Get to know the Native American and Indigenous Canadian designers being showcased at the inaugural SWAIA Native Fashion Week.
As the inaugural SWAIA Native Fashion Week approaches, we're taking a look at the Indigenous designers that will be gracing the runway.
The first of its kind, SWAIA Native Fashion Week will include multiple runway shows along with a symposium and opportunities to engage with Indigenous designers, models, and activists. Learn more at swaianativefashion.org.
Lesley Hampton (Anishnaabe) is the designer and creative director of her namesake size-inclusive clothing and accessory brand in Toronto. lesleyhampton.com
Loren Aragon (Acoma Pueblo) is founder of the Towering Stone showroom. More on Towering Stone here.
House of Sutai by Peshawn Bread is a house that thrives on designer Bread's (Comanche/Kiowa/Cherokee) aesthetic inspiration from fashion and film. instagram.com/houseofsuta
Patricia Michaels (Taos Pueblo) is a Project Runway alum and design hero who creates haute couture, jewelry, and more via her line, PM Waterlily. patricia-michaels.com
Dehmin Cleland (Ojibwe/Odawa) specializes in the disciplines of beadwork, quillwork, and sewing. instagram.com/dehmin.o.cleland
Carrie Wood "ch’izhii": Santa Fe designer Wood (Diné) merges traditional concepts with street fashion. About the name of her brand: “The Diné word ‘ch’izhii’ has multiple meanings, it can mean rough or dry, and it also is interpreted to mean tough, resilient or rugged.“ chizhii.com
Himikalas Pamela Baker of T.O.C Legends (Squamish/Kwakiutl/Tlingit/Haida) resides in West Vancouver, BC, and owns Touch of Culture, TOC Legends Designs, and Copperknot Jewelry. flow.page/pambakerhimikalas
Justin Jacob Louis (Samson Cree Nation) is the creative director and founder of the streetwear line Section 35. sectionthirtyfive.com
Orlando Dugi (Diné) runs his namesake fashion house out of Santa Fe. orlandodugi.com
Heather Bouchier X Indi City Bouchier (Beardyʼs & Okemasis Cree Nation) works with vintage styles and upcycled materials; Angel Aubichon co-founded Indy City, a brand fusing tech and tradition. instagram.com/heatherbouchierdesign, indicity.shop
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Penny Singer (Diné) makes jackets, handbags, ribbon shirts, and accessories out of her studio in Albuquerque. pennysinger.com
Victoria's Arctic Fashion is an up-and-coming design label that fuses traditional northern garments and accessories with a modern style, started by Victoria Kakuktinniq (Inuk). vafashion.ca
Maria Hupfield (Anishnaabe-Wasauksing First Nation) is an Ontario-based visual artist and designer. mariahupfield.wordpress.com
Ayimach_Lodge by Angela DeMontigny, Rachelle Whitewind, and Jason Baerg is a collective project combines the talents of Canadians Baerg (Métis Nation), an Ontario-based visual artist and educator; DeMontigny (Cree-Métis), a fashion designer; and Whitewind (Ojibwe-Cree), an actor. jasonbaerg.ca/ayimach-indigenous-fashion
Qaulluq is designer Clara McConnell (Inupiaq), who works with traditional patterns and motifs in her apparel. instagram.com/qaulluq
Randy Leigh Barton (Diné-Navajo), also known as “Randy Boogie,” founded the Boogie Gallerie in Tempe, Arizona, and makes wearable and other visual art. boogiegallerie.com
Helen Oro Designs (Pelican Lake First Nation) specializes in beadwork, from colorful earrings to embellished sunglasses. instagram.com/helenorodesigns
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Learn more about SWAIA Native Fashion Week at swaianativefashion.org.
From our May/June 2024 issue.
PHOTOGRAPHY: Courtesy vendors
