Vancouver-based designers celebrate red carpet appearance at the Oscars
Himikalas Pam Baker and Zahir Rajani designed several pieces worn by Sugarcane filmmakers
Himikalas Pam Baker watched the Oscars on Sunday night with a sense of anticipation — not just to see the winners in each category but for something a little more personal.
She watches the awards show each year, but the 2025 show was more personal: some of her clothing designs made an appearance on the red carpet.
Baker, who is of Kwaguilth and Squamish heritage, has designed pieces for the likes of Lily Gladstone under her company, Touch of Culture Legends House of Design.
She and fellow Vancouver-based designer Zahir Rajani were asked to create pieces for the filmmakers and subjects of Sugarcane, the Oscar-nominated film that explores the history of St. Joseph's Mission, a former residential school in B.C.'s Interior, and the lasting impact it had on those forced to attend.
Residential schools have been described by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada as an "attempt to destroy Aboriginal cultures and languages."
"What the government and the church did was horrific," Baker told CBC's The Early Edition on Monday.
"Thankfully, people are recognizing the stories, recognizing the art. I've been in this business 35 years, and the ultimate goal was to share our stories and let the world know that we're still here."
Baker said she made some dresses, a couple of cummerbunds and a vest for the filmmakers and their party.
Meanwhile, Rajani, co-creative director of The Sartorial Shop, said he made a pants and shirt combo for Julian Brave NoiseCat, a tuxedo for Ed Archie NoiseCat and Williams Lake First Nation Kúkwpi7 (Chief) Willie Sellars' suit — all personalized to fit each man.
Julian needed something to make the moosehide vest his aunt had made pop. Ed's tux was monogrammed, and the inner lining featured some of the colours he uses in his own artwork, Rajani said.
Sellars' specifically wanted his suit to be sage green, according to Rajani.
"Sage is healing. Sage is important not only to him personally, but the community, the culture."
As a non-Indigenous designer, Rajani said it was a "genuine honour and privilege" to dress the NoiseCats and Sellars.
"My wife and I, we worked on this together. She is my co-creative director, and we still, until this morning, reflect on how much of an honour it was just to be a part of this and be a part of something that's important to the First Peoples of North America."
The day after the Oscars, Sellars told CBC's Sarah Penton that his outfit also included quillwork by Big Joe Mountain out of Wisconsin.
"We were joking around all night we were the best dressed film," he said.
"We wanted to put on a good show and represent Indigenous peoples across this country."
Sellars posted a video to his Facebook page of him dancing on the red carpet in his suit from The Sartorial Shop, blessing the grounds of the Academy Awards. As of Monday afternoon, it had been viewed more than 150,000 times, and Sellars said the feedback from his community and beyond has been extremely supportive.
"Indian country is pumped about us expressing our culture to the world, and that's what Sugarcane has done," he said.
"We were thinking of everyone back home, and we were thinking about how we were gonna make them proud."
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With files from The Early Edition and Sarah Penton