London calling First Nations fashion designers

Chelsa Reil wants to take 5 aboriginal grads or students to February show

Indigenous fashion designers have a story to tell and one Regina woman has made it her mission to make that happen.

Back in 2007 Chelsa Reil was tired of the blatant cultural appropriation taking place on international runways and thought something should be done.

She established International Indigenous Fashion Week (IIFW) in Regina where she showcased indigenous fashion designers from Canada and the United States.

Through those shows, she was able to network and meet people in the fashion world.

Last year, she was invited to France for the Cannes Fashion Week and thought it was a good opportunity to network.

“I was working behind the scenes there and I met a lady that works with London Fashion Week and I was telling her about the indigenous designers here,” said Reil.

“I told her I wanted to get them into the mainstream fashion industry — some authentic indigenous designers.”

After some discussion and planning, two weeks ago she received some welcome news.

“Her partners gave her the go ahead to let me produce a show out there,” said Reil. “It’s going to be during London Fashion Week in February 2017.” She said knowing it is going to happen has been overwhelming.

“I’ve been bursting with excitement since then,” said Reil. “(When I got the call) I was pretty ecstatic. I was screaming on the inside but trying to keep calm on the outside.”

She said the next step is to find the designers and fundraise the money to get everyone to London.

“I don’t have the budget together yet, but it’s going to cost a lot,” said Reil.

Although she knows many local designers, there are certain stipulations she has to follow for London. Reil wants to take five designers, but they have to either be students of a fashion school or a recent graduate.

She knows it’s a tremendous opportunity for young designers and that’s why Reil, who is a full-time student and full-time mother, puts in the extra hours to make things happen.

“One of my main goals is to get into all four of the main fashion cities,” said Reil.

She is starting to see some of her work pay off because local indigenous designers are being contacted by international agencies to showcase their work.

This year, Beckie Bitternose from PlayBuffalo Designs featured her outdoor clothing not only during Saskatchewan Fashion Week but at Couture Fashion Week in New York and has received an invitation to a fashion show in China.

Then after London, Reil will be going to Malaysia to participate in the World Indigenous Fashion Week.

“I sit on their board of governors,” she said. “I am the representative for North America.”

Reil says things are changing in the fashion world and believes it is good because the spinoff is that the world gets to know a bit more about indigenous people.

I told her I wanted to get them into the mainstream fashion industry — some authentic indigenous designers.