Daniel T'seleie
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (June 08/05) - Jamie Look creates original "body adornments," often with Northern themes.

"I want to present something exotic to the world," Look said. Fashioned from a mix of metal, feathers, hide and antlers with an "avant-garde" style, the work certainly is exotic.

Some of Look's newer work features sculpted caribou antlers, from fellow Northern artist Wanda Hatfield.

"I'm absolutely open to collaborations," Look said. "All I'm doing with those pieces is presenting an idea or presenting a concept."

Look worked with 35 others for last month's Goddess of War - war in a "warrior" sense, not in a "violent" sense - fashion show. Despite a lack of experience - none of the models had ever modelled before - things went very smoothly.

"I never felt more calm in my entire life," Look said of the evening.

With a growing art community in Yellowknife, the third generation Northerner said now is the time to establish a new type of fashion in the North. Until recently, her designs were better received in the south, she noted.

She's had "huge" feedback on her fashion from the youth. She wants to encourage young people to not limit themselves creatively.

"A lot of people think they can't do something because they've never done it before," Look said.

She hopes to put on more fashion shows in the future.