This weekend, the biennial (IFA) festival kicked off in Toronto. First launched in 2016, the one-of-a-kind event included four days of fashion shows putting a spotlight on contemporary Indigenous fashion designers. For the first-time ever, the festival took place inside the city’s Eaton Centre mall, drastically increasing the size—and guest list—of the presentations.
“Our move to a bigger venue with larger audiences allowed me to see how Indigenous fashion is poised to be a global leader in the industry,” says Sage Paul, the executive and artistic director of Indigenous Fashion Arts. “Our fashion—Indigenous fashion—will always be in demand, and we have reclaimed it.” This year, the IFA festival featured an exciting array of designers curated by Paul, Wanda Nanibush, and Melanie Egan.
“Each show was a powerful fashion narrative that showcases the brilliance, beauty, craftsmanship, and range of Indigenous fashion,” says Paul. The mix ranged from designers who specialize in traditional regalia (including labels such as ReeCreeations, which has made special ribbon skirts for , to contemporary innovators in the streetwear space (such as Mobilize, which makes use of upcycled fabrics). “From customary to contemporary, the mix of designers was reflective of the broad cultural and individual expression coming from the Native fashion world,” says Paul.
The variety of runway shows showcased the diversity of today's growing Indigenous fashion space, proving that.