MECCA's Holiday Collection Comes Wrapped in Artwork Designed by Australian First Nations Artist Kaylene Whiskey

It's not often that you look at a Christmas present and you're more interested in the wrapping than what's inside. But with MECCA's Holiday 2023 artwork, this might just be the case.

The Australian brand has become one of the biggest beauty retailers across Australia and New Zealand throughout its 17 year tenure, establishing itself as the place for Aussies and Kiwis to shop for high quality skin, make up, hair and fragrance products.

For the past eight years, MECCA has worked with the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne to find an artist to create their holiday packaging, which adorns MECCA's carry bags and gift boxes throughout the silly season. The design also acts as a backdrop for MECCA's very own holiday gift sets, which include everything from Christmas crackers filled with sunscreen to tree ornaments made out of lip oil.

Not only will MECCA's packaging get a makeover, the chosen artist will also have their designs shown in the National Gallery of Victoria, a huge platform for budding artists.

The artist who was bestowed this honour for 2023 is Kaylene Whiskey from the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands in the northwest of South Australia. To create her design, Whiskey combined pop culture references – such as the Wonder Woman-inspired figure that appears throughout her work – with her knowledge of Anangu traditions,reflecting elements of Whiskey's life in her community.

With her vibrant, colourful design, Whiskey wanted to show the culture of the Anangu community and what she learnt growing up, layered with how the current generation of children from her community are growing up. Created using former tourism flyers, Whiskey shows how these two generations can exist alongside each other, illustrating Anangu traditions like hunting amidst the Australian landscape while women sing and play instruments and a superhero figure flies above.

Whiskey's artwork can be summed up by a phrase she plugged herself whilst creating the design, which hits the nail on the head when it comes to the holiday season and MECCA: "Everyone together, looking so good".

MECCA Holiday 2023 is now available online and in stores throughout New Zealand and Australia. Head to the MECCA website to see the full range of Whiskey's artwork.