The Kiluk Ltd. sewing centre, local designers, high school students and the Arviat Inngiqtingit Choir came together to produce a memorable musical fashion show which left the community buzzing with excitement.

The list of Arviat designers and seamstresses who contributed to the Inuit fur collection and fashion show includes Jackie King, Hattie Alagalak, Winnie Malla, Helen Konek, Theresa Nibgorsie, Rosie Mamgark, Bernadette Illungiayok, Odie Tagalik, Eva Nukapiak and Madeline Kaludjak.

Also contributing were Charlotte St. John, Dorothy Akatsiak, Margaret Auladjut, Cecile Gibbons and the present Kiluk seamstresses, Donalda Malla, Regalee Curley, Agatha Ubluriak, Sheila Nungnik and Elizabeth Alareak.

King says the fashion show was a tremendous success, and worth every minute of the long, hard work it took preparing for the event.

"The Arviat show was so different from other fashion shows I've been involved with because of the choir in the background providing live music," says King.

"The singers modelling the fashions really added to the event."

Kiluk Ltd. manager Diane Giroux says you could feel the pride in the crowd's loud applause throughout the evening.

She says a large debt of gratitude is owed to the Nunavut Development Corp., the Department of Sustainable Development and Kivalliq Partners in Development for supporting the creation of the 2002 Inuit fur collection produced in Arviat.

The next stop for the Inuit fur collection will be North Bay, Ont., where the collection is scheduled to be displayed on Dec. 16 and 17.

"It has been a great experience for all of us to do this show, and we want to thank the administration of Qitiqliq high school for making this event such a success, including the choreographer and music director, Mary Piercy," says Giroux.

"We also thank all the volunteers who gave so freely of their time to make this event a huge success."