to be on the rise across all sectors. "The
Indigenous fashion industry has seen
significant growth in recent years, with a
focus on celebrating and preserving tra-
ditional craftsmanship and storytelling,"
says Yolonda Skelton, the Gitxsan fashion
designer behind Vancouver-based Sugiit
Lukxs Designs. She points to 2023's record-
high attendance at Vancouver Indigenous
Fashion Week, a growing demand for hand-
made and artisanal wares and Indigenous
designs on the red carpet at mainstream
awards shows as evidence that cultural
appreciation (not appropriation) is in. But
unlike skinny jeans or mullets, this isn't a
flash in the fashion pan. "There is a won-
derful shift toward more ethical practices,
and a greater emphasis on inclusivity and
representation," says the designer.
So maybe, in 2024, style advice
shouldn't be to dress for the job you want,
but to dress for you—to keep your body
comfortable, to express yourself, to cham-
pion the brands you love and to support
your community. The old dress code is
cracked, completely, and the new one has
more possibility and personality than ever
before. Work it.
36
B C B U S I N E S S . C A
J U N E
2 0 24
Amanda Sayfy, executive director of
Dress for Success Vancouver, is constantly
considering the relationship between what
we wear and our professional achieve-
ments. "Right or wrong, style makes an
impression that can create or limit oppor-
tunities," says Sayfy, who just started in
her role at the 25-year-old organization in
March. Dress for Success is a nonprofit that
offers interview and employment dressing
services to women and gender-diverse peo-
ple. "Until the rules change, organizations
like ours are giving women a chance to
play the game," she says. "When you look
good, you feel good, and that confidence
is what will take you where you need to go
once you get your foot in the door." Clients
aside, Sayfy says she's noticed promising
trends when it comes to her industry col-
leagues. "Perhaps more so than others,
nonprofit professionals—especially our
Gen-Z colleagues—recognize the value of
being responsible, sustainable consumers,"
she says.
And shopping responsibly—whether
that means buying comfortable, func-
tional clothing, investing in a wardrobe
you'll actually wear or considering the
environmental impact of retail—seems
Print It
Shadi Ahmadisagheb
(co-founder at Poplin & Co.)
says that nature-inspired
patterns are popular in 2024
Story Time
Gitxsan fashion
designer Yolonda
Skelton says
consumers are
paying more
attention to the
history and
meaning behind
their clothes
"Right or wrong,
style makes
an impression
that can
create or limit
opportunities."
–Amanda Sayfy, executive director
of Dress for Success Vancouver
