Vancouver Indigenous Fashion Week 2025 Takes Flight with AIR

Lights, camera, fashion! Vancouver Indigenous Fashion Week (VIFW) is back. And this year’s theme, Air, sets the stage for an extraordinary celebration of breath, movement, freedom, transformation, and spirit in Indigenous creativity and culture. Taking place from November 19 – 22 at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, VIFW 2025 will showcase the work of over 30 Indigenous fashion designers and 40 artists from all across Turtle Island (North America) over the course of four jam-packed days.

The world’s first Indigenous Fashion Week, Vancouver Indigenous Fashion Week was founded in 2017 by Joleen Mitton. After a successful career making waves in the international modeling world, Mitton felt a calling to reconnect with her Cree heritage. She decided to create a space where Indigenous designers could showcase their creations on their own terms.

Eight years later, Vancouver Indigenous Fashion Week has soared to new heights. You can expect their signature multi-day runway shows featuring Indigenous fashions from regalia to streetwear, alongside powerful drumming, dance, and singing. Plus, more pop-ups, interactive art installations, and educational workshops are added every year. Everyone is welcome to attend this immersive celebration of diverse Indigenous art forms, identity, and cultural traditions in the heart of the city.

Night One: Red Dress Event

Opening night is the Red Dress Event, a powerful evening that honours missing and murdered Indigenous men, women, girls, two-spirit and LGBTQ individuals, while celebrating collective resilience and strength through fashion and storytelling.

Among the designers for this show are Stitched by April / April Allen, an Inuk fashion designer from Rigolet, Nunatsiavut, whose designs blend sealskin and beadwork while drawing on generations of Inuit tradition. You’ll also see designs by Yolonda Skelton (Gitxsan Nation), whose breathtaking latest collection, “Wind Whispers of Wearable Wisdom,” reflects this year’s theme, air.

Night Two: All My Relations

Vancouver Indigenous Fashion Week’s second evening, All My Relations, showcases both emerging and established Indigenous designers in a dazzling mix of traditional practices and contemporary aesthetics.

Among the many talented designers featured this evening, you’ll see designs from Kaylyn Baker & Amber Baker (Northern Tutchone/Tlingit, Selkirk First Nation), who use “beaded storytelling” to connect across generations, and Jason Baerg (Cree Métis), who explores Indigenous culture through fashion, tech, and art, and was named one of Vogue’s “Designers to Watch.”

Night Three: Indigenous Futures

Indigenous Futures puts Indigenous sovereignty front and centre: “we shape a future of our own that centres Indigenous ways of being and knowing.” Through Indigenous streetwear, sportswear, and ultra-contemporary urban looks, this pop-culture heavy evening will feature hip hop and visual storytelling in a dynamic articulation of Indigenous Futurism where artists rewrite the narrative.

On the runway, you can look forward to seeing designs from talented artists like Scarlet Delirium (Kwakwaka'wakw), who combines showgirl glam, burlesque, and K̓wa̱la̱ culture, and Desmon “Day Day” Pack, the designer behind Creators Kidz Co., who blends West Coast Indigenous art with African American streetwear to share personal stories of culture and pride.

Night Four: Spirit of the West Coast

Finally, Spirit of the West Coast highlights the uniqueness of the land, waters, and Spirit of the West Coast.

Lovers of coastal design will be thrilled to know that Chepximiya Siyam’ Janice George and Skwetsimeltxw Willard ‘Buddy’ Joseph (Squamish Nation), master weavers, cultural leaders, and co-founders of the L’hen Awtxw Weaving House will have their designs featured on the runway. You can also expect to see exciting new work from Ay Lelum (Snuneymuxw), who uses eco-friendly fabrics in culturally rooted designs that are inspired by family stories, songs, and teachings.

But wait, there’s more! The entertainment line-up for this year is out of this world. Big names like Susan Aglukark, Paulina Alexis, DJ Kookum, Notorious Cree, and Chelazon Leroux will be providing entertainment throughout the week, filling the air with soundwaves that energize and light up the space. Singers, comedians, rappers, DJs, MCs, drag performers, and more will have you wanting to jump out of your seat to dance, laugh, and cry.

And after seeing all of the amazing designs on the runway, you’ll likely be itching to strut your stuff in some unique Indigenous fashions yourself. You’re in luck, the popular VIFW Makers Market will be set up in the lobby of the Queen Elizabeth Theatre again each night of the week, with jewelry, clothing, art, and other accessories to bring home with you. Treat yourself to a new pair of earrings or a one-of-a-kind garment. Or, if you’re feeling extra generous, buy something for those who weren’t able to make it to the events themselves. We’re sure they’ll be sad to have missed out!

With commitments to promoting ethical and sustainable fashions, we love that VIFW 2025 also encourages environmentally-friendly, socially responsible consumption and production in all aspects of their engagements with fashion.

Above all, Vancouver Indigenous Fashion Week highlights how fashion and art are undeniably powerful tools when it comes to building connections of all kinds. Rooted in Indigenous values, wisdom, and history, this world-renowned event showcases Indigenous brilliance through authentic representation and eye-catching designs.

See you there! We recommend attending all four nights for the full experience, but don’t worry if you can only make one, each evening brings something uniquely memorable.