Australia’s first female Muslim Federal MP Anne Aly walks runway wearing thigh-high dress

Federal MP Anne Aly, the first female Australian Muslim elected in federal parliament, made history on Monday when she walked the runway for the Sydney Fashion Week. The 50-year-old took a break from Canberra’s Parliament House and walked in a Thomas Puttick dress to raise money for White Ribbon project.

The Egyptian-born politician wore a black tight-fitting dress with a thigh-high split, a jacket with white collars and a pair of high-heeled boots. She wore a simple white jacket to represent the White Ribbon foundation, which fights violence against women.

The Labor politician looked classic and elegant in the clothes designed by Puttick, a local 23-year-old Sydney designer whose theme for the event was showcasing people who break the typical image of fashion models. Musician Sarsha Simone and Aminata Conteh-Biger, a refugee from Sierra Leone, also graced the runway. The diverse group of women modelled for the label's Resort 2018 collection. Puttick is known for his “vision for a more positive future of fashion,” and in this show, he chose “inspirational women” to become his muse for the collection.

It was the first time for Aly to walk the ramp in designer wear. In a media interview, she talked about how she is in awe of Puttick’s designs because they cater to “women of all ages and all shapes, which is really important.” She also talked about how skinny women are used for the catwalk today, thus many people cannot relate to them. “I think fashion tends to be something that a lot of people find a little bit out of their reach or that they don’t really relate to so much — particularly in fashion shows where young, glamorous, very, very thin models are used,” Aly told SBS.

Meanwhile, Puttick has stated that he wanted the show to be different from the rest. He wanted a showcase that could inspire and empower women to have a “more positive contribution to dialogue within fashion." Speaking about Aly, he said, “The way Anne Aly speaks, what her values are and the way that she is moving things forward in parliament and the dialogue that she contributes to within that sort of setting — I’ve always found that really empowering."