indigenous fashion runway residency 2025

The three-week Indigenous Fashion Runway Residency offers four Indigenous fashion designers the opportunity to build their portfolios and showcase their runway work in a professional setting.

Participants will be supported by the faculty and Banff Centre’s production team as they explore working with models, photography, and fashion show preparation. This residency is a balance of exploration and self-directed preparation for the runway to showcase 6-8 looks.

Designers may apply with up to 2 collaborators.

Description:

This program offers four Indigenous designers and their collaborators will have the opportunity to work together on coordinating their segment of the fashion showcase runway. The program provides mentorship and professional development, fostering learning through hands-on experience, including:

• Developing portfolios and showcasing work in a professional setting.
• Working with faculty and Banff Centre’s production team.
• Exploring modeling, photography, and runway preparation.

Program Highlights:

• Collaborate on a fashion showcase runway, which will be professionally photographed and recorded with B-roll for your portfolio.
• Workshops on lighting, projection, staging, sound design, and special effects.
• Faculty led sessions on: Fashion as a Career, Marketing and Promotion of Products, Preparing for the Runway, and working with models and industry professions.

The residency will take place in Banff Centre’s Performing Arts Facilities, where each design team will have access to Lazlo Funtek Dance Studios, The Wardrobe Facility and the Margaret Greenham Theatre.

Requirements:

Indigenous designers are invited to apply with a newly featured design line that is either complete or near completion at the time of application, ensuring it is ready for showcase during the program.

• Open to regional, national, and global Indigenous fashion makers, designers, and design companies.
• Applicants will submit a portfolio, along with the theme and background of their work.

Lead Designers can apply with a co-designer (adornment & jewelry), and/or a designer’s assistant to support their design line. Their contributions will be recognized as designers in collaboration. All participants will take part in program sessions.

Itinerary:

Week One:

• Participants arrive on November 16th, 2025.
• November 17th, 2025: Program Welcome and Campus Orientation
• Welcome to campus with participants, faculty and staff hosted by Indigenous Arts with support of Knowledge Keeper and Elder.
• November 18th, 2025: Campus Tour, Class Photo, and Participant Head Shots

November 19th, 2025 to 21st, 2025:

• Workshop sessions led by Banff Centre Production Team and Faculty in wardrobe, lighting, staging, projection, and special effects
• Workshops sessions led by Banff Centre Production Team for wardrobe access, lighting, project, projection and special effects. Faculty led workshops.
• Self-directed time to work as a design team with opportunity for sessions with faculty, guest artists and production team.

Week Two:

• Participants will begin with a weekly gathering check-in and continue preparing for the fashion runway and continue participating in workshop sessions.
• This week will include a guest faculty presentation to help participants think about marketing, branding and distribution. The opportunity to work with photographers is to focus on in-studio photography without models focusing on the products.

Week Three:

• Participants will prepare for the runway. Models will be on campus and design teams will start coordinating looks with the models. Each designer features 5 to 8 looks for the runway.

The designers will work with the production team to focus on lighting, projection, sound and staging.

Participants will showcase the work in the Indigenous Fashion Runway Showcase on December 5th, 2025 at 7:00 PM at the Margaret Greenham Theatre.