Stunning suiting, meticulous metalwork and more must-see looks from the 2024 Indigenous Fashion Arts Festival

Featuring everything from dresses made of traditionally tanned hide to pieces crafted from cellophane and rhinestones, the Indigenous Fashion Arts (IFA) Festival continues to celebrate both Indigenous designers' skill and their distinctive collections.

The overarching theme of Reverence & Conviction was on full display in the four runway shows of the IFA Festival's fourth biennial edition, presented after hours from May 30 to June 2 at the CF Toronto Eaton Centre. 

The collections showcased Indigenous cultural pride, traditional craftsmanship and brilliant innovation in the stunning creations of 24 Indigenous designers and brands from Canada, the U.S., Brazil, Greenland, New Zealand and Indonesia. Off of the runways, the festival extended to a Fashioning Resurgence Symposium; workshops teaching quill-weaving, metalwork and madder-root dyeing; and a marketplace with 70 Indigenous vendors from around the world.

In the spirit of recognizing global Indigenous communities, each night started with Anishinaabe-kwe image-maker and curator Wanda Nanibush reciting poems written by Palestinians. Nanibush expressed that the moving verses were meant to create a sense of solidarity in support of Palestinian people facing genocide, and highlight the similar connections to land and place that Indigenous peoples have around the world. The poems also reflected that evening's runway theme. In addition, the presentations were preceded by inspiring and uplifting performances by Hatiyo, Chelazon Leroux, Tia Wood and Cris Derksen. 

The shows — curated by Nanibush, Harbourfront Centre director of craft and design Melanie Egan, and Denesuliné IFA executive and artistic director Sage Paul — told captivating and well-crafted stories that allowed the distinct collections to flow together. Titled My Tender Bundle, Fierce + Fearless, From This Ground We Grow and Materialize, they referenced family, sense of self, connections to place and material culture, emphasizing prevalent ideas found throughout the designers' showcases. (All of the shows are available for viewing on YouTube.) 

While the following are a few of the notable trends shown at the 2024 IFA Festival, the list is by no means exhaustive. In the introduction for the fourth and final night, Egan noted that the work was "a feast for your eyes and a feast for your heart." While specific to the Materialize show, this could be said of the entire festival. Below are four fashion trends that stood out on the IFA Festival runways. 

Sustainable style

While sustainable fashion is on the rise in the mainstream market, Indigenous designers have always understood the need to care for the land. This was highlighted in the many collections that used land-based practices, drawing from natural materials that are renewable and biodegradable for embellishments or entire garments. 

In the collaborative collection by Indi City, Heather Bouchier, Alanna One Spot, Summer Peters and Tishna Marlow, horsehair was used to create a stunning effect, cascading down gowns and dancing with the models' movements. Jillian Waterman used corn husks to adorn elegant dresses and skirts, and in one standout look, used Bear Island Chippewa flint corn kernels to embellish an underbust corset and bustier. 

Traditionally tanned hide, which forgos the chemicals required in industrial tanning methods, was also used in numerous collections. Notably, Randi Nelson Designs used the sustainable material to construct a chic, sexy dress with a corset bodice and cutouts running up one side.

Land-based practices were not the only form of sustainable style on display. Mobilize Waskawewin continually highlights their focus on sustainability, upcycling pieces into joyful creations. In their IFA Festival showing, the incredibly wide hoodie with sleeves extending almost to the floor was patched together from tie-dye, polka dot and lilac deadstock garments. 

Indigenizing historical silhouettes

Fashion is cyclic, and historical silhouettes frequently inspire new looks. The puff sleeves of the 1890s were reborn in the 1930s and again in the 1980s, and cropped back up in two collections at the IFA Festival. 

Dene Couture's latest collection by Tishna Marlowe featured a purple puff-sleeve jacket that was reminiscent of a 1930s piece but made distinctly Indigenous with the addition of a rich fur collar, lustrous fringe and Dene floral motif covering the back. Acahkos Designs's Blood Memory (another upcycled collection) reflects on memories passing through generations. There were numerous pieces with puff sleeves and skirts that hit just below the knees, also evocative of the 1930s, though with elegant Nehiyaw (Cree) patterns repeated throughout.

Two dresses brought the 1920s to mind. Rebecca Baker-Grenier's brown leather shift was adorned with two rows of beaded fringe that shimmied as the model moved, much like a flapper dress, while formline in bronze beads sparkled on the chest. Haus of Dumont also presented a shift dress but with jingles dancing on the garment as the model walked.

Workwear

There were numerous designers who presented looks ready for the office. 

Hakhu Amazon Design showed boxy collared shirts with motifs inspired by petroglyphs from Ecuador's Napo province, while Merdi Sihombing used Indonesian Batak textiles to create incredible jackets in various silhouettes, including a tailored blazer with sheer panels. 

K. Lookinghorse's showcase included a suit with an asymmetrical jacket and skirt, and an oversized blazer dress with geometric florals running down the sleeves. 

Justin Jacob Louis showed numerous well-cut, long, gender-neutral coats, perfect to finish any work look. A standout was a striking black and white coat adorned with large Nehiyaw (Cree) syllabics. Meanwhile, Lesley Hampton — a steadfast favourite for elevated looks — showed a striking two-tone suit: warm white on top and burgundy from mid-way through the blazer down. Subtle burgundy beads edged the lapels.

Masterful technique

While all the designers displayed incredible skill, it was evident that some were masters at their craft, with looks that excited audience members and left them talking about the pieces throughout the festival.

Jennifer Younger Designs showed a range of exquisite metalwork, including formline necklaces as big as breastplates, net body chains finished with salmon bones and a bold copper bodice. In one look, the metal came to life in the form of butterflies, which rested on the model's sleeve and seemed to fly from an elaborate necklace. 

Naomi Bourque, another skilled jeweller, created ponchos that Gwich'in people might wear while harvesting traditional medicines. While the ponchos were designed with functionality in mind, the fur, appliqué, dentalium and beadwork exhibited Bourque's exceptional design eye.

ReeCreeations took the ribbon skirt and transformed it into an extraordinary dress that was featured in the festival's promotional materials. The appliqué ribbon work was exceptional, and the dress itself powerfully proclaimed "Still Here" on its sleeves while the bodice declared "Give Us Our Land" on the back of a turtle (North America being known as Turtle Island by many Indigenous nations). 

And in the stunning work by Arctic Luxe, fur was masterfully used to create a pair of traditional Inupiaq outerwear looks: one for an adult model and one for a child. The exquisite fur coats showcased the incredible skill of the designer, Bobby Lynn Qalutaksraq Brower, and elicited audible gasps from the audience when they appeared on the runway.