Michele LeTourneau
Northern News Services

NNSL (Jan 25/99) - The Northern fashion industry received some much- appreciated attention across the nation when the January issue of Canada's family magazine, Canadian Living, featured the work of aboriginal designers.

Canadian Living heard about it from Cynthia Cardinal, assistant manager at the Denendeh Development Corporation. Cardinal called and invited them down for a fashion show held during the Arctic Winter Games.

Cardinal is an old hand at staging fashion shows. By her estimation, this was her sixth or seventh. Usually, Cardinal tries to fit them in with larger events.

"The women get as much exposure as possible," explains Cardinal. "At first it was just a matter of getting it shown... Now it's also to encourage the younger generation to start producing."

As Cardinal explains, when the work is valued, the younger people will better understand the potential in designing, sewing and beading -- all traditional skills.

"The ultimate would be to build a market so that other women could do what they like to do -- and make a living," says Cardinal.

Alice Sangris Wifladt, featured in xxxCanadian Living, has been beading and bordering since she was seven or eight. Her mother, Babeyia, told her it was time to learn for the future or the skills would fade away.

But Sangris Wifladt wanted to be out playing with her friends.

"My mother would tell me stories to make me interested in the beading, stories about her own life" says Sangris Wifladt, who thinks the attention in a national magazine is fantastic.

"There are women who do this who are not known. They sew and sell, sew and sell, sew and sell, with no recognition. But now it's maybe an eye-opener for others, especially the younger generation."

Berna Beaulieu has been sewing just about all her life. In the last five years, Beaulieu has noticed there's been a return to traditional styles.

"I've been busy ever since, " she says.

Beaulieu modernizes traditional designs. The orders are now coming in for grad dresses. There are two weddings in Rae and the designer will be creating the traditional wedding gowns.

The first step for Beaulieu is to spend a week or so working on and drawing the design. She then hands it over to Sangris Wifladt, who does the beadwork.

"After that it takes at least four days of constant work," explains Beaulieu.

She now makes a living at designing and sewing.

Karen Wright-Fraser, owner of Whispering Willows, also makes a living with her sewing. She believes the work she -- and women like her -- do can play a role in drawing people up here.

"We can help with tourism," she says. "There's been a revival. It (the traditional sewing) was lost for a long time. But it's coming back. For many years it was just for decoration. Now it's being used again."

Cardinal clearly loves her job promoting the work of these women. To that end, her job seems ideal.

"Being assistant manager allows me to do the work I do with the designers," she says. "Doing it (organizing the fashion shows) is so much work, but the end result is so good. You should see me, I'm like a child in a toy shop."