A Canadian Fashion Legend Gets Her Due

Dorothy Grant, whose career spans more than four decades, received the inaugural Indigenous Fashion Award at the Canadian Art & Fashion Awards (a.k.a. the CAFAs) on April 23. Indigenous fashion historian and curator Amber-Dawn Bear Robe presented Grant with the honour.

Grant is best known for the way in which she uses Haida artwork in her designs, from dresses to capes to her iconic swing coats, which feature hand-cut appliqués of her artwork.

This Raven cape is made from cashmere and wool, with hand-cut appliqués. (Photo: Farah Nosh)

Her pieces have been worn by the likes of Susan Aglukark and Robin Williams, and many are on display at museums, including the Canadian Museum of Civilization, the Seattle Art Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

A hand-cut and hand-painted deerskin jacket that Grant made in 1992, influenced by the 1990 film Dances With Wolves. (Photo: Farah Nosh)

Canadian fashion's big night also saw designer Sophie Theallet, model Coco Rocha and fashion journalist Tim Blanks receive honours. Theallet was named International Canadian Designer, with supermodel Veronica Webb presenting her award. America's Next Top Model's Jay Manuel honoured Rocha with the Changemaker Award for her industry advocacy and mentorship of other models, while Blanks took home the Vanguard Award for his contribution to fashion reporting.

The photographs in this feature are from Dorothy Grant: The Endless Thread, a 2024 retrospective of Grant's gorgeous work.