Seamstress Freda Raddi, from Tuktoyaktuk, has a parka included in Canada Goose’s new collection, Project Atigi.
The luxury winter apparel brand says on its website it partnered with 14 Inuit seamstresses from Inuvialuit, Nunatsiavut, Nunavut, and Nunavik to create original parkas and amautiit.
Raddi is the lone representative of the NWT among the contributors.
“This exclusive collection was developed to create social entrepreneurship opportunities for Inuit seamstresses, by leveraging our global platform to showcase their extraordinary craftsmanship and unique designs,” stated the company.
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The project’s name, “Atigi,” is the Inuktitut word for “parka.”
Raddi’s design includes a Delta Braid, which Canada Goose termed “an intricate geometric pattern made from layers of ribbon and bias tape [which] takes patience, precision and expertise.”
Raddi learned the technique from her mother, who “continues to be an inspiration” for her designs, which are laden in family history and tradition.
Freda Raddi in a Canada Goose headshot. Canada Goose/Facebook
CBC reported the designers will retain the rights to their designs, which in many cases have been passed down through their families, and were paid commission for their work.
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The collection debuted in New York City on January 31.
The full proceeds from the one-of-a-kind parkas – which retail between $5,000 to $7,500 – will go back to the communities.
Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, the organization that represents Inuit in Canada, will be responsible for distributing the money.
“ITK will collect the proceeds and we will bring the matter forward to our board of directors, which is made up of the elected leaders of each of the four Inuit regions, to determine how to best use these funds in Inuit communities,” said ITK spokesperson Erin Brandt Filliter.
