International Indigenous Fashion Week celebrates 5th season
- Tiffany Head | May 01, 2016
Music blasting, fashion models walked the runway and you couldn’t help but to dance in your chair as you admired the designs the models wore.
The fifth season of the International Indigenous Fashion Week (IIFW) featured 11 established and emerging designers in Regina.
There were live performances by singing group, Pretty Indian girls; uprising First Nations Femcee/Model Kara Jade; and award winning Juno artist Jordon.
Lani Elliott one of the three organizers of the event said that one of the companies mandate is to promote the talents and efforts of young Indigenous designers and models, so they would be able to showcase their talents on a global scale.
“We want to give them that sense of encouragement and sense of hope that they do have a place in the world and they do have a place in the fashion industry,” said Elliot.
Elliot mentions that one of her fellow organizers, Chelsa Reil, is a Canadian ambassador for Indigenous fashion in 3 of the major fashion venues, New York, Paris and London.
She says it is a huge opportunity to, “have those connections and to be able to provide those connections to indigenous designers”.
Leia Jody is a Menswear fashion designer from Ottawa who likes to manipulate fabric. She debuted her first menswear collection at the 2015 annual Grand Premiere Fashion Show. She also won, “Couturier of the Year” for her 3rd year collection.
“I go to the fabric store and see what inspiration of what I want to create, I see it in my head and I create it, I don’t even sketch, it’s all in my head,” she said.
Tracy George Heese owns her own business, Timeless Shadow Apparel, said she’s been her own boss for four years and creating her own styles.
“I’ve been sewing for the last 30 years, and been in business for 20 years but I’ve always worked for somebody else so this time around now I work for nobody but myself,” said George-Heese
She says she keeps doing fashion show to push herself to create something different.
“I have participate in fashion shows in the last twenty years, it has to do with keeping my name out into the public and if people are aware that this is what I’m still doing and they can approach me, I’ve done a lot of custom work commission work, and I also do sewing classes,” said George-Heese.
She likes to design traditional and contemporary clothing, especially for men.
“There’s something so attractive about a well-dressed man and a man that’s put together,” said George Heese.
Elliott said that there has been a lot of designers out there who appropriate indigenous fashion and cultural appropriations unfortunately is a huge thing in the fashion industry.
“We think it’s important that we offer authentic Indigenous designs,” said Elliott.
The fashion show was a complete success.