This Spring, we will be excited to welcome the inaugural Indigenous Fashion Week Toronto. It will be showcasing the most progressive Indigenous-made fashion, crafts, and textiles around Canada, with 23 artists and designers from Nunavut to Greenland. The IFWTO is set to take place from May 31st until June 3rd at the Harbourfront Centre.
The four-day multi-platform festival, founded by Dene artist Sage Paul, will also feature panels, lectures and hands-on workshops for such things as Indigo Dyeing (Tuscarora Nation) and Navajo Rug Weaving. IFWTO is committed to exploring the deep connections between mainstream fashion, Indigenous art, and traditional practice by presenting it to broad audiences and industries. It presents and showcases, curated exhibitions, artist talks, panels, lectures, hands-on workshops, and a trade and consumer marketplace, programming 60% or more Indigenous women artists and their works in fashion, textiles and craft.
A marketplace with more than 40 vendors will also be on site, with fashion, food, cosmetics, lifestyle products and more by Indigenous female artists from Canada, the U.S and beyond.
“Indigenous fashion can redefine mainstream fashion and art: our fashion illustrates our stories, traditions, sovereignty and resiliency,” said Paul in a press release issued Thursday. “IFWTO is about carving out space for Indigenous fashion, craft and textiles.”
Further programming details and an in-detail schedule will be announced in the coming weeks, according to IFWTO. Join their email list to get up-to-date information about registration, programming, artists, and events.
Featured Image: Instagram/@IFWtoronto
Are you going to check out the Indigenous Fashion Week Toronto?