Vancouver Indigenous Fashion Week (VIFW) 2024 is returning from November 20 to 23 at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, showcasing a world-class event designed by and for Indigenous People while warmly inviting the wider community to celebrate alongside them. Now in its fifth edition, VIFW continues to empower Indigenous designers, artisans, and youth, as it solidifies its place as a landmark event on the global fashion calendar. Tickets and the full program are available at VIFW.
“This event is open to everyone who believes in the power of art, culture, and community to transform. As we grow, our commitment remains clear: VIFW is a celebration of Indigenous beauty, resilience, and creative brilliance,” said Joleen Mitton, founder and producer of VIFW. “This event is much more than a showcase of incredible fashion. It’s a gathering of culture, community, and future-building, where Indigenous voices lead and the world is invited to witness.”
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Above photo: Charlene Aleck (left) and Perseis Paul (right) wearing designs from Yolonda Skelton. Photo Credit: Zuleyyma with Queer Based Media
VIFW 2024 showcases designers from across Turtle Island
As with previous editions, VIFW features an array of runway shows that bring together Indigenous designers from across Turtle Island (North America), highlighting both traditional and contemporary works. Audiences can expect collections that reflect the powerful connection between identity, land, and community, brought to life through art and regalia that span generations.
The popular Indigenous Artisan Market returns, offering authentic, handcrafted products, from jewelry to clothing to beauty items. The market provides a unique opportunity to support Indigenous makers while discovering one-of-a-kind treasures, just in time for the holiday season.
Red dress event on opening night
The goal has always been to elevate Indigenous fashion and provide a platform for designers and artists to be seen, appreciated, and celebrated on their own terms,” said Mitton. “We want non-Indigenous guests to feel welcome in the space, and support the four-day event by purchasing tickets and the beautiful creations on offer. Through VIFW, we are building a space where Indigenous excellence thrives, and where we collectively redefine what it means to be part of a global fashion movement—one grounded in equity, respect, and cultural integrity.”
A cornerstone of VIFW’s programming is the Red Dress Event on opening night, a poignant and powerful tribute to Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQ+ individuals. Guests are encouraged to wear red in solidarity as the event serves as a reminder of the ongoing injustices faced by Indigenous communities, while also honouring their enduring strength and resilience.
VIFW 2024 theme is Fire
This year’s theme is Fire, which symbolizes growing Indigenous strength and VIFW’s commitment to reclaim space in the fashion industry, building a future where Indigenous values guide the way forward.
“Sacred fires are built in homes, on the land, in ceremony and within ourselves, we tend to them, we speak to ancestors through them, we are taught by the flicker and flames, the heat and burning, how to be that strength and walk with it,” said Charlene Aleck, member of the VIFW Wisdom Circle. “As we come out of the cloak of oppression & trauma we heal, as we gather together & grasp all the brilliance of our ancestors’ knowledge and walk proudly onto the stage. Recognizing we are all descendants of a rich culture, unifying spirits, rising together.”
With its roots firmly planted in Indigenous traditions and its vision set on the future, Vancouver Indigenous Fashion Week 2024 is poised to welcome the world to a celebration that reflects the vibrancy, diversity, and artistry of Indigenous cultures across Turtle Island.
