The Royal Ontario Museum is partnering with Indigenous Fashion Arts to host a pop-up shop within their ROM Boutique. IFA is an Indigenous-led non-profit organization that sustains Indigenous producers of fashion and textiles by working directly with Indigenous designers to promote their work, carving out new and innovative ways of public engagement and helping them access established modes of retail. The ROM Boutique offers the perfect space during the busiest time of year for finding that special gift for a loved one. Here’s a preview of the designers behind this thoughtfully curated winter pop-up, on until February 9.

Assinewe Jewelry

 

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Nation: Anishinaabe
Edie and Jacquelyn Assinewe are twin sisters from Toronto and are members of Sagamok Anishnawbek First Nation. Edie creates all the beadwork and Jacquelyn sculpts the polymer clay pieces for contemporary elegant jewelry that incorporates traditional Ojibwe imagery and technique.

Beadz by Dre

 

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Nation: Mohawk
Andrea Johns is a Haudenosaunee (Mohawk/Turtle Clan) who currently lives in Toronto.
Johns did not need to look far for inspiration as many of her family members are avid beaders. Johns works directly with clients to craft custom pieces using the very best materials available, matching her intricate designs with the personality of her clients.

Blu Hummingbird


Nation: Onondaga
Brit Ellis is the multi disciplined artist and designer behind Blu Hummingbird. Ellis creates intricate beadwork that has a wide range of pop cultural references, like tattoo illustration, cartoons, and fruit. Ellis has experience in counselling and community work, which extends to her design work that fosters connections with people and hopefully starts a conversation.

Born in the North


Nation: Mi’kmaq
Born In The North is the brainchild of twin brothers Chris & Greg Mitchell. A creative studio that examines our connections to nature, their apparel and other projects are inspired by their Canadian upbringing and their Mi’kmaq heritage

Indigo Arrows

 

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Nation: Anishinaabe
Indigo Arrows is a female lead textile design company from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Founder Destiny Seymour is an Anishinaabe interior designer with over 10 years of experience, who saw a lack of products that spoke to the important graphic heritage of local indigenous people. Her high quality handmade textiles beautifully incorporate these ancient symbols that fit perfectly in our contemporary homes.

Lesley Hampton

 

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Nation: Temagami First Nation
Lesley Hampton is an Anishinaabe Artist and fashion designer who has quickly become one of Canada’s industry leaders. Hampton is a member of Temagami First Nation, located in northern Ontario, and has lived all over the world infusing her practice with an international perspective in art and design. Hampton’s attention to detail and craft have made her the one to watch in the North American fashion scene.

MDW Jewelry

 

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Nation: Sucker Creek First Nation
Meghan Weeks is a Woodland Cree/ English artist living and working on the unceded
traditional territories of the Coast Salish peoples Squamish, Tsleil-Waututh and Musqueam
Nations. Weeks jewelry dazzles with its use of colour and integration of shapes and real elements from the natural world. Her work is informed by deep matriarchal knowledge passed down in her family and a playful Cree sense of humour. Her art practice and design motivations continue her journey to stop the cycle of intergenerational trauma.

M.O.B.I.L.I.Z.E


Nation: Nehiyaw (Bigstone Cree Nation) Wabasca AB
Dusty LeGrand’s stylish streetwear-inspired clothing stands out and stands up for a more forward thinking future. Boldly coloured embroidery and graphics attract our attention and transmit important messages of freedom and equity, all the while poking fun at the established structures of oppression.

Niio Perkins Designs

 

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Nation: Akwesasne Mohawk
Niio Perkins (Haudenosaunee) is an award-winning fashion designer. Perkins incorporates natural materials, heirloom fabrics and antique elements into her work. An expert in the Iroquois raised beadwork technique, Perkin’s amazing colour palette beautifully incorporates historical patterns inspired by the natural world.

Willow Crescent Quilting


Nation: Gwich’in Nation
Dorathy Wright is an Indigenous artist and designer from the Gwitchin nation. Starting with beautifully made quilted blankets, Wright has now created functional and beautiful clothing that are inspired by the landscape and wilderness of the North mixing traditional techniques with modern fabrics. Wright is also active in teaching workshops on clothing and blanket design and construction.

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