Perina Drummond is the founder and director of Jira Models, Australia’s first modelling agency known to focus exclusively on casting opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. She launched the agency in Melbourne in 2017 after noticing low levels of representation of Indigenous people in Australian fashion. Drummond has since helped more members of the community access the industry and advocated for industry institutions to improve access and recognise the value of their diverse contributions to the industry.
A stylist calling for greater representation across the board, she has also led or co-led projects such as a fully Indigenous runway show on the Australian Fashion Week schedule in Sydney in 2021. The designers Drummond selected for the show went on to join the Pathways Programme, a mentorship initiative by David Jones department store pairing emerging talent with veteran industry figures. The Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal woman previously worked in communications at Kinaway, Victoria’s Aboriginal Chamber of Commerce and The Lowitja Institute.
