Style is a personal thing. And in honour of Indigenous History Month, we want to feature top designers who not only make an impact in their communities but have also built prestige around Indigenous culture. Whether it’s in New York Fashion Week or Fashion Art Toronto, these ten have influenced North American fashion in the best way. —Nicole Garbanzos
Alex Manitopyes
A non-binary/trans masc fashion designer from Muskowekwan and Peepeekisis First Nation, Alex Manitopyes founded sacrd thndr in 2023. Deeply influenced by traditional Indigenous artistry, inclusivity and challenging conventional norms are at the heart of each piece by this Two-Spirit designer.
Kinoo Arcentales
Part of the Pacha Indigenous Arts Collection, Kinoo Arcentales, an Indigenous Kichwa designer, founded Yana Manta. Well-known on the runway in New York and Milan, his designs are award-winning and regularly featured in the media. They’re rooted in sovereignty and Indigenous futurism and recently had their runway moment at Fashion Art Toronto.
Samay Arecentales Cajas
Also part of the Pacha Indigenous Arts Collection, Samay Arcentales Cajas is a queer Kichwa digital media artist who turns beadwork into wearable art. Leader of the Pacha Arts Family, she turns her brand, Samay and her beads into a source of grounding. Deeply rooted in her Mindalae lineage, her pieces are handmade and balanced, connecting new media and slow art.
Justin Jacob Louis
Featured at New York and Milan Fashion Week, Justin Jacob Louis is the founder and creative director of SECTION 35, an Indigenous streetwear clothing brand. A proud member of the Samson Cree Nation, he draws his designs from Nehiyaw (Plains Cree) culture and language. Honouring ancestral connections, every hoodie and shirt reimagines Indigenous fashion as a whole.
Vina Brown
Vina Brown founded Copper Canoe Woman Creations in 2017. What began as something that supported her throughout her college degree has transformed her into a full-fledged fashion label. A regular on the runway, she tells a story of Indigenous knowledge passed down and a deep interconnection with her respective culture. Honouring the earth, her pieces are symbolic and bring Indigenous spirituality to life.
Evan Ducharme
Metis with ancestral ties to the Cree, Ojibwe, and Saulteaux Peoples from St. Ambroise, Manitoba (Treaty 1 Territory), Evan Ducharme is a fashion designer who’s known globally. Featured in major publications, his pieces have been exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, marking the first time a contemporary Metis fashion designer was represented.
Lesley Hampton
An Anishinaabe artist and fashion designer, Lesly Hampton has won a CAFA (a Fashion Impact Award in 2021), dressed celebrities like Devery Jacobs and has showcased her designs in London and Milan Fashion Week. A member of the Temagami First Nation, she not only uses her platform to nurture community and conversation but also furthers the representation of her roots globally.
Aunalee Boyd-Good + Sophia Good
Sisters Aunalee Boyd-Good and Sophia Good operate design house Ay Lelum along with their family in Nanaimo, BC. A duo in Coast Salish art that’s rooted in the guidance of their elders and Hul’q’umi’num law, their pieces are award-winning and have been featured at New York Fashion Week.
Tania Larsson
Tania Larsson is a designer of Gwich’in Fine Jewellery. Grounded in Gwich’in culture and created with land-based materials, each piece is intentionally set to connect you with her land and ancestors. Through contemporary northern Indigenous adornment, all of her materials come from nature through subsistence hunting.
Erin Brillon
100 percent Indigenous women-owned, Totem Design House was founded by Erin Brillon. She is from the Laana Tsadas Eagle Clan of Skidgate Haida, and since her early days, every portion of sales has gone towards Indigenous youth programs. Located on Vancouver Island, the label houses various products that honour the artistic traditions of the Northwest Coast with a revamp for the present day.
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