Nicole Camphaug is the Owner of ENB Artisan and belongs to a generation of Inuit artists transforming the seal product industry in Nunavut. As a young child, Nicole learned to sew from her mother and aunt, who sewed for their families, and her grandmother, who beaded and made eiderdown clothing. In addition to laying an important technical foundation for Nicole’s future designs, these talented Inuit seamstresses modelled the importance of attention to detail and continuous learning, attributes Nicole continues to apply to her creative work. Nicole has a wide variety of skills in the arts that enable her to use traditional designs and materials in the creation of modern, sophisticated products. Nicole hand-makes parkas, sealskin mitts, hats and a variety of other crafts. She (along with her husband) designs and makes exquisite traditional and contemporary ivory, muskox boss, and caribou antler jewellery. Nicole is perhaps best known, however, for her line of sealskin footwear, which includes flats, boots, men’s shoes and stilettos. The success of this line, which demonstrates Nicole’s ability to offer a sophisticated and modern take on traditional designs, is also evidence of her business savvy. Hailing originally from Rankin Inlet, Nicole now lives and works in Iqaluit. Her husband, Edgardo, is also her creative design partner. They have one child, a daughter named Barree. Nicole speaks Inuktitut and English, and she has competencies in French and Spanish. This video is from our EntrepreNorth Walk in Beauty video series, which captures the stories of the entrepreneurs in our Circumpolar Fashion Cohort. Click here to see more videos from the series.
Follow ENB Artisan: IG: @enb_artisan | FB: @ENBArtisan This video was made by Mark Aspland of Aksut Media Ujaraatsiaq (May) Ningeongan is an Inuk fashion designer from Salliq (Coral Harbour), Nunavut. Sewing has a long history among Inuit; the tools and techniques have been passed from one generation to the next. May is committed to keeping Inuit sewing traditions alive through the design and production of garments that marry the traditional with the modern. May specializes in the creation of sealskin and leather garments, including parkas, dresses, atigi (special occasion shirts), vests, blazers, and kamiit (traditional Inuit boots). Along with her mother, Elizabeth Ningeongan, an accomplished and well-known seamstress, May owns and operates Ujaraatsiaq’s Garments, an upscale fashion boutique. Ujaraatsiaq is May’s Inuktitut name; she was named after her grandmother, Annie Eetuk. This video is from our EntrepreNorth Walk in Beauty video series, which captures the stories of the entrepreneurs in our Circumpolar Fashion Cohort. Click here to see more videos from the series.
Follow Ujaraatsiaq Ningeongan: IG: @ujaraatsiapsanaugangit | FB: @ujaraatsiapsanaugangit This video was made by Mark Aspland of Aksut Media Brenda Lee Asp: this artist shares intergenerational success through purposeful prints and designs8/18/2021
Brenda is Northern Tutchone from central Yukon and Tahltan from northern British Columbia. Born and raised in the Yukon, she is Crow Clan and the proud mother of three boys. From a young age Brenda spent time watching, learning, and working alongside her mother, grandmother, and aunts. Inspired by her mentors, Brenda attended the Blanche MacDonald Centre in Vancouver. She graduated with a diploma in Fashion Design in 2010. Brenda’s creative endeavours include garment creation, leatherwork, print design, jewellery, and beadwork. Her hand-crafted jewellery features porcupine quills, moose skin, feathers, birchbark, and a variety of metals and semi-precious gemstones including moonstone, abalone, malachite, and tourmaline. Brenda has toured North America, displaying her designs at various art festivals and fashion shows including Couture Fashion Week in Manhattan and Western Canadian Fashion Week in Edmonton. She most recently participated in the IFWTO and Dene Nahjo Artist Markets. This video is from our EntrepreNorth Walk in Beauty video series, which captures the stories of the entrepreneurs in our Circumpolar Fashion Cohort. Click here to see more videos from the series.
Follow Brenda Lee Asp | www.brendaleeasp.com This video was made by Brian Ladue of Northern Wild Productions Kaylyn Baker Designs: this artist channels unforgettable moments into eye-catching beadwork8/17/2021
Kaylyn Baker is a proud Northern Tutchone and Tlingit woman from the Yukon. A member of the Raven Clan and a citizen of Selkirk First Nation, Kaylyn now calls Whitehorse home. Kaylyn developed an early interest in the visual arts including painting, photography, and pottery. When her mother, Charlene Baker, was a student at Emily Carr University and the University of Alaska Southeast, Kaylyn attended classes with her and occasionally participated. These experiences enriched her understanding of different visual art mediums. Today, Kaylyn is an avid beader, using a variety of materials and textiles, and drawing on the principals of visual art to create her own designs. In addition to making jewellery, Kaylyn’s beadwork adorns garments and accessories, including mukluks, moccasins, and purses. Beading allows Kaylyn to connect with her ancestors—her mother, grandmothers, and great grandmothers all beaded—as well as with her peers and her children. Beading is a form of storytelling, a way to pass along traditions and knowledge to future generations. In addition to showing her kids the good things that come from following their dreams, Kaylyn hopes through her beadwork and sharing her sewing skills to inspire other Indigenous people who may have lost touch with their traditions as a result of residential school. This video is from our EntrepreNorth Walk in Beauty video series, which captures the stories of the entrepreneurs in our Circumpolar Fashion Cohort. Click here to see more videos from the series.
Follow Kaylyn Baker Designs | www.kaylynbakerdesigns.com This video was made by Brian Ladue of Northern Wild Productions Golden Eye Designs: Vashti Etzel's wearable art infuses the matriarchal beauty of her grandmother8/16/2021
Vashti Etzel is a Shuhta/Kaska Dene woman and a member of the Wolf Clan. Born in Fort Smith, NWT, Vashti spent her childhood in Ross River, Yukon. Raised in part by her grandparents, Vashti grew up on the land and was immersed in stories passed down by her family. At sixteen, she dreamed of becoming a well-known artist, but she also had an interest in earth science. After graduating from high school, Vashti attended Mount Royal University with the intention of starting a business that would create on-the-land jobs for her people. The birth of her first child renewed her passion for art and inspired her to continue her late grandmother’s legacy in traditional crafts. A self-taught artist, Vashti draws creative inspiration from her grandmother and her Dene roots and is motivated by a desire to preserve her Indigenous heritage and culture. In 2016, Vashti shared a beaded poppy she’d made on social media and it got picked up by CBC. The orders for poppies and custom moccasins that followed led to the creation of Golden Eye Designs. Vashti also makes jewellery that features materials from the land. One of Vashti’s pieces, a pair of exquisitely beaded gauntlets, is part of the Yukon Permanent Art Collection. She was also commissioned to design and produce a custom sash for the Chancellor of Yukon University. This video is from our EntrepreNorth Walk in Beauty video series, which captures the stories of the entrepreneurs in our Circumpolar Fashion Cohort. Click here to see more videos from the series.
Follow Golden Eye Designs | www.goldeneyedesigns.ca This video was made by Brian Ladue of Northern Wild Productions Erica Donovan (Lugt) is an Inuvialuk artist from Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories; Daughter To Eric & Tootsie Lugt, Granddaughter to Eddie & Alice Gruben. Erica makes jewelry inspired by the land and her Inuvialuit culture, in particular Inuvialuit dancing parkas. “I’ve always been attracted to colour. I bring my love of colour, of all colours and what my eyes interpret from the colours of the Arctic to my creations.” Erica also has a passion and pedigree for fashion; she comes from a long line of well-known Gruben seamstresses. Erica is committed to creating wearable fashion that is at once traditional yet modern. Jewelry and fashion design are more than creative outlets for Erica. They have also been an important part of her healing journey. Erica was a featured vendor at Indigenous Fashion Week Toronto in 2018 and sold out at IFWTO 2020. Her earrings were on display at Paris Fashion Week in 2019. Erica co-coordinated the 2019 Arctic Fashion Show as part of the Great Northern Arts Festival Society in Inuvik. She is also a member of the Creations for Continuity and Proudly Indigenous Crafts & Design website. More recently, she took part in the 2021 Earring show with BC Craft Council as well as the Entreprenorth Circumpolar Fashion Cohort. This video is from our EntrepreNorth Walk in Beauty video series, which captures the stories of the entrepreneurs in our Circumpolar Fashion Cohort. Click here to see more videos from the series.
Follow She Was A Free Spirit | www.shewasafreespirit.com This video was made by aRTLess Collective with support from NWT Arts Elizabeth Arey is Inuvialuk artist from the coastal community of Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories. Elizabeth was taught to bead and sew by her mother, who learned from her mother, the well-known Inuvialuk seamstress, Alice Gruben. Elizabeth’s technical skills have also benefitted from working alongside other talented artists. Through Arctic Ocean Mocs, Elizabeth offers clients warm, cozy, and stylish slippers with intricately beaded uppers. Made from locally sourced sealskin, fox, and beaver, Elizabeth’s moccasins are based on a slipper pattern she inherited from her grandmother. Elizabeth’s beadwork, which features ice, snow, and flowers, is inspired by the beauty and bounty of nuna (the land). Her intricate beadwork is constantly evolving and always unique. In addition to creating beautiful moccasins, Elizabeth is also keeping sewing traditions alive in her community by sharing her skills with the younger generation. This video is from our EntrepreNorth Walk in Beauty video series, which captures the stories of the entrepreneurs in our Circumpolar Fashion Cohort. Click here to see more videos from the series.
Follow Arctic Ocean Mocs This video was made by aRTLess Collective with support from NWT Arts Dorathy Wright is a Gwich’in quilter and artist from Inuvik, Northwest Territories, who now calls Norman Wells home. Dorathy comes from a family of artists, though she is mainly self-taught. While she learned traditional beading and embroidery in junior high and high school, Dorathy came to quilting as an adult. With the help of some how-to videos, she picked up the skill quickly. She has since taken classes on specific quilt patterns, including watercolour rails and double pinwheels. Dorathy’s work, which celebrates colour, line, and texture, seeks to captivate the viewer’s spirit and emotions, sparking a sense of mystery, excitement, and joy. She aspires to be a contemporary dressmaker and hopes to one day open a craft store to display her textile work and provide materials and designs to the communities of the Sahtú. With over ten years of experience as a quilter and artist, Dorathy has been selling and donating quilts for more than five years. Recipients of her work include the Norman Wells Land Corporation, Mackenzie Mountain School, the NWT SPCA, the East Three Girls Basketball Team, and many local families. Dorathy is committed to supporting, educating, and donating to her local community in the hopes that her crafting skills can encourage other young artists to engage in healthy and productive hobbies. This video is from our EntrepreNorth Walk in Beauty video series, which captures the stories of the entrepreneurs in our Circumpolar Fashion Cohort. Click here to see more videos from the series.
Follow Willow Crescent Quilting This video was made by aRTLess Collective with support from NWT Arts |
This is part of Walk in Beauty: a video series that shares the stories of Northern Indigenous fashion entrepreneurs who are weaving together business, culture and identity
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