Dorothy Grant
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Dorothy Grant is an
Indigenous Indigenous may refer to: *Indigenous peoples *Indigenous (ecology), presence in a region as the result of only natural processes, with no human intervention *Indigenous (band), an American blues-rock band *Indigenous (horse), a Hong Kong racehorse ...
fashion designer whose works have gained public recognition as expressions of living Haida culture.


Biography


Early life

Grant was born in
Hydaburg, Alaska Hydaburg ( ) (''Higdáa G̱ándlaay'' in Haida language, Haida) is a first-class City (Alaska), city in the Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area, Alaska, Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area, in the U.S. state of Alaska. The population was 382 at ...
, but was raised in
Ketchikan Ketchikan ( ; tli, Kichx̱áan) is a city in and the borough seat of the Ketchikan Gateway Borough of Alaska. It is the state's southeasternmost major settlement. Downtown Ketchikan is a National Historic District. With a population at the 20 ...
. She is a
Kaigani Haida Haida (, hai, X̱aayda, , , ) are an indigenous group who have traditionally occupied , an archipelago just off the coast of British Columbia, Canada, for at least 12,500 years. The Haida are known for their craftsmanship, trading skills, and ...
of the Raven Clan from the Brown Bear house of Howkan. Her family crests include Two-Finned Killer Whale, Shark, Berry Picker in the Moon, and Brown Bear.Grant, Dorothy. "Biography." ''Dorothy Grant.'' 2009. Web. 29 June 2010. <> Grant attended the Helen Lefeaux School of Fashion Design in 1987.


Professional development

Grant broke onto the scene in the early 1980s when she began sketching Haida artwork onto clothing. Grant's first collection was debuted in 1989 and featured 55 pieces. About the collection's debut, Grant has said, "It had a big impact because nobody was doing it at the time". Lisa Tant noted in her article "Dorothy Grant's Haida Couture", for '' BC Woman'', that Grant was the first "Aboriginal designer to combine traditional Haida
ceremonial dress Ceremonial dress is clothing worn for very special occasions, such as coronations, graduations, parades, religious rites, trials and other important events. In the western dress code hierarchy of dress codes, ceremonial dress is often considered ...
with contemporary fashion."Tant, Lisa. "Dorothy Grant's Haida Couture." In ''BC Woman.'' December 1993: 21 - 23 For example, some of her pieces utilize the tapering lines ( Formline art) of the Haida ceremonial copper, notably its central T-ridge.Blackman, Margaret B. "Feastwear: Haida Art Goes Couture." In ''American Indian Art Magazine.'' Autumn 1992: 56 - 64 Indeed, Grant has gained international acclaim for producing garments that infuse myth with fabric and for using fashion to share Canadian Northwest culture with a broader audience. This event brought much demand for Grant's work, "I just remember being so busy for several months after that with people coming and wanting to order things". In 1994, the Dorothy Grant Boutique opened at the Sinclair Centre in
Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
, BC.Aboriginal Tourism Association of BC. "Dorothy Grant." In ''Aboriginal Tourism Association of BC: Corporate Profiles.'' 2010. Web. 16 July 2010. http://www.aboriginalbc.com/Corporate/Profiles/Directors/Dorothy_Grant> Grant's critics have accused her of "going commercial", however Grant refutes such claims, arguing that if fashion products are produced with a "certain finesse that represents Haida culture and Canada, I don't think that's a sell-out. I think that's a positive step toward creating an employment for Native people and a national identity." By 1999, after five successful years in retail, Grant was granted the National Aboriginal Achievement Award, now the
Indspire Awards The Indspire Awards, until 2012 the National Aboriginal Achievement Awards, are annual awards presented by Indspire in Canada. The awards are intended to celebrate and encourage excellence in the Aboriginal community. About The awards were fi ...
in recognition of her successful venture, the ''First Nations Drum'', Canada's largest First Nations newspaper. Grant closed her retail store in 2008 and moved into a studio in Vancouver’s SOMA District. Grant continues to be recognized for both her artistic talent and business skill. In 2003, the Asper Business Institute named Grant "Business Woman of the Year." Six years later, B.C. Aboriginal Business Awards awarded Grant the "Individual Achievement Award." In 2020, her work was exhibited in the landmark exhibition ''Hearts of Our People: Native Women Artists'' at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Notable clients include
Robin Williams Robin McLaurin Williams (July 21, 1951August 11, 2014) was an American actor and comedian. Known for his improvisational skills and the wide variety of characters he created on the spur of the moment and portrayed on film, in dramas and come ...
,
Marie Osmond Olive Marie Osmond (born October 13, 1959) is an American singer, actress, television host, and a member of the show business family the Osmonds. Although she was never part of her family's singing group, she gained success as a country and pop ...
, and
Susan Aglukark Susan Aglukark, (Inuktitut syllabics: ᓲᓴᓐ ᐊᒡᓘᒃᑲᖅ ''suusan agluukkaq''), (born 27 January 1967) is a Canadian singer whose blend of Inuit folk music traditions with country and pop songwriting has made her a major recording s ...
.


Collector recognition

In addition to clothing North American dignitaries and celebrities, Grant’s detailed garments are available for public viewing in 13 museums from Canada to the United Kingdom. The
Canadian Museum of Civilization The Canadian Museum of History (french: Musée canadien de l’histoire) is a national museum on anthropology, Canadian history, cultural studies, and ethnology in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada. The purpose of the museum is to promote the heritage of C ...
in Ottawa purchased, "Raven Creation Tunic," a garment depicting a Raven myth, and "Hummingbird Copper Panel Dress" for their permanent collection. Also available for public viewing in Ottawa, ON, is Grant’s "Seven Raven Button Blanket," part of the permanent exhibit at the
National Gallery of Canada The National Gallery of Canada (french: Musée des beaux-arts du Canada), located in the capital city of Ottawa, Ontario, is Canada's national art museum. The museum's building takes up , with of space used for exhibiting art. It is one of the ...
. Further west, the Museum of Anthropology in Vancouver, BC, holds Grant’s "Raven Greatcoat.""Native Designer Makes Art Out of Fashion." In ''First Nations Drum.'' Spring 1999. Web. 16 July 2010. . Other notable museum displays include: "Raven Cape,"
Vancouver Museum The Museum of Vancouver (MOV) (formerly the Vancouver Museum and prior to that the Centennial Museum) is a civic history museum located in Vanier Park, Vancouver, British Columbia. The MOV is the largest civic museum in Canada and the oldest museum ...
in
Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
, BC; "Supernatural Frog Button Robe," in
DeYoung Museum The de Young Museum, formally the M. H. de Young Memorial Museum, is a fine arts museum located in San Francisco, California. Located in Golden Gate Park, it is a component of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, along with the Legion of Hon ...
in
San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
, CA; "Raven Coat," formerly displayed by the
Seattle Art Museum The Seattle Art Museum (commonly known as SAM) is an art museum located in Seattle, Washington, United States. It operates three major facilities: its main museum in downtown Seattle; the Seattle Asian Art Museum (SAAM) in Volunteer Park on Cap ...
in
Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
, WA; "Shark Blanket," in
Burke Museum The Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture (Burke Museum) is a natural history museum in Seattle, Washington, in the United States. Established in 1899 as the Washington State Museum, it traces its origins to a high school naturalist club fo ...
in Seattle, WA; "Raven Chilkat Robe," in the Natural History Museum in New York NY; "Raven Button Robe" in the Liverpool World Museum in
Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a populat ...
, UK. In 2016, Grant designed a tuxedo for '' The Revenant's'' Duane Howard to wear to the
Oscars The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
.


Product lines

Dorothy Grant, Grant’s
designer label The term designer label refers to clothing, luxury automobile manufacturers and other personal accessory items sold under an often prestigious marque which is commonly named after a designer, founder, or a location-like where the company was fo ...
, offers men and women’s clothing. While her designer label work has gained recognition by Hollywood and collectors alike, she launched Red Raven in 2010 in conjunction with the
2010 Winter Olympics )'' , nations = 82 , athletes = 2,626 , events = 86 in 7 sports (15 disciplines) , opening = February 12, 2010 , closing = February 28, 2010 , opened_by = Governor General Michaëlle Jean , cauldron = Catriona Le May DoanNancy GreeneWayne Gret ...
in Vancouver, BC.


Awards and honours

*
Royal Canadian Academy of Arts The Royal Canadian Academy of Arts (RCA) is a Canadian arts-related organization that was founded in 1880. History 1880 to 1890 The title of Royal Canadian Academy of Arts was received from Queen Victoria on 16 July 1880. The Governor General ...
* Member of the
Order of Canada The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the cen ...
. * Best Professional Design Award * Winds of Change design competition – "Best Designer" award * Voted One of 100 Most Influential Women in British Columbia by Vancouver Sun Newspaper * BC Achievement Award for Individual Lifetime Achievement Award in Business * "A Single Thread: Celebrating Native American Indian Design & Style" design award * 2007 Eric and Barbara Dobkin Fellowship at the
School for Advanced Research The School for Advanced Research (SAR), until 2007 known as the School of American Research and founded in 1907 as the School for American Archaeology (SAA), is an advanced research center located in Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA. Since 1967, the s ...
* Royal Canadian Academy Prestigious Award for the Arts * Asper Business Institute – "Business Woman of the Year" award * National Aboriginal Achievement Business Award * Winds of Change design competition – "Best Designer" award *
National Aboriginal Achievement Award The Indspire Awards, until 2012 the National Aboriginal Achievement Awards, are annual awards presented by Indspire in Canada. The awards are intended to celebrate and encourage excellence in the Aboriginal community. About The awards were fi ...
* Asper Business Institute "Business Woman of the Year"


Further reading

* Fried, Nicky. "Fashion by Dorothy Grant." In ''Equity.'' January/February 1990: 9 - 10. * Tant, Lisa. "Fashion News." In ''Flare: Canada's Fashion Magazine.'' June 1990: 88.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Grant, Dorothy Alaska Native people Haida artists People from Ketchikan, Alaska Northwest Coast art Members of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts Members of the Order of Canada Indspire Awards Indigenous fashion designers of the Americas Canadian fashion designers Canadian women fashion designers First Nations women artists