WE ROAR Magazine issue 04 - Magazine - Page 57
In our chat, you mentioned to me how
disabled/PwD, neurodiverse and Indigenous
people are often marginalised - especially around
the context of fashion. How are you working to
change this?
I began trying to make changes in this industry in
the 1980s and have never stopped. I believe that
there have been changes that have made this
industry
more
accessible
to
disabled,
neurodivergent,
and
Indigenous
peoples.
Indigenous fashion is the fastest-growing segment
in the fashion industry today. Today we see models
who have Down Syndrome, amputees, and TwoSpirit people on the runway. Today we see people
of all shapes, sizes, ages, and cultures. Our industry
is evolving, and it has been a long journey to get
here.
You have put on shows all over the world. Can
you highlight a couple of our top favourites and
why?
Gosh! They are all so different and they all are
meaningful to me. I have focused on inclusivity in
all of my shows, but my favorite thing about each
of them is that we often have whole families
participating! I have had models as young as 3
years
old
up
to
88-year-old
Kukoms
(Grandmothers) on my runway at the same time.
As expected though my favorites have been in
Paris, Cannes, and New York because they allow
us to share information about MMIWG2S. We hope
to be able to bring some of our people, who have
been sold into the human trafficking trade home.
We are hoping that by getting their images and the
information about what is happening globally out
to a broader audience, we may be able to find
some of them and bring them home.
You mentioned that Indigenous designers are
often copied without proper credit or payment.
How can we consumers be more aware of this
and help to change it?
57
Photo: DazX
At all of our shows, we speak to
Appropriation vs Appreciation, we talk about
what items are okay for non-Indigenous
people to wear and what not to wear. For
example, it is NOT okay to wear a headdress
or any other ceremonial Regalia. It is okay to
wear ribbon skirts now, but that is new, it is
okay to wear jewelry that is being sold by
authentic Indigenous artisans. We ask that
people seek out authentically made products
to reduce the instances of appropriation.
What are some of your key strengths as a
businessperson that have helped you build
the agency to the success it is today?
Drive, passion, dedication, motivation, and
organization.
