#indigenous designer

[thejewellerybox]

Quannah Chasinghorse at the Met Gala 2024, wearing forget-me-not beadwork jewellery, hair accessories and belt by Heather Dickson. Dress by H&M.

Beadwork, tufted caribou hair, dentalium shells covered with silver leaf, moose skin. X

[aworldofpattern]

Christian Allaire at the Met Gala 2024, wearing custom outfit by Jamie Okuma.

Allaire, a fashion writer at US Vogue, is Ojibwe, and a member of the Nipissing First Nation, Ontario. Okuma is a Luiseno, Shoshone-Bannock, Wailaki, and Okinawan who is also an enrolled member of the La Jolla band of Indians in Southern California where she lives and works.

Allaire: 'I knew I wanted to wear an Indigenous designer to the Met this year. When I heard this year’s theme—“Sleeping Beauties”—and dress code—“The Garden of Time”—I was instantly struck by a few concepts: That our Indigenous designs & craftwork have persisted FOREVER, and that many of our traditional garments have always beautifully reflected the natural world that surrounds us.

On the blazer, @j.okuma used a hand-reverse appliqué method to illustrate two of my favorite flowers from back home: Lupines and Indian Paintbrushes. Turns out, these flowers are also popular in Jamie’s region down on the West Coast. (We both agreed they are very “rezzy flowers.” 😉) For the pants, Jamie also put a contemporary twist on a traditional breechcloth, instead adding a built-in panel to formal tailoring. I absolutely adore how she mixed the old with the new.

To finish off the look, Jamie also surprised me with a special Bandolier-style bag that made me super emotional when I unboxed it. She found an ANTIQUE piece of Ojibwe floral beadwork (likely turn of the century) to represent my specific heritage, and then helped restore it into a cross-body style—adding modern touches like crystal straps and ribbon embellishments.

Many archival photos show Ojibwe men wearing similar Bandolier bags throughout history, and when I carried it last night, I couldn’t help but feel like I was carrying a piece of my ancestors with me. And holllah - we made it to the MET.'

[songsofbloodandwater]

Lizeth Alvarez Vargas, diseñadora Asháninka.

[iwantitinpink]

Quannah Chasinghorse at the 2023 Met Gala, wearing dress by Prabal Gurung and beadwork jewellery by Sota Scowi Designs

Jewellery handmade from glass beads, faux pearls, porcupine quills and dentalium shells.

[coyote-calling]

Taanshii! Bre dishinikashoon. Nova Scotia oschii niiya, pi Manitou-ba niwiiken.

Since my page is getting some unexpected attention I figured I'd take the time to introduce myself properly, in the event I have a chance to make some new friends.

I said above in Michif: my name is Bre. I am from Nova Scotia, but I call Manitoba my home. It is the heart and root of my people, the Red River Métis. I do not yet know the name of my spirit as it was given from Creator. I hope to find that soon -- for what is a storyteller without their true name -- but until then, Bre or B is just fine.

I am a proud indigenous woman, for even though I know myself to be not just female, I'm comfortable in the body I was born in. I use she/her pronouns and identify as two-spirit, proudly indigiqueer in my own warm, powerful way. I refuse to be put in any box other than my own.

Storytelling and making art is my calling. I'm in my third year of my degree in Fine Arts, dual specializing in painting and experimental design. My process is as rooted in duality as I am, and one of my practice goals is to find a way to blend traditional technique with contemporary technology. I use this blog as a way to share my ideas, artwork, writings, and found inspiration with (hopefully) kindred spirits.

If you have any questions, curiosities, comments, or anything in between, please don't hesitate to let me know. I'm friendly to a fault, not to mention that most stories are meant to be shared where possible!

I've got a permanent art website up at: https://brequirion.art

My other links are present at: https://linktr.ee/bumblehavenart

I look forward to interacting further :)

[profeminist]

Meet the Woman Behind Indigenous Fashion Week

Vancouver's first Indigenous Fashion Week, produced by model-turned-social worker Joleen Mitton, showcases the work of Indigenous designers.

“When talent scouts plucked a 15-year-old Joleen Mitton from a crowd of faces at the PNE in 1999, she had no idea it would propel her into the globetrotting life of an international model. For eight years, Mitton was based in East Asia, living in Taiwan and Hong Kong and traveling to Korea and Guam while modelling for top international agency Elite. But while the lifestyle was a glamorous one, it ultimately proved hollow. “As a model you’re like a canvas for anyone, so you kind of get lost in who you are and what you’re supposed to be,” she says.

Facing an identity crisis after years of acting as a blank slate, Mitton left the fashion industry and returned to Vancouver in 2008 where she reconnected with her own Indigenous community and began mentoring Aboriginal girls in the Downtown Eastside. Now, the model-turned-social-worker is uniting her love of fashion with her passion for supporting and celebrating Indigenous culture with Vancouver’s first Indigenous Fashion Week, which debuts at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre this month.”

Indigenous Fashion Week runs every night from July 26 to 29, starting at 5:00 p.m. each evening at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. It will commence with an opening ceremony, followed by a Street Style event. For a Red Dress event the night of July 28 organized by activist Lorelei Williams, attendees will be asked to dress in red in honour of missing and murdered Indigenous women, before drawing to a close the following night. Tickets are free.

Read the full piece here

Go Joleen Go!!!

[thejewellerybox]

Lily Gladstone at the 2024 Oscars, wearing jewellery by Bulgari and Joe Big Mountain (Ironhorse Quillwork), a Mohawk, Cree, and Comanche artist renowned for his quillwork jewellery.

He also worked with Gucci's Creative Director, Sabato De Sarno, on Lily's gown.

Vogue: “It’s Not Just Mine”: Lily Gladstone on Her Historic Oscars Nod and Powerful Red Carpet Look

[thejewellerybox]

Lily Gladstone at the Emmys 2024, wearing copper breastplate with floral engraving, which I'm guessing is by Jennifer Younger, an indigenous designer who has created other custom pieces for Lily. by indigenous designer Agnes Seaweed Wisden, Sea Wisdom Design.