Slow fashion, bold earrings and traditional tattoos: Inuit design takes centre stage in North of North

Stacey Aglok MacDonald and Alethea Arnaquq-Baril knew fashion would play an important part in their new CBC comedy series North of North. The show takes place in the fictional Arctic town of Ice Cove and follows a young Inuk woman, Siaja (Anna Lambe), as she navigates relationships, motherhood and a new job, following the very public breakdown of her marriage.

I spoke to North of North's creators, its star and assistant costume designer Keenan (Nooks) Lindell about how fashion shaped the series' characters and reflects contemporary Inuit life. 

Bringing the characters to life with authentic style

When looking for inspiration for the fashion in North of North, the team drew from their roots. 

"The starting place was always just going to something that felt authentic to us," Aglok MacDonald said. "We really strive to make a show where we feel like we're seeing ourselves in our community."

That meant pulling pieces from talented Inuit designers, including Victoria Kakuktinniq, Nancy Mike, Winifred Nungak, Lavinia Van Heuvelen and Augatnaaq Eccles.

To create an authentic look, not all of the clothing could be made by designers though. "We really tried to represent a range of fashion in the North — everything from traditional to contemporary," Arnaquq-Baril said.

The result is a display of luxurious furs, dazzling handcrafted earrings and pieces that honour a fashion philosophy focused on quality, care, culture and longevity. 

"We've had … items for years, and they're well-crafted and well-made and slow-made and sustainably made," Lambe said.

Slow fashion and sustainability

The show's emphasis on slow fashion ran counter to a film industry that often operates on a quicker schedule. 

"Nothing here is mass-made," Aglok MacDonald said. "So it really is going out to independent artists who are just crafting a few things here and there and seeing if they could put in a bulk order."

This was the case for the jewelry featured in the show. Big vibrant earrings are staples of Indigenous women's dress throughout North America, so they were an essential part of the costumes in North of North too.

Arnaquq-Baril said she and Aglok MacDonald insisted on a budget line specifically for earrings, but they had to use some of their own pieces to manage both cost and production time.

"They had to be spectacular, and it takes time to build up [a collection]," Arnaquq-Baril said.

Because of the effort required to make these garments and accessories — and the meaning they carry — there's a culture of mending in Inuit fashion. Even when a parka is too worn to be passed down, Lindell said the fur is often removed and sewn onto a new one.

We've had … items for years, and they're well-crafted and well-made and slow-made and sustainably made.- Anna Lambe

In the series, there are sewing machines as props and conversations about fixing parkas to demonstrate how prevalent mending is.

"The reason that things last so long is because we repair them … because these items take so long to make and they're so special and oftentimes so sentimental," Lambe said.

Arnaquq-Baril hopes people will appreciate not only the care and craftsmanship that go into Inuit clothing, but also the importance of supporting Inuit creators rather than buying stolen designs. 

"It's also really important that people know … when you admire Indigenous designs, the right thing to do is to buy them from an Indigenous artist and not to recreate them yourself," she said. 

The revival of Inuit tattoos

While Inuit fashion can be bought and appreciated by non-Inuit, Arnaquq-Baril said it's not appropriate for them to wear traditional tattoos — which feature prominently in North of North. 

"Inuit tattoos are for Inuit, and it's not for people outside our community," she said.

Arnaquq-Baril, who made the 2011 film Tunniit: Retracing the Lines of Inuit Tattoos, has witnessed a growing movement to revitalize traditional tattooing. And this is reflected in the series, with designs by Zorga Qaunaq (who also plays Millie) and local artist Siku Rojas. 

Lindell said they consciously chose lighter fabrics as well as outfits that would highlight the body art. And the visceral impact of the tattoos inspired him to get his own. 

"I never really thought of getting any tattoos until I did this show and I realized how powerful they are and how healing they could be," he said.

Real fur in Arctic fashion

Fur is not only an esthetic choice — it's practical too. Quality clothing is essential for surviving Arctic weather, and natural materials like real fur provide exceptional insulation against the cold.

The right thing to do is to buy [Indigenous designs] from an Indigenous artist and not to recreate them yourself.- Alethea Arnaquq-Baril

"We definitely still use real fur, and a lot of people still use … animals and kind of like traditional clothing, which is still the warmest," Lindell said. "Like, caribou skin, you can't get much warmer than that."

On-screen, this shows up on kamiit (boots), pualuit (mittens), nuilait (fur trim on hoods) and trapper hats. And even behind the scenes, crew members from the South switched from fake to real fur when they realized the difference it made in the cold weather.

Lambe also pointed to fur's sustainability. "The ethics of real fur and the fact that it biodegrades, it's so important, especially with the way that microplastics are shedding into our oceans and into our land and are harming our animals."

Gender-fluid style

North of North also uses fashion to promote more flexible gender roles, which Arnaquq-Baril says were not as rigid in the past. 

"We want our fictional world to reflect the way we think it should be, but also kind of a little bit more how it was traditionally," she said.

Neevee, for example, wears baggy camo cargo pants paired with a satin and lace camisole, while Bun wears dinosaur pyjamas one day and a tulle skirt with a skull sweater the next. 

Lindell and Arnaquq-Baril said Aglok MacDonald's family inspired the style of the characters. 

"They wear what they want to wear; they like what they like; and they don't think about whether anyone else does," Arnaquq-Baril said. 

Fashion was intentionally built into North of North as an authentic reflection of Inuit life. 

"[The costuming] grounded it in something more than just an idea of a character or more than just an idea of what a storyline should be," Lambe said. "This is just how we approach fashion and is a real reflection of all the things I love and enjoy."

North of North is available to stream on CBC Gem, APTN Lumi and Netflix.