Indigenizing fashion
Riley Kucheran, Communication and Culture PhD
Riley Kucheran wants to Indigenize the fashion industry.
For his Communication and Culture PhD dissertation, the Two-Spirited Ojibway graduate student (opens in new window) will help launch the Canadian Council of Aboriginal Design (CCAD) to support Indigenous fashion designers and elevate their artistry from niche curiosity to a vital force in the industry.
Employing Indigenous research methodologies such as sharing circles and relationship building, Kucheran will also explore clothing and cultural assimilation in Indian Residential Schools. Through the CCAD, he plans to spread Traditional Knowledge, incubate emerging designers with mentorship programs and workshops, authenticate Aboriginal cultural products, target fraudulent appropriations, and promote Indigenous design at home and abroad.
With research that breaks boundaries and blends fashion, history and zone learning, Riley says, “a project like mine (external link, opens in new window) couldn’t happen anywhere else.”
At TMU, interdisciplinary education enables you to imagine your own future.
Photo credit: Narrative Drive
Sky Woman painting: Chief Lady Bird and Aura with Mural Routes