Dorothy Grant | Raven Comes Full Circle

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Dorothy Grant, “Raven Comes Full Circle,” 2024

(courtesy of the Gallery)

Opening Reception: Saturday July 6, 2024, 7:00 pm

“Our people have been in fashion design for millennia.”– Skil Da ‘Yuuwans

Dorothy Grant belongs to the Yahgw Janáas clan of the Haida Nation. An internationally renowned fashion designer, she is celebrated for her unique design and critical role in bringing Indigenous fashion to a world stage. Grant’s artistic journey began with ceremonial works in the early 1980s, when she began making button robes and learned spruce root weaving from master Haida weaver Florence Davidson.

In the mid-1980s, rising to a challenge by celebrated Haida artist Bill Reid, Grant set her sights on bridging the world of Haida art and regalia with that of western fashion and haute couture. Pursuing a formal fashion education at the Helen Lefeaux School of Fashion Design, she debuted her first label, Feastwear, in 1989 with a fashion show in Vancouver that featured 55 pieces, garnering great excitement. This event marked the beginning of Dorothy Grant’s multi-decade career in fashion. Grant's work has since graced countless international runways and prestigious art and fashion exhibitions.

Her garments, imbued with the Haida philosophy of yahguudang (respect), are worn by many walks of life in a variety of settings, from Potlatches to the Oscars. Her creations are also part of global museum and gallery collections, including the Museum of Anthropology at UBC, the National Gallery of Canada, the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, with Grant’s Shark Button Robe currently showing at the MET in New York.

Throughout her career, Grant has received numerous accolades, including the Order of Canada in 2015 for her contributions to Canada's fashion industry as an artist, designer and mentor, and an honorary doctorate from Simon Fraser University. She continues to be celebrated for her lasting legacy in art, fashion, and business, and for her role in opening the door for future Indigenous fashion designers.