Martha Kyak is an Inuit fashion designer and artist, who grew up in Pond Inlet, Nunavut. She has exhibited her Inuk Chic garments across Canada. Her designs combine traditional Inuit, and contemporary design, as well as paintings and jewelry. She has also illustrated several children’s books and has had a long career as an educator. Martha currently teaches Inuit history and Inuktitut at Nunavut Sivuniksavut, a college program for Inuit youth in Ottawa. Bio was taken from Vancouver Fashion Week website.

In recent years, we have been privileged, to see more of Canada's Indigenous fashion designers on the runway. The unique arts of Indigenous communities enrich the fashion world. The designs often have unique stories to tell the world. Many Indigenous designers incorporate traditional skills and craftsmanship that go back generations, as well as using ancestral materials.

INNUK CHIC;

A REVIEW 

Martha Kyak showed a sophisticated capsule collection centered on outerwear. Garments with clean lines reflect the vastness of the northern landscape. A sky blue parka stood out for its chic appeal. As a designer from the Artic, Martha is true to her roots and uses sealskin in many of her designs. While real fur may be shunned by some, using seal hides is a traditional material for the Inuit people.

photos by Arun Nevader

The combination of contemporary design and Inuit details gave the collection a sophisticated vibe. The streamlined silhouettes of the coats are refreshing in their simplicity. While the designs are contemporary they harken back to the original parka's of the Canadian artic. The parka originated with the Inuit and has been a staple of practical dressing for the fierce Artic climate. Kyak is able to draw on the tradition of making parkas into fashionable pieces. A dark parka is edged with white embroidery. The unique border embroidery distinguishes this piece as a fashion statement.