Luckyphil and SWAK.

The project has a deep commitment to the Nambour community, with partnerships and collaborations inviting consistent opportunities to share skills, contribute to the exhibition and create connections. Informal monthly workshops at varying locations invite the wider community to creatively engage and make a piece of art that will join to become ‘the community coatThe Sunshine Coat weaves feelings of place, belonging and expression into the fabric of the town, celebrating the uniqueness and diversity of Nambour and paying homage to that, through both fashion and photography in a collaborative and playful way. The project will be exhibited at the Old Ambulance Station, Namba in April 2023, coinciding with Fashion Revolution Week, an international movement focused on sustainable fashion and industry change.