Upcoming Indigenous fashion show a personal passion for co-organizer

Caceila Trahan knows what food insecurity is all about.

An Indigenous woman born in BC and raised in the Sault, Trahan said she used local food banks in her younger years. 

“It is very much personal,” she told SooToday.

With the rising use of food banks, Trahan is one of two organizers of the New Shining Moon Indigenous Fashion Show and Food Bank Fundraiser to be held beginning at 6 p.m. Friday, March 1 at The Queen of Hearts Club at 68 Dennis St.

Trahan has spearheaded the fashion show with friend Sabrina Wabanosse, who hails from Wikwemikong Unceded Territory.

The fundraiser is designed to help Indigenous people having to use food banks in the Sault and Batchewana First Nation.

“I feel like it’s giving back to my own community,” said Trahan, who is an Algoma University graduate now employed as an Ontario Trillium Foundation program manager.

“I would consider it a food insecurity crisis locally as well as province wide where the cost of living has increased significantly with the cost of food and other living costs where folks are just not able to make ends meet. We’re seeing a lot of our Indigenous neighbours and family members having to use food insecurity services. When you are out and about in our community you’ll notice there are certain days that these programs, whether it be the Indigenous Friendship Centre, St. Vincent Place or the Soup Kitchen, that the lines are very long and they are our neighbours, our family, people who deserve love.”

Admission to the March 1 fashion show is pay what you can but Trahan is suggesting a donation of $10 and/or donations of non-perishable food items.

Funds raised through admission and non-perishables collected will go to SOYA, Grocer 4 Good and the Batchewana First Nation Food Bank on Rankin Reserve.   

“Doing this allows us to help these alternative sources like SOYA, Grocer 4 Good and the Rankin Food Bank because we’re exhausting the main ones,” Trahan said.

“It’s not that we don’t love the main ones but folks are exhausting them and then the alternative folks' cupboards are empty. We chose these places as we believe this is where Urban Indigenous people are accessing food when they have exhausted the use of formal food banks.”

The New Shining Moon Indigenous Fashion Show is being hosted by Trahan and Wabanosse in collaboration with Youth Odena and Waabinong Head Start Family Resource Centre.

“The musicians, fashion designers and models are all Indigenous, as well as our graphic designer, the people doing hair and makeup,” Trahan said.

The show will be emceed by Teddy Syrette and Hanna Sewell.

Fashion designers include The Chad Clothing Brand, Yin’s Legacies, Tawny Illustrations, Logan Perreault, and models will also be wearing the work of now deceased designer Adam Aelick.

Hair for models will be done by Casey Barry of Colour Studio 97 and Wahsay Pyawasit of Boss Braids with makeup done by Aiyanna Beauty.

Live musicians at the show will include Justin Perreault Sr., Sawbé and No Filter Records, B The Wiz, O’Rose and Oh Zee and Sound Syndrome.

“We have probably about 30 models or more,” Trahan said.

“This event will highlight the talents of Indigenous young people. We’re really keeping that theme of celebrating our talents and being able to use them to generate hope.”