A fashion extravaganza unfolded on Saturday as numerous models graced the catwalk at the Kwanlin Dun Centre for the inaugural Whitehorse Fashion Week in the Yukon. Organized by the Canadian Arts, Culture and Community Foundation, the event showcased designs from ten diverse designers and models, including many Indigenous individuals from both within and outside the territory.
Annie Manjuran, the founder and CEO of The Canadian National Fashion Show, expressed her delight at the overwhelming turnout and praised the community’s artistic and cultural richness. She confirmed that the event would return to the Yukon, emphasizing the importance of connecting the North with Canada’s broader fashion community.
Cree designer Priscilla Trimble, known as Cilla Bean, shared her gratitude for the opportunity to exhibit her creations in Whitehorse, describing the experience as transformative and affirming. For Trimble, fashion holds personal significance, serving as a vehicle for creativity, self-expression, and healing from past struggles.
Nehal Aggarwal, another designer, highlighted the event as a pivotal moment for emerging talents to showcase their work to a larger audience. The fashion week also provided a rare platform for models like Jenaya Nayak, who was crowned Miss Teen Western Canada at the show, to demonstrate their skills and aspirations, particularly empowering young Indigenous women to pursue their dreams.
As the curtains closed on this year’s Whitehorse Fashion Week, plans were already in motion for its return to the Yukon in 2027, promising another celebration of style, diversity, and talent in the territory.