From Manitoba to world stage: Indigenous designer shares culture, sparks conversations about reconciliation
Posted April 20, 2026 4:20 pm.
An Indigenous designer from Norway House Cree Nation has been invited to showcase her work at Tokyo Fashion Week, marking a major moment for representation.
For Tammy Wolfe, who started beading at the age of eight, the opportunity came fast, saying she applied earlier this year and heard back almost immediately.
“I am an emerging designer, so I have been doing a few smaller shows, and one of the things on my bucket list was to do an international show. I couldn’t pass up Tokyo,” said the designer behind Red Hummingbird Designs.
That means what started as beadwork rooted in culture and healing is now heading to the global stage.
“I went towards what I love, and this is where it has taken me,” she said.
Wolfe is not going alone to Japan; she’s bringing an all-Indigenous team with her. That’s something she says is stitched into every part of her work.
“I feel like building relationships is really important especially when we talked about the work I do with truth and reconciliation, so to be able to provide opportunities like this is amazing,” Wolfe said.
After building experience on runways across Canada, she’s now preparing for her biggest stage yet. But beyond the runway, her work carries a deeply personal meaning.
“Most of my pieces have a story behind it,” she said. “This one specifically was made for my mom, to honour and remember her, as she is part of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and Two-Spirit People. That’s predominantly what I do within my academia.”
From Manitoba to Tokyo, her work is travelling far, using fashion not just to turn heads, but to open eyes.
“Being able to go all the way across the ocean and be able to kind of represent these stories and allow other people to see who we are,” she said. “That might push us to create change and have other people see it. And that education and awareness is always happening, so we need to keep doing that.”
Wolfes’ collection “Echoes of the Four Corners” will debut at Tokyo Fashion Week this June.
