PLAYBUFFALO

PlayBuffalo is named after the designer’s grandfather. And inspiration for creating her own designs came from Bitternose’s kokums (grandmothers), who created beautiful quilts during her childhood.

“I got started 2½ years ago. I made a jacket for my two babies,” Bitternose explained. “They were gifted Pendleton blankets when they were born.”

She had always wanted a Pendleton jacket for herself, she said. “They have all these beautiful designs on them . ... They’re absolutely gorgeous blankets . ... They’re so bold and vibrant.

“When I would go around to powwows, I’d see all these people wearing these jackets. I wanted one so bad . ... But when I would go to booths at powwows, I could never afford one. So with my kids’ blankets, I figured that if I could make a jacket for my babies, I could eventually do one for myself. And that’s how I got started.”

Bitternose purchases Pendleton blankets locally from Horse and Rider Regina. Each blanket costs her approximately $300. And then she buys zippers and buttons, as needed.

“So by the time I’m done a jacket, the price — all the material and my time — it adds up,” she said.

Bitternose usually sells her PlayBuffalo jackets for around $500.

“A lot of times, people will just bring me a blanket,” she said.

If that’s the case, she often offers to sew the jacket for $150, to keep it affordable.

“I know what it’s like to want something so beautiful, but you can’t have it because you can’t afford it. So it’s just kind of a way of giving back,” Bitternose explained.

Initially, her jackets were purchased mostly by First Nations clientele.

But now, PlayBuffalo outerwear is growing in popularity and catching the eye of an array of customers. In fact, her biggest challenge is keeping up with demand, Bitternose said. “I hate having to tell people no.”

But time restraints have made that necessary, at times, as Bitternose must fit designing in around being a homemaker and mother of four.

Creating PlayBuffalo fashions has become a passion for Bitternose. “I really love it!”

She was showcasing 10 pieces on the SFW runway. Of those, “a few” will be available for sale. Her collection features purples mixed with reds, oranges, whites, as well as “the fire colours” (red, turquoise, orange, yellow, white, black), and the Hudson’s Bay print blanket. There are also browns and the turtle, signifying Mother Earth.

A self-taught designer, Bitternose said she never set out to participate in fashion shows — or to sew.

“When I sat down to first do my jacket ... I had no idea how to sew two fabrics together.”

She credits her kokums, who are also self-taught seamstresses, for motivating her to create her freehand designs. “I don’t know how to use a pattern,” she said. “When I sew, I just lay a blanket down on the floor and I’ll just kind of draw out what I’m envisioning. When I’m satisfied with what I see drawn out on the blanket, I’ll cut it and sew it together,” she explained.

What’s next for the 33-year-old fashion designer?

“I’m just kind of a spur-of-themoment person. I just take it as it comes,” she said.

Bitternose can be contacted through Facebook.