Gurl 23
/Show Day
DAY1, OCT 15
/Social Media
Meet Larissa Healey, famously known as Gurl 23, a multi-talented indigenous, two-spirited artist of Anishinabe and Cree descent. For over 35 years, Gurl 23 has combined elements of her Indigenous culture with visual & physical art to create in mediums ranging from 60 scoop graffiti culture, hip hop, rap, mural art, street art, and upcycled regalia.
After exhibiting across Canada at some of the most iconic galleries, including the Museum of Anthropology, the Vancouver Art Gallery, the Bill Reid Gallery, the Power Plant Gallery, and the National Gallery of Canada, it's time to showcase Gurl 23's fashion talent at the opening of Vancouver Fashion Week on October 15, 2025.
Gurl 23's BROKN AROW collection will bring two elements of her Indigenity to the runway, the Sundance and Canada's infamous 60s scoop, of which she is a survivor. The fashion show will provide a space for truth telling and reconciliation through the medium of sewn textiles and visual media.
PREVIOUS COLLECTIONS
What inspired you to become a fashion designer?
My work has developed from more than 35 years of combining Indigenous culture with visual and physical art. My experience with graffiti, hip hop, mural art, street art, and upcycled regalia naturally led me to explore fashion as another way to express culture and tell stories.
How would you describe your design style?
My style combines Indigenous cultural elements, traditional regalia, contemporary art, and upcycled materials. I use fashion as a way to express identity, cultural knowledge, storytelling, and environmental responsibility.
What can people expect from your latest collection?
My latest collection, BROKN AROW, explores Indigenous identity through the Sundance and the history of the Sixties Scoop. The collection uses sewn textiles, visual media, traditional elements, and upcycled materials to communicate stories of culture, peace, unity, and reconciliation.
What inspired the BROKN AROW collection?
BROKN AROW brings together two important parts of my Indigenous identity: the Sundance and my experience as a survivor of the Sixties Scoop. The collection creates a space for truth telling and reconciliation through textiles and visual media.
Why is upcycling important to your approach to fashion?
Upcycling has always been part of my creative practice and connects with my values of environmental stewardship. I see reusing materials as part of the responsibility to protect the land and create fashion in a way that respects these values.