Meet some of the NWT models at Edmonton Indigenous Fashion Week

“Even though some of us were from different parts of the NWT, it just felt like meeting someone from home.”

That is how Aklavik’s Kennedi Greenland described being part of last week’s Edmonton Indigenous Fashion Week – her second time on any runway.

Greenland, who moved to Alberta after graduating high school, said modelling has long been a dream and the fashion show gave her the perfect opportunity to begin pursuing it.

Organizers contacted her the same week she applied for the Edmonton show, she said.

“They told me that I had gotten on, and I was so excited,” Greenland told Cabin Radio.

“It felt so powerful. It felt like I was at home. Everyone was so supportive. It’s been a dream of mine to be a model, and doing things like this really makes it feel attainable and possible.”

This weekend, Greenland will travel to Japan with her modelling agency, Numa Models, for photo shoots and agency visits in Tokyo. She said she jumped at the opportunity after hearing there were only one or two spots left.

At the Edmonton fashion show, Greenland and other participants from the territory enjoyed connecting over shared roots. She wore a variety of striking outfits, including ribbon skirts and a full mink fur ensemble by Tega Designs.

Behchokǫ̀’s Mercedes Rabesca began her modelling career with House of Willow owner Dorathy Wright, travelling to Paris in March last year for her first runway experience.

“It was the first time I experienced it and I actually enjoyed it. I thought it was something fun to do,” she said.

“I get to highlight a lot of Indigenous artists or just designers because I noticed that there is a lack of it showcased in this fashion industry.

“I feel like a lot of people think we’re still like back in the day, like not advancing, and then to hear and see on the runway … a lot of people love the artwork, the designs that they get to see it first-hand, and I think it’s really cool and incredible.”

Since her debut, Rabesca has actively pursued Indigenous modelling opportunities. She recently participated in Edmonton Indigenous Fashion Week after being selected through a model casting call. She described the event as welcoming and community-oriented.

While Rabesca has not yet designed clothing for the runway, she has taught sewing workshops in her community, creating traditional items like mittens and other crafts. She continues to support other designers through modelling and hopes to explore design in the future.

‘Taking up space’

Jody Zoe’s runway experience dates back to junior high school, when a visit from Paradigm Esteem – a motivational modelling consulting firm – introduced her to runway walking and the importance of confidence and self-esteem.

“That experience was really foundational for me because I had the opportunity to walk alongside all of my friends and cousins from school, which made it really meaningful and enjoyable,” she said.

Zoe, also of Behchokǫ̀, said she got more opportunities to model at different events like the Naka Festival in Dettah, where she wore a wedding dress designed by Berna Beaulieu.

In November, she modelled for the Threads of Resurgence fashion show hosted by the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Native Studies.

Zoe said it was uplifting to be surrounded by Indigenous creative personalities at the Edmonton Indigenous Fashion Week.

“As a plus-size Indigenous model, representation is really important to me. I am intentional about taking up space in environments where people like me have not always been represented,” she said.

“I strive to do so in a ways that open doors for others. I want to show that with confidence, determination and a strong sense of identity, it is possible to succeed in spaces that may not have originally been created with us in mind.”

Yellowknife’s Denise Poirier, who now lives in Edmonton, was part of a 12-week program at agency Chan International when she was notified about the Edmonton Indigenous Fashion Week.

Poirier described being on the runway as a “healing and empowering” experience.

“Everyone was nice to each other. It was a really good experience,” she said. “It was just a very beautiful experience to be a part of.”

Poirier was born in Fort Simpson and spent part of her early childhood in Rankin Inlet before moving to Yellowknife. She relocated to Edmonton in 2021.

Despite the move, she regularly visits family in the North. She said returning to Great Slave Lake remains especially meaningful.

Beyond the runway, Poirier is also celebrating more than a year of sobriety after overcoming addiction, a journey she said has reshaped her life.

Poirier is about to pursue a Bachelor of Social Work degree with the goal of supporting others in recovery, particularly in northern communities, where she says gaps in services remain.

“To be a part of this modelling and walking with other models that are talented, who have done this before, it is very empowering,” she said.

“I’ve been recovered for 450 days and I feel like the component of healing in that was just to be able to say, ‘I did it. This is OK. I’ve gone through so much worse than this. I have self-respect and I have more confidence now.’

“My goal is to be a loud voice and hopefully come up to the NWT and do a recovery plan … We have got to find out the gaps and we have got to close them so we can heal our people.”