Dorothy Grant

Dorothy Grant CM is both designer and founder of the following fashion lines: Feastwear, Dorothy Grant, and Red Raven. Her high-end products have gained public recognition as expressions of living Haida culture.

Biography

Early life

Grant was born in Hydaburg, Alaska, but was raised in Ketchikan. She is a Kaigani Haida 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.[1]

Professional Development

Grant broke onto the scene in the early 1980s when she began sketching Haida artwork onto clothing. As Lisa Tant noted in BC Woman, Grant was the first "[A]boriginal designer to combine traditional Haida ceremonial garb with contemporary fashion."[2] For example, some of her pieces utilize the tapering lines of the Haida ceremonial copper, notably its central T-ridge.[3] Indeed, Grant has gained international acclaim for producing garments that infuse myth with fabric, for using fashion to share Northwest culture with a broader audience.

Grant's critics have accused her of "going commercial." 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."[2]

And, the majority recognizes Grant's contribution to the fashion industry. The Canadian Council for Native Business recognized Grant’s contribution to the fashion industry in 1993 with the Best Professional Design Award.[4] Shortly thereafter, Grant opened her first retail store in the Sinclair Centre in Vancouver, BC.[5]

By 1999, after 5 successful years in retail, Grant was granted the National Aboriginal Achievement Award in recognition of her successful venture (First Nations Drum). Grant closed her retail store in 2008, moving into a 2,500-square-foot (230 m2) 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 awarded Grant the “Individual Achievement Award.”[1]

Notable clients include Robin Williams, Marie Osmond, Susan Aglukark, and Nancy Atleo.

Collector Recognition

In addition to clothing North American dignitaries and celebrities, Grant’s detailed garments are available for public viewing at venues like the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Ottawa, ON. The Museum 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. Further west, the Museum of Anthropology in Vancouver, BC, holds Grant’s “Raven Greatcoat."[4]

Other notable museum displays include: “Raven Cape,” Vancouver Museum in Vancouver, BC; “Supernatural Frog Button Robe,” in DeYoung Museum in San Francisco, CA; “Raven Coat,” formerly displayed by the Seattle Art Museum in Seattle, WA; “Shark Blanket,” in Burke Museum 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, UK.[1]

Product Lines

Dorothy Grant, Grant’s designer label, offers men and women’s clothing in fabrics like cashmere, silk, wool, and leather. Products range from gowns and tuxedos to skirts and collared shirts.

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 in Vancouver, BC. Items in the Red Raven target a broader audience, ranging from $30.00 - 300.00. Grant designed this line specifically for "everyday wear."

Honours

References

  1. 1 2 3 Grant, Dorothy. "Biography." Dorothy Grant. 2009. Web. 29 June 2010. <http://www.dorothygrant.com/dorothygrant.php?op=bio>
  2. 1 2 Tant, Lisa. "Dorothy Grant's Haida Couture." In BC Woman. December 1993: 21 - 23
  3. ↑ Blackman, Margaret B. "Feastwear: Haida Art Goes Couture." In American Indian Art Magazine. Autumn 1992: 56 - 64
  4. 1 2 "Native Designer Makes Art Out of Fashion." In First Nations Drum. Spring 1999. Web. 16 July 2010. <http://www.firstnationsdrum.com/business/spring99.htm>.
  5. ↑ 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>
  6. ↑ "Members since 1880". Royal Canadian Academy of Arts. Retrieved 11 September 2013.
  7. ↑ "Order of Canada Appointments". June 30, 2014. Retrieved July 1, 2014.

Further reading

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