BRANDON KLEIMAN 

SET DESIGNER

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Brandon is a set and costume designer based in Toronto with work appearing on stages across Canada. He was nominated for the 2017 Pauline McGibbon Award, the 2018 and 2020 Virginia and Myrtle Cooper Award in Costume Design, and is a recipient of an OAC Chalmers Development Grant. . He’s also a multiple Dora award nominee and two time winner.

Cliff Cardinal is a writer and performer. His solo play HUFF was shortlisted for Amnesty International’s Freedom of Expression Award. His adaptation of WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE’S AS YOU LIKE IT and storyteller/songwriter cabaret CLIFF CARDINAL’S CBC SPECIAL are touring this year as is his band, CLIFF CARDINAL & THE SKY-LARKS, who are releasing their third album. He was born on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, is the son of Canadian actress, Tantoo Cardinal and studied playwriting at the National Theatre School of Canada. Cardinal lives in Toronto with his wife, Sage Paul, artistic and executive director of Indigenous Fashion Arts. “It is an honor to serve our community and this movement and Indigenous Fashion Arts.”

Cris Derksen

Composer

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Juno nominated Cris Derksen is an Internationally respected Indigenous Cellist and Composer. Originally from Treaty 8 in Northern Alberta, she comes from NorthTall Cree Reserve on her father’s side and Mennonite homesteaders on her mother’s. Derksen’s composition strength lies in her diversity for all artistic fields including: Dance, Theatre, Film, Television, Animation, Fashion, Podcasts, Symphonic, Chamber, Choral, and Installations. She performs as soloist-composer for Symphonies and Chamber Orchestras across Canada and has been commissioned by the Calgary Philharmonic, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Thunder Bay Symphony and Orchestre Metropolitan- Yannick Nézet-Séguin. In 2022 Derksen was the composer for the Canadian Pavilion for the World Expo in Dubai. Her work on the Podcast Stolen: Surviving St. Michael's by Connie Walker and Gimlet media won both a Pulitzer and Peabody. Upcoming engagements include Carnegie Hall, A collaboration with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet and the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and being the composer for the Canadian Pavilion for the World Expo in Osaka in 2025. Derksen is always up for the challenge of bringing an Indigenous perspective to all aspects of sonic storytelling.

Eva Thomas is a member of the Walpole Island First Nation. As a creator and storyteller, she is passionate about diverse stories and the portrayal of Indigenous people in a contemporary context. Eva was selected for the 2020 NSI Totally Television Program, the 2021 Women in View-Five in Focus: Indigenous Program and the 2021 Women in the Director's Chair (WIDC). Eva was the Associate Producer for the feature film Night Raiders, written and directed by Danis Goulet.

In the summer of 2021, she was the Director Shadow for two feature films: Darlene Naponse’s Stellar and Gail Maurice’s Rosie. Currently, she is working on her first feature film which she plans to direct. She is also producing the feature film, “Coffee Express”, a Telefilm Talent-to-Watch Project written & directed by Roger Boyer.

Israel Garcia hails from Walpole Island (Bkejwanong) First Nation. With Ojibway and Mexican roots, and over 17 years in the hair industry. Drawing from his art background and two-spirit identity for strength and inspiration Israel has been able to carve out a niche for himself in the fashion community. A deep rooted foundation in traditional hair dressing, along with furthering education are cited as a driving force in the artists career. Creativity and self-expression through hair styling has been a life long fascination for Israel. Paired along side his sister, they have been able to bring to the forefront a entirely indigenous view on beauty, and representation to the table.

Lesley is both Anishinaabe and Inninew from the Missipawistic Cree Nation. She is based in Treaty One Territory Winnipeg Manitoba. She grew up on the shores of the Saskatchewan River where it meets Lake Winnipeg. Lesley’s artistic skills include photography, writing curatorial texts, and research with new and emerging Indigenous artists. She has had exhibitions in Nuit Blanche Montreal Quebec and in Window Winnipeg Manitoba. She is a community helper and is a mental wellness worker for youth experiencing challenges. Lesley is also a volunteer, she sits on the board of directors for an Indigenous youth organization in the North-end of Winnipeg, and has been a juror for Flash Forward. She trusts in the healing aspects of creating art, finding inspiration on the land, and the process of walking along others as they enter their traditional healing journeys. Lesley believes that supporting, creating, and wearing Indigenous Fashion and textiles is the best way to decolonize and represent our culture in a beautiful way.

Melanie Egan is the Director of Craft & Design at Harbourfront Centre with over 30 years of experience in the field. She heads up Canada’s foremost artist-in-residency devoted to ceramics, glass, textiles, jewellery and design. She curates exhibitions, organizes symposia and events, lectures, writes, mentors and advocates for craft and design in Canada and internationally.

She edited Crafting New Traditions: Canadian Innovators and Influences – published by the Canadian History Museum (2008), and has curated numerous exhibitions including: The View from Here – a critical response to Canada150 (2019); The Mind is the Hand is the Bomb that Blows: Anders Ruhwald (2018); Aberrant Tales: Lindsay Montgomery (2016); RE: Position – curated with Paul McClure for Toronto International Jewellery Festival (2013); Jeff Goodman Designs – co-curated with Alan C. Elder, for DesignTO, Craft Ontario gallery; Makes Sense on the Body – Studio Huddle Gallery, (2012) and STUFF: Ingenuity and Critique – Contemporary Danish Craft (2004) as part of Harbourfront Centre’s memorable SUPERDANISH Festival.

Michelle is a lighting designer who works with dance, theatre, and opera companies across Canada. Selected designs include: Indigenous Fashion Week Toronto 2020 - online edition; Sherlock Holmes and the Raven’s Curse, The Russian Play (Shaw Festival); acts of faith (Factory Theatre online); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Theatre Rusticle); The Jungle (Tarragon Theatre); Broken Tailbone (Nightswimming); Shanawdihit (Tapestry Opera); Lilies (lemonTree Creations/Why Not); Under the Stairs (YPT); School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play (Obsidian/Nightwood); The Royale (Soulpepper). She has received eight Dora Awards, a SATAward, and the 2008 Pauline McGibbon Award as well as being short-listed for the 2021 Siminovitch Prize. She is on the board of the Associated Designers of Canada.

Myranda Spence is Oji-Cree; her maternal ancestral Cree roots are from northern Ontario James Bay and her paternal Ojibwe roots are in south western Ontario. Myranda has a passion for the fashion industry, with experiences beginning in her early teen years as a model. She studied Fashion Techniques Design at George Brown College and aspires to continue to develop her skills as a stylist and a designer. Myranda has performed at various events and has also travelled the powwow trail with her family as a fancy shawl dancer and hoop dancer. Myranda has a huge artistic background which includes performing arts like theatre, music, and in her spare time is a self-taught DJ.

Sage Paul

Executive & Artistic Director

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Sage Paul is an urban Denesuliné woman based in Toronto and a member of English River First Nation. Her ethos centres family, sovereignty and resistance for balance. Sage is the Executive & Artistic Director of Indigenous Fashion Arts, which she also co-founded. She has been instrumental in establishing and leading projects for Indigenous artists working in fashion, craft and textiles through several projects with Indigenous Fashion Week Toronto, Inland, Ikea Canada, the International Fashion Showcase during London Fashion Week, Setsuné Indigenous Fashion Incubator, the Canadian Trade Commissions in South Africa and London, Artscape Launchpad and Canadian department store Simon’s. Sage has contributed to InStudio Magazine (Banff Centre for the Arts), Walker Reader (Walker Arts Centre) and TEDx Toronto and has provided consultation for Ryerson University, Urbani_T, Canadian Art and Fashion Awards, Harbourfront Centre and several others, including artists in the art and fashion sectors. Sage teaches the Contemporary Indigenous Fashion and Jewellery program at George Brown College, which she also developed. In 2019, Sage was nominated for the Premier’s Award in Creative Art and Design and was recognized as “… leading Canada’s Indigenous Fashion Movement” (En Route Magazine). Sage received the Design Exchange RBC Emerging Designer Award and was honoured by the Ontario Minister of the Status of Women as a trailblazing woman who is transforming Ontario. Sage likes to call herself a philosopher and artist. The ideas and process in the creation of her fashion and craft are catharsis of an urban Denesuline woman experience – resourceful, intentional and resilient. She up-cycles fabrics and incorporates natural materials like raw hide and antlers into her fashion, which has been exhibited in a few art and fashion shows. Sometimes she retails it too. But, creating is her favourite part.

A Rez Kat from Walpole Island First Nations Bkejwanong Territory. Summer is an artist of many trades. Specializing in Professional Makeup, Photography, Digital Art, Stained Glass Art and Jewelry Making.

A recipient of several awards in makeup, which included a National Award for Best in Makeup, Summer has had the opportunity to work in a variety of avenues, ranging anywhere from working on sets with many of our popular television networks, to heading makeup teams for high fashion runway shows.

Tracee Smith is Founder, CEO and Producer of Outside Looking In (OLI), and is Oji-Cree from Missanabie Cree First Nation in northern Ontario.  A professional dancer and choreographer, she was named one of Canada's top 50 artists by Canada Council for the Arts and the first dancer to ever perform for a Governor General of Canada, Michaelle Jean. Outside Looking In has worked with over 35 First Nations and Indigenous organizations nationally and has become the largest Indigenous youth-focused national charity with their annual performance becoming the largest annual Indigenous performance in Canada. She has choreographed and performed for the National Ballet of Canada “Sharing Dance” and the Indspire Awards. She danced professionally in NYC and LA with various choreographers including Rhapsody James and Mia Michaels in many industry shows. She currently produces and choreographs for Outside Looking In.

Xina Cowan

Marketplace Selection Committee Member

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Xina spent the first 29 years of her life in Montreal and now calls Yellowknife home. After studying Human Relations at Concordia University, she moved to the Eeyou Itschee Cree community of Wemindji in 2013 and began her career in Indigenous leadership and community building. Since then, Xina’s work has taken her all across the North. As EntrepreNorth’s Project Coordinator, her focus is logistics planning, marketing and communications and partnership development.

Prior to this position, Xina was the Development Manager for Indigenous projects at Youth Fusion – a non-profit that aims to increase scholastic perseverance and engagement. Xina was also the Editor-In-Chief of the digital Indigenous magazine WIOT. Xina’s (not so) side passion is promoting Indigenous designers and artists. Xina was the Community Outreach Associate (2018) and a member of the marketplace Selection Committee (2019) for Indigenous Fashion Week Toronto and is particularly invested in supporting the incredible talent coming from the North.

When Xina isn’t working or traveling, she’s likely listening to a podcast while making another pot of coffee.

Candace Scott-Moore (Wilde) [Anishinaabe – Ojibwe Potawatomi] is a graduate from the Centre for Indigenous Theatre and The Banff Centre for Arts & Creativity. Her Festival Producer and Project Manager roles have contributed to many successful events. With over 20 years of industry experience, selected career highlights include: Producer of Tkaronto Music Festival, imagineNATIVE Film & Media Arts Festival Awards, Summer Solstice Indigenous Music Awards; Associate Producer & Head Talent Coordinator of the Indspire Awards, Artistic Associate at Planet IndigenUs, Host/Emcee at Message Stick Festival at the Sydney Opera House. Production Stage Manager for Indigenous Arts Festival, Indigenous Fashion Week Toronto, IPAA’s InterTribal Gatherings, Ontario Contact Showcases, Kaha:wi Dance Theatre, Nuit Blanche, Aboriginal Pavilion at the Pan-Am Games, Tkaronto Music Festival, and Summer Solstice Indigenous Festival. Candace has a strong connection to culture and community. As an active volunteer within her community and the arts community, she is passionate about her work. Candace has served on the Board of Directors with the Centre for Indigenous Theatre, ImagineNative Film & Media Arts Festival, South Western International Film Festival, Kettle & Stony Point Pow-Wow Committee, & her local Chippewas of Kettle & Stony Point Mino Bimaadiziwin Optimist Club. Candace continues to create projects with the Wiiwkwedong Arts Collective & the 50/50 Performing Arts Collective.

Dehmin Cleland is an Objibwe and Odawa artist. Originally from Wikwemikong, she now resides in Toronto as she completes her Bachelor of Arts at OCAD University in the Indigenous Visual Culture Program. Dehmin’s artistic disciplines include beadwork, quillwork and sewing; Learning traditional basket weaving techniques to make sustainable items is a personal goal. Dehmin is also a women’s traditional dancer and commits to learning her language.

Jennifer is honoured to be working with IFA and their remarkable team of designers and creative visionaries. Jennifer is a veteran of live theatre, having stage managed over 155 professional productions in theatres both grand and modest. She has toured coast to coast in Canada numerous times, and extensively across the United States, also having taken shows to Dublin, Ireland, London, England, Sydney, and Perth Australia, and Edinburgh, Scotland. This past year she stage managed I Am Walking Here with The Centre For Indigenous Theatre; five original radio plays recorded for Odyssey Theatre; As You Like It a Radical Retelling by Cliff Cardinal with Crow’s Theatre, which also toured to the Push Festival in Vancouver and The Roxy Theatre in Edmonton; and Senior Counsel at the Red Sand Castle Theatre. Jennifer is also the ongoing stage manager for the tours of Cliff Cardinal’s huff and As You Like It, as well as Ann Marie Scheffler’s MILF Life Crisis. Later this summer she will stage manage The Four Poster with Classic Theatre Festival in Ottawa. As always she sends her love to her Mom, her adventuring traveling companion.

Leslie Kachena McCue is a member of the Mississaugas of Curve Lake First Nation, who has fought for Indigenous rights by breaking stereotypes and raising cultural awareness. Her work is driven by her past, her passion to educate, and the motivation to empower others. Leslie is a Traditional dancer, an Indigenous Knowledge Resource Teacher, and the Coordinator for the Royal Ontario Museum Youth Cabinet. Leslie is a Resident Artist Educator for the 2017-2019 seasons, and is a part of the Drama School Faculty at Young Peoples Theatre. She has a strong passion for supporting and promoting Indigenous artists through freelance in administration, tour management, fundraising, facilitation, and curation, with organizations such as: Chocolate Woman Collective and Kaha:wi Dance Theatre. Leslie has been asked to perform and speak at many venues including: The Vancouver Olympics Athletes Village and Pavilions, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, and the Juno Beach Museum in France.

Liam Colbourne is a free-lance production and events consultant specializing in Fashion and The Arts. With over 10 years experience in the industry his goal has always been to connect the Artistic mediums together and represent Toronto & Canadian Designers, Artists and Businesses. Liam started his career in 2012 with Fashion Art Toronto and has since worked with hundreds of Designers and Artists throughout Toronto and the world.

Pesch Nepoose is a Cree multidisciplinary artist from Edmonton, Alberta. She currently resides in Toronto, Ontario. In May 2019, she graduated from her fourth and final year at the Centre for Indigenous Theatre. Pesch is a multitalented actor, writer, dancer, singer, stage manager and tour guide. As a fulltime actor, she has been a part of many projects including Mno Bimaadziwin for Theatre by the Bay, Dish Dances (film), By These Presents with Ange Loft (film), and Hunger a short film which premiered at the Imaginative Film Festival 2019. Pesch enjoys working with Clay and Paper Theatre, Jumblies Theatre, the Encounters collective, Out of Sync collective and many others. As a writer, Pesch has been workshopping her one woman show currently titled The Bridge in the Paprika Festival. She was also a part of Nightwood Theater's Groundswell Festival and Workman Arts Rendezvous with the Madness Festival.

Damien Nelson

Publicist

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Damien Nelson is press agent with 15 years of experience in marketing and communications in the arts sector. As a press agent she works with imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival, Warren Steven Scott, Telling Our Twisted Histories on CBC Podcasts, Toronto Fringe, Why Not Theatre’s RISER Toronto, Canadian Music Week, Driftwood Theatre, Comedy Records, ReelAbilities Film Festival, and more. She is also a producer for the Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival.

Emma Petahtegoose is Anishinaabe, Onyota’a:ka and Lenape. Emma also goes by her Anishinaabe name, Niigaanii (pronounced nee-gon-nee). Emma was raised in her home community, Atikameksheng Anishnawbek. She attended Humber College and graduated with a diploma in Media Communications. Emma is a multimedia artist specializing in illustration and is currently based in her home community. Emma believes in the power of representation and inclusion in the fashion industry.

Jessica Lea Fleming is a Métis / Scottish-settler cisgender woman originally from Penetanguishene, Ontario. She is a multi-award-winning artist and frequent collaborator inhabiting a multitude of roles within creative processes. Jessica creates in multi-disciplinary mediums as a means of exploring connection, identity and traditional knowledge. She is especially drawn to examining the gifts and nuance of her mixed heritage as an opportunity to engage in -and encourage- emotional, environmental, social and spiritual continuums. As an arts leader and programmer, she has held roles with imagineNATIVE, Native Earth, the Art Gallery of Hamilton, the City of Toronto and more. As a director, she has worked for TV Series AMPLIFY on APTN, Couleurs du Nord for TFO, and has also produced and directed several short films and music videos. Recent writing credits include Across this Body, part of Embodying Power and Place; and The Properties of Spirit, developed with support from Signal Theatre and Luminato’s Artists in Residence initiative. Jessica lives in Toronto with her partner and child.

Kristy Inglese is Moose Cree from Moose Factory First Nation. She has worked with Indigenous Fashion Arts (IFWTO at the time) since 2020 as the Festival Assistant and then as Industry Coordinator. She is now the Industry Manager for Indigenous Fashion Arts. Kristy enjoys working in events and festival settings and hopes to one day start her own event planning company. In her spare time, she enjoys reading a good book (or five) and has been told to slow down as she will need to buy another bookshelf soon.

Robin Fisher

Marketing Coordinator

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Robin is thrilled to return as Marketing Coordinator for Indigenous Fashion Arts after fulfilling the role for the 2022 Festival. She was also the Runway Set Designer for the 2020 Festival. Robin’s extensive award-winning career as a set and costume designer for theatre, dance, and film has fostered her enthusiasm for creative collaboration and storytelling. She looks forward to this opportunity to be part of the IFA team once again.

Savanna Chiblow

Digital Strategy Advisor

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Savanna Chiblow is a 2Spirit Anishinaabe from Mississaugi First Nation with settler roots on her father’s side. She holds an Honours Bachelor of Journalism degree from Humber College and has close to ten years of experience working as a digital communications storyteller and community builder. Savanna is currently the Social Media and Digital Communications Manager at the Indigenous Screen Office and casually works on digital and web contracts. She currently sits on the Native Canadian Centre of Toronto board of directors and the George Brown College Indigenous Advisory Circle. Savanna has worked with notable organizations such as imagineNATIVE, TIFF, Miziwe Biik, Indigenous Fashion Arts Festival, Humber College, and the Oakville Public Library.

A Rez Kat from Walpole Island First Nations Bkejwanong Territory. Summer is an artist of many trades. Specializing in Professional Makeup, Photography, Digital Art, Stained Glass Art and Jewelry Making.

A recipient of several awards in makeup, which included a National Award for Best in Makeup, Summer has had the opportunity to work in a variety of avenues, ranging anywhere from working on sets with many of our popular television networks, to heading makeup teams for high fashion runway shows.

Israel Garcia hails from Walpole Island (Bkejwanong) First Nation. With Ojibway and Mexican roots, and over 17 years in the hair industry. Drawing from his art background and two-spirit identity for strength and inspiration Israel has been able to carve out a niche for himself in the fashion community. A deep rooted foundation in traditional hair dressing, along with furthering education are cited as a driving force in the artists career. Creativity and self-expression through hair styling has been a life long fascination for Israel. Paired along side his sister, they have been able to bring to the forefront a entirely indigenous view on beauty, and representation to the table.

Faye Millen is of Cree & European ancestry currently living in Toronto, Ontario. Her fashion industry experience over the past 10 years include apparel buying and retail merchandising for Canadian retailers. She attended the University of Manitoba, Red River College, George Brown College and is currently studying Marketing & Communications at Parsons School of Design (New York). Indigenous Fashion Arts has allowed her to reconnect with the community and contribute to sharing the stories of Indigenous artists and designers.