Threads by Thea
/Show Day
DAY2, OCT 16
/Social Media
Thea is a Haudenosaunee Kanien’kehá:ka fashion designer from Kahnawake Mohawk Territory. Her work is influenced by culture, craftsmanship, and the stories that come from her life and community. Since 2018, she has split her time between Treaty 7 Territory and her home in Kahnawake, drawing inspiration from both.
Her designs explore the balance between traditional craft and modern identity. She uses clothing as a way to express her experiences as a Native woman raised on the Rez and living in urban spaces. Thea’s collections are contemporary in style, but they carry threads of traditional concepts, reimagined in new and unexpected forms. For her, fashion is a way to reflect the intersections of Indigenous culture within today’s world.
Thea’s path in fashion began after earning her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Alberta University of the Arts, where she majored in Craft and Emerging Media. She started showing her work in Alberta and later showcased at one of the largest Indigenous fashion events in North America—Indigenous Fashion Week Santa Fe.
Beyond designing, Thea is committed to sharing skills within her community. She teaches sewing classes, from jacket making to purse making, helping others connect with craft and creativity.
Through her work, Thea aims to expand how people see Indigenous design moving away from stereotypes and showing it as something diverse, evolving, and deeply personal. At Vancouver Fashion Week, she brings her vision to a wider audience, inviting people to see Indigenous fashion through a lens of innovation, respect, and individuality.
PREVIOUS COLLECTIONS
What inspires your work as a fashion designer?
Thea draws inspiration from her Haudenosaunee Kanien’kehá:ka culture, craftsmanship, and stories from her life and community. Her experiences between Kahnawake and Treaty 7 Territory also contribute to the perspective reflected in her work.
How would you describe your design style?
My work is rooted in Haudenosaunee craft, but I want it to feel fresh and wearable. I reinterpret traditional techniques through contemporary silhouettes, surface textures, and structures while maintaining a strong connection to culture.
What can people expect from your Vancouver Fashion Week collection?
The VFW presentation brings traditional Kahnawake craftsmanship into a contemporary fashion context. Thea uses her work to challenge narrow ideas of Indigenous design, presenting it as diverse, evolving, innovative, and deeply personal.
How do traditional Haudenosaunee techniques influence your contemporary designs?
I reinterpret basket weaving techniques through surface texture and garment structure while keeping the pieces fresh and wearable. This approach allows traditional craft to inform contemporary clothing without treating Indigenous fashion as something fixed in the past.
Why is challenging stereotypes about Indigenous fashion important to your work?
Thea aims to expand perceptions of Indigenous design beyond stereotypes by showing its diversity and evolving character. Her work reflects the intersections of Indigenous culture and contemporary life through innovation, respect, and individual expression.