Making clothes for her sisters was beginning of great career

Achievement Page 14

Dorothy Grant has been on the cutting edge all her life. The 43-year-old member of the Kaigani Haida people of British Columbia is renowned for unique Native fashion designs that highlight her artistic talent in everything from ready-to-wear to exclusive, one-of-a-kind collections. Grant's famous button blankets, spruce root hats and other garments combining art and Haida culture are on display in prominent collections and exhibits worldwide.

At the pinnacle of success in the international design community, Grant is proud to be recognized by her peers and especially her own Haida people as a recipient of this year's National Aboriginal Achievement Award in the Business and Commerce category.

"The jury panel is quite successful in its own right," Grant said. "It is an honor to be chosen - the past recipients are great company to be in."

Last June, the University of Northern British Columbia in Prince George, B.C., awarded Grant an honorary doctor of laws degree. She was singled out for her talent and her commitment to promoting and maintaining Haida culture in her work. Grant was also recognized as an "outstanding" role model among First Nations people.

There have been many other endorsements of her work. In 1993, the Canadian Council for Native Business gave Grant the "Best Professional Designer" award at its Winds of Change design competition. The award included a trip to attend a fall fashion show in Paris, France, where Grant was fêted for her design acumen at the Canadian Embassy.

Grant, originally from Hydaburg, Alaska, started sewing for her younger sisters at age 13. Today her name is synonymous with the term "wearable art."

Grant produces clothing in a range of prices and styles that reflect traditional Haida shapes and designs. Her casual line includes jackets, sweat shirts and embroidered men's shirts, while the Dorothy Grant label features silk-screened and embroidered garments. The high end Feast Wear label showcases traditional Haida regalia with hand-cut appliqué; these garments are reserved for ceremonial use. Fifty per cent of Grant's clients, she says, are Native people.

This entrepreneur has been a singular presence in Northwest Coast fashion design since the early 1980s. Her Feast Wear includes the elaborate Raven Creation Tunic that made its debut at Expo '86 and is now permanently enshrined in the Canadian Museum of Civilization. An ancient Haida myth that depicts Raven releasing Haada Laas (Children of the Good People) from the clam shell is translated through Grant's artistry to the tunic. That garment is one of Grant's favorites. Another classic, her copper creation known as "Hummingbird Copper Panel Dress," is also displayed at the Museum of Civilization.

Other Grant designs can be found in the National Gallery of Canada. Her Seven Raven Button Blanket, once part of a touring exhibit by Canadian Aboriginal artists, is an example.

Grant's wonderfully appliquéd button blankets have been a mainstay of her work since she designed the first one in 1977. They represent a 160-year-old tradition that was influenced by the apparel of 19th century traders. The blankets became a ceremonial item featuring material, buttons and beads brought from Europe. They are worn at potlatches, ceremonial dances, weddings and graduations. Their designs represent Haida family lineage.

Eleven years ago Grant studied with Helen Lefeaux Fashion Design for one year, but that was the only formal education she obtained in her field. She has had no formal business training either; Grant says it has been "learn as I go."

Grant's early teacher and mentor was her maternal grandmother, Florence Edenshaw Davidson, who shared her knowledge of fabrics, shells, roots and weaving. When Grant was 24, she began to learn spruce root weaving under Davidson's tutelage - "one of the hardest classes I ever learned in my life," she says. Grant adds she "worked continuously at it for about five years" to perfect he skill in that area. "It taught me a lot of patience," she says.

Her informal apprenticeship continued as she operated a home-based business for five years. Button blankets were the focus of her efforts for another 10. From the beginning, Grant had the encouragement of her quiet, soft-spoken mother, who "always showed her confidence in me," Grant said.

Grant's first collection of 55 pieces produced after Helen Lefeaux was slated to be shown at the Canadian Museum of Civilization in 1988-89.

"It took off from there," Grant says of her trail to success.

It certainly has. In 1992 and 93, Grant undertook market research and put together a business plan for her most ambitious venture to date - her first retail store. In 1994, an upscale boutique to market Grant's fashions opened in Vancouver's Sinclair Centre. Sales of $500,000 are projected this year.

She says her success is "better than I visualized it. . . . I created a store I knew I had to fill." To help meet her targets, she employs up to eight part-time people, and both her sister and niece are involved in the business. In addition to clothing, the boutique offers hand-carved silver and gold jewelry with a Northwest Coast theme, as well as limited-edition, silk screened prints.

Grant adds she thrives on the challenges of both designing clothes and running a business. She's constantly exploring new ways to be creative, to express herself functionally.

"I'm an artist - that could lead me into other things," she says. In the future, Grant hints that she could consider expanding her designs into interior decorating or household products, but there are no definite plans to do that yet.

A selection of Grant's fashions can be viewed on the Internet at www.dorothygrant.com.