Tina House
APTN News
Indigenous Fashion Week kicked off at the famous Orpheum Theatre in downtown Vancouver – with a special tribute to murdered and missing women and girls called the Red Dress event.
Over the next four nights some of Canada’s finest designers are going to be showcased at four different venues.
Jolene Mitton is not only a model but also the founder of the event.
“The first one is obviously this one at the Orpheum then the Queen Elizabeth Theatre which is the futurism the first night and on the twentieth. Then the 21st which is All My Relations which is a collective of all the different places of indigenous designs and where they come from and our last show is at MOV- it’s a cool dance show with three designers that are really exciting,” says Mitton.
The first night was completely sold out as the 300 attendees anxiously awaited the show.
Yolonda Skelton was one the designers featured.
“My Name is Sugiit Lukxs I am from the Gitxsan Nation and my name means when the whales crest there.”
Co-hosting the event alongside Mandy Nahanee was Lorelei Williams – both of who have been personally affected by the issue of MMIWG.
Williams made an impassioned speech to open the event.
“We need to raise awareness of this issue as much as we can whether it’s through art, dance, songs fashions shows we need to keep this in the eyes of everybody because it’s not stopping,” she said.
Musqueam Nation Artist Deborah Sparrow was also featured on opening night.
“It’s my passion handmade textiles of course which was the passion of our people – and so I’ve started with hand woven then I moved into the commercial line and then the commercial line moved into the fashion line so we are progressing we are moving and yet we stay connected to who we are by the reflections of the patterns,” said Sparrow.
The other designers showcased were Nipii Deisign – “Kahwi tahwahpan” – The Sun will rise again. Morgan Asoyuf – Royal Portrait Cape, Evan Ducharme – Progeny and Pam Baker – Touch of Culture.
For a full list of the events go to: https://eventchain.io/organizer-profile/5768
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