Artist Profile | Tessa Sayers

We are so excited to introduce you to our newest talented artist, Tessa Sayers, who is the owner and designer of a lifestyle brand called Soul Curiosity.

She is Ojibwe, Cree, and Metis, and I met her a year ago in Portland. She was playing with the idea of launching her own business, and we are so glad she did!

We sat down with her to chat a bit more about how she got started, and what inspires her the most.

Ribbon Skirts | Clothing, Strength, and Sacredness

"When you put your skirt on, you're showing Mother Earth who you are." - Myra Laramee (Fisher River Cree Nation)

Last fall, when the Water Protectors stood in solidarity with Standing Rock, I was fortunate to visit the camps on multiple occasions. In preparation for my first visit, I was advised to wear a long skirt because the grounds are sacred and ceremonies were being conducted constantly. The frontline warriors and their supporters needed constant prayers and sacred protection for this dangerous yet important fight.

Designer Profile | Derek Jagodzinsky

Sleek fabrics, classic silhouettes, and an infusion of Cree culture are the hallmarks of LUXX ready-to-wear garments made by fashion designer Derek Jagodzinsky, a member of the Whitefish First Nation.

Jagodzinsky graduated from the University of Alberta with a Bachelor of Design degree, and went on to intern in New York with fashion designer Michael Kaye Couture. These experiences, Jagodzinsky explains, provided him with the opportunity to not only refine his skills in couture, but also to understand the business side of fashion from an international perspective.

LUXX clothing is produced in Edmonton, and is handmade in small quantities to ensure quality craftsmanship.

Sho Sho Esquiro | 2013 Collection

Our phone conversation began like most of our conversations: a quick dish about all the recent rad things that our Grammas said or did. While it might be common for Native American or First Nations designers to spend a lot of time with our grandparents, I'm going to go out on a limb and say that it is probably not the case for most Canadian or American fashion designers.

For Kaska Dene and Cree fashion designer Sho Sho Esquiro however, lots of good quality Gramma time sits at the core of who she is as a person, and her recent collection (which she dubs her "Grown Up Collection") is clearly influenced by a sense of maturity and a reflection on the past. Traditional Dene and Cree beadwork, shellwork, and sealskin all find their way into her garments as elegant and thoughtful details.

Designer Profile | Candace Halcro

Designer Candace Halcro is a Plains Cree/Métis from Saskatchewan, Canada. With her company BrownBeaded, she has been catching the eye of fashion lovers worldwide with her fashion-forward one-of-a-kind beaded pieces, such as her ultra-cool beaded sunglasses.

But the international attention didn't happen overnight.

In her hometown region, beadwork and other local Indigenous traditions are a central aspect of the visual culture.

NAFW12 | Cree Nisga'a Boots

Much to my happiness, I got to see the cool boots of Cree Nisga'a Clothing made by Linda Lavallee (of the Montreal Lake Cree Nation), her husband Patrick Stewart (of the Nisga'a in northern British Columbia) and their son Cory Lavallee at the National Aboriginal Fashion Week. Specializing in beautifully decorated footwear, their boots are an adaptation of historic tall moccasins and mukluks from the cool northern subarctic region.

Each pair of boots is handcrafted using leathers and decorated using either painting or cutwork. They specialize in creating boots tailored to your feet - they can trace your foot to get the initial boot impression to whip you up a custom-made pair.

GON12 | Disa Tootoosis Finale

Clothing designed by Cree fashion designer Disa Tootoosis at the Central Visionaries fashion show held during the annual Gathering of Nations Powwow in Albuquerque, NM, April 2012.

GON12 | Disa Tootoosis Dress

Dress designed by Cree fashion designer Disa Tootoosis, worn by a model during the Central Visionaries fashion show held during the Gathering of Nations powwow in Albuquerque. Stay tuned... more videos will be uploaded, just as soon as I figure out how to do it! (yay video!)

Designer Profile | Yvonne Jobin

Yvonne Jobin is a Cree First Nations artist and designer based out of Calgary, Alberta, where she operates her business Moonstone Creation.

Jobin's knowledge of traditional Cree culture and art is reflected in the clothing and accessories that she makes for her business. Using traditional materials and techniques (such as for her jackets that are made of smoked tanned hide), Jobin continues the practices of the Cree people before her. She says she is dedicated to preserving and teaching her culture through the arts and with the use of authentic materials of her ancestors.

Disa Tootoosis Reds

I'm loving these designs by Disa Tootoosis that incorporate lots of deep reds - beautiful colors for autumn! Photos taken at North Battleford, SK, Canada.

Cody High Style Fashion Show | Angela DeMontigny

These images just in from the Cody High Style Fashion Show - featuring fashion designs by Angela DeMontigny (Chippewa/Cree/Metis).

Cody High Style exists to educate, to present economic opportunities, and to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas which perpetuate the best traditions of Western Decorative Arts. The Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody, Wyoming, is proud to host a celebration of Western Decorative Arts.

http://www.codyhighstyle.org

Designer Profile | Linda Kay Peters

RINGING BELL ROBES by LINDA KAY PETERS

Linda Kay Peters is an Ojibway/Cree born in Red Lake, Ontario, and currently lives in British Columbia, where she is a member of the Seabird Island Band. Through her company, Ringing Bell Robes, Peters creates garments that display her First Nations heritage and her interpretation of these cultures.

Although Peters has no formal training in fashion design, she’s always had an interest in sewing and as a child she used to create clothing for her dolls. Later her grandmother taught her how to use a sewing machine, and in her early teens she began sewing clothes for herself.

Peters is a self taught couturier, which started over ten years ago with the creation of a vest used for line-dancing.