From Up Here's October issue, here are more of photographer Hannah Eden's shots from the fashion feature and a few words from the creative minds behind the looks:
Model Marlisa Brown wears a green sealskin jacket by Victoria’s Arctic Fashion, sealskon heels by ENB Artisan and Tania Larsson Studio’s black buffalo earrings with laser-etched caribou necklace and vintage beads.
Tania Larsson Studio
The Designer: Tania Larsson
The Place: Northwest Territories
The Story: “The hardest part was coming up with the design. It’s an Athabaskan puberty necklace. It’s a traditional necklace a young girl going though puberty would wear. It was usually made out of swan bone and there’s lots of ceremony attached to it. I wasn’t around to experience all of that sort of stuff because of residential schools, so I did research and actually went and saw a puberty necklace in a collection in Santa Fe. I really love to do research and turn traditional adornments contemporary.
“Identity is related to our adornments. We don’t have the adornments we used to have because of residential schools, so I base lots of my jewellery off of research. I follow traditional aesthetics and I want to make jewellery that native people can wear to make them feel strong and feel proud to be native. I’ve always had a hard time finding jewellery that represents my culture."
ENB Artisan
The Place: Nunavut
The Designer: Nicole Camphaug
The Story: “I love having sealskin out there. Most times it’s in winter gear: mitts, kamiks. And sealskin is hot. Like if you wear it in a shawl or kamiks, it is warm. But if you have a thin sealskin lining in your shoes you can wear it and not be too hot; it’s a different way to wear sealskin.
"I especially love doing men’s dress shoes. Mostly men are limited to a coloured tie, maybe a coloured shirt. But if they want to wear a black suit then they can have sealskin shoes that just totally finishes up their outfit.”
Victoria’s Arctic Fashion
The Designer: Victoria Kakuktinniq
The Place: Nunavut
The Story: Kakuktinniq uses dyed harp seal to create the colour contrast on this leather jacket. She’s inspired by the curves of the Amauti.
