Aboriginal inspired designs popular south of the border

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With one-of-a-kind hand-beaded and hand-painted creations of leather and suede, fashion designer Angela DeMontigny has firmly planted herself in the hearts of trend-conscious Americans who aren't afraid to dress to be noticed. And now, DeMontigny is planning to expand her market by expanding her line.

DeMontigny, who with partner John Gibson calls Six Nations home, is planning to launch a line of handbags and belts this month, and a line of home furnishings and accessories sometime next year. She is also working on a collaborative effort with a knitwear designer from Taos, New Mexico that will see that designer's knit sweaters co-ordinated with DeMontigny's leather pieces. The launch of that line, which will be called Spirit Sisters, will take place at a big Western design show in Jackson Hole, Wyo. this month.

DeMontigny got into the world of design as a logical extension of work she was already doing in the fashion industry.

"It's something I've been interested in since I was a teenager. Since I graduated from high school, everything I did had something to do with the fashion industry. I mean, I was a make-up artist for years. Then I got into modeling and producing fashion shows. And it was all experience that all sort of related to the fashion industry," she said.

She made the jump into the design side of the business because she needed an outlet for her creativity.

"And because I was frustrated with a lack of clothing that I could find that was really interesting and well made and fit well. And then I started doing the Aboriginal stuff. Once again there was a need to be able to wear something that reflected your culture in a way that was still contemporary and fashionable. There wasn't much of that around either."

DeMontigny started her company, Spirit Ware, in 1995. Since then, her product, her market, and her approach to business have gone through some changes.

"Well, hopefully I've become a lot smarter. I mean, it's still tough being a businessperson based on any reserve, really, especially being a woman. I've spent a lot of years trying to implement training down here and, you know, it did some good I think. But I'm trying to focus on my own career and really doing the things that I want to do," DeMontigny explained.

"My line has changed drastically from when I first started, just doing fabric things and middle to high end price easy wear pieces. I've gotten more into the higher end, one of a kind, done a lot of hand painted things. I've been working with my partner, John Gibson, who's been hand painting the leather pieces. So it's become wearable art, and definitely one of a kind art pieces," she said. "We've been doing that for the last year or so. So I haven't been so concerned with the price of the items. It's just been making the things that we want to make. And that's been good."

What's also been good is that the things DeMontigny wants to make are also the things people want to buy.

"It's a smaller market, for sure. But it's a specific customer that really appreciates the uniqueness and the work that goes into it. That's the kind of market that I've been getting into. So it's a lot more gratifying as an artist."

While she started out selling her pieces in Canada, DeMontigny finds most of her market is south of the border.

"I don't really sell much at all in Canada at all any more. I just have a handful of stores that I sell to."

She attributes the stronger demand for her clothing designs in the United States on more than just that country's larger population base.

"Americans are more outgoing outwardly than Canadians are. Canadians tend to be more conservative. They save their money a lot, they don't dress necessarily to be noticed as much, and Americans are very flamboyant. They love anything that's got Native anything on it. And they appreciate originality, so they have to be the only one with a certain design . . . and they don't mind spending the oney for it."

Since the beinning of her design career, DeMontigny's work has had an Aboriginal theme.

"There's always been sort of an underlying spiritual theme that people may not have always noticed, especially with the hand-painted items. We're using you know like totems and eagles, powerful animal symbols and things that people feel so good about.

"It's not to say that I'm always going to do that, but for now, that's what I'm doing," she said.

As Cree woman who grew up in Vancouver, and who now lives on Six Nations reserve, DeMontigny tends to draw her inspiration from a number of Aboriginal cultures, although her current home is what inspires her the most.

"My background is Cree. But because I live among the Iroquois, that has been a huge influence. So whenever I can, I try to use Iroquoian designs on things, which are relatively unknown in most of the world. So bringing old designs like that back, trying to make people aware of them is really kind of cool. But I don't stick to one particular nation. To me it's like promoting every nation, and honoring their artwork," she said.

Currently, Spirit Ware is only carried in three locations in Canada-Bootmaster on Yonge Street in Toronto, Exclusively Native in Niagara on the Lake, and Turtle Doves Native Gifts in St. Jacobs-as well as at her own store on Six Nations. Her designs can also be ordered through the Spirit Ware catalogue. To get a copy of the catalogue, call Spirit Ware at 519-445-0750.