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Tishynah Buffalo, Alberta Designer, Heads To London Fashion Week To Show Off Cree Culture

Tishynah Buffalo learned how to sew and bead in high school.

Designer Tishynah Buffalo has already showcased her creativity across the Canadian prairies. Now, she wants to show it to the whole world.

The Cree mother of two, who hails from Alexander First Nation in Alberta, will present about 10 new outfits at a London Fashion Week show put on by Heartland Modelling Agency on Feb. 19.

“I’m most excited about showing people from across the world my native clothing,” Buffalo told The Huffington Post Canada in an interview. “I just want to show them that First Nations people like myself can create and design.

“I think it’s important for people to see First Nation designers.”

“I wanted to show my culture through my clothing."

The first outfit Buffalo ever made was a powwow outfit for her young son when she was 19-years-old. She learned how to sew and bead during high school, and now creates traditional Pendleton coats with modern leather sleeves, as well as custom gowns and dresses.

“I wanted to show my culture through my clothing,” she said.

Now 26, Buffalo has become a fixture at fashion shows on the Canadian prairies. Her work has been shown at Fashion Speaks Regina, Western Canada Fashion Week, International Indigenous Fashion Week and even Couture Fashion Week in New York City.

The best moment so far, Buffalo said, was bringing her mother, grandmother and great-grandmother to the show in New York.

This year, she wants to bring a cousin and four friends to London as her models. Buffalo is raising money to bring the five women — who all come from First Nations in Alberta — to the show.

“I wanted to give them an opportunity to model around the world,” she said.

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