Acclaimed Canadian designer shares culture through fashion for Indigenous Peoples Day

Gitxsan Nation fashion designer Yolonda Skelton loves sharing her knowledge with the next generation.

Though she has travelled all over the world showcasing her acclaimed Indigenous designs, Skelton is thankful that she gets to come home to impart the teachings that have been passed down to her, especially on National Indigenous Peoples Day.

“My biggest influences were my late maternal grandmother Lily Jackson and my uncles and chiefs,” Skelton told Daily Hive. “They were the keepers of the stories of my people, and they passed them on to us as children.

“We are the next generation to be keepers of the stories, and it is our job to pass them on. The teaching of the next generation is an important role for an aunty, and that’s how I see myself: as an aunty to all.”

 

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The textile artist from the House of Hax-be-gwoo-txw of the Fireweed Clan has always had a love of fashion and her own unique way of dressing. Skelton began creating garments in grade 8 and started to meld fashion with cultural art when she created regalia for her dance group in 2001.

“My first illustrated design was a killer whale coat which I made for my mom. After that, I was hooked,” explained Skelton. “However, I didn’t realize I wanted to be a costume designer until 2022 when I designed my first-ever film, a National Film Board documentary film called Lay Down Your Heart. Then I was assistant costume designer to Carmen Thompson and Jessica Calen for the film “Bones of Crows” which just came out in theatres.

“I am very selective about what I do in film. It is important that the films and plays that I design for have a message, one that can help teach the world about issues of importance to our people.”

Yolonda Skelton/Submitted

Another important learning opportunity comes in the form of National Indigenous Peoples Day, held every year on June 21. For the Sugit Lukxs Designs owner, the day is a chance for Canadians to learn more about the nation whose territory they reside on.

“It is a day set aside to help bring reconciliation into action,” shared Skelton. “There are many events in various communities such as drumming, art classes, storytelling, and talks about the culture of the peoples of this land.

“For me, it is a day that I can share my culture using my fashion as a mode of transmitting cultural stories to my audience. I like to celebrate it in my own life by being a teacher to anyone who wants to learn.”

Yolonda Skelton/Submitted

Cultural stories and different eras of clothing inspire the acclaimed artist, and she shares that fashion is a way for her to connect with her students.

“Fashion is wearable art that helps people understand my culture in a way that is easy for them to understand,” said Skelton. “I enjoy the creative aspect of being an artist, I love to think outside the box and dream my creations into existence.

“Designing and fashion are so important to me because they are a window into my soul. They are the way I communicate to the world, the importance of valuing, the land, nature, and Indigenous people, for what we have to offer.”

Yolonda Skelton/Submitted

Skelton’s designs have been featured at Vancouver Indigenous Fashion Week, Indigenous Fashion Week Toronto, the Santa Fe Haute Couture Fashion Show, and the International Indigenous Fashion Week in Paris.

She recently had a fashion show of her work at the Vancouver Art Gallery called Good Medicine with Corey Bulpitt’s work directed by Joleen Mitton. Her work can also be seen in the Bill Reid Gallery in Vancouver and at the American Museum of Natural History in New York.

Yolonda Skelton/Submitted

“All of my creations have an underlying message that comes from the power of the crests that they are depicting,” Skelton said. “I also use my designer platform to bring awareness to the missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.

“I believe that through the arts we can help heal the hurts of the past, for all of our ancestors, and find our way to true reconciliation.”