Ujaraatsiaq (May) Ningeongan: with every stitch, this Inuk designer honours the women who gave her life and the passion to sew

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