Wordfest presents Christian Allaire

Wordfest presents Christian Allaire

Christian Allaire is a force to be reckoned with. As a fashion-obsessed Ojibwe teen growing up on Nipissing First Nation in Northern Ontario, he rarely saw anyone that looked like him in the media he sought out for inspiration. He made his way to New York City and is now the Senior Fashion and Style writer at Vogue, where he writes about emerging trends, interviews celebrities, and works to bring Indigenous design and stories to the forefront of fashion. Oscar-nominated actor and advocate Lily Gladstone says this about her friend:  “Christian Allaire is a gift… a true game changer whose impact will be seen and felt for generations.”

We can’t wait to welcome him to Wordfest with his just-published memoir, From the Rez to the Runway: Forging My Path in Fashion. The conversation, hosted by Wordfest's Creative Ringleader Shelley Youngblut, includes an audience Q & A and book signing, fueled by Owl’s Nest Books. And because we want to introduce you—and Vogue—to the best of Calgary, come early to check out an Indigenous Artisan Makers Market, featuring jewelry and accessories designed by Emerson's Cree Designs, Erin Rianna Shanks, Karen Kryzan, Midnight Sun Elegance, and Resin Babe.

We are grateful to HarperCollins Canada for making it possible to connect you with Christian Allaire.

About From the Rez to the Runway: Forging My Path in Fashion

Growing up on the Nipissing First Nation reserve in Northern Ontario, Christian Allaire wanted to work in the fashion industry, a future that seemed like a remote, and unlikely, dream.

He was first introduced to style and design through his culture's traditional Ojibwe powwow regalia—ribbon skirts, beaded belts, elaborate headdresses. But as a teenager, he became transfixed by the high-fashion designs and runway shows that he saw on Fashion Television and in the pages of Vogue.

His unwavering interest in fashion led him to complete a journalism degree so he could pursue his goal of becoming a full-time fashion writer. After landing his first big magazine job in New York City, Allaire found himself working at the epicentre of the international fashion industry. His dream had come true. Yet he soon realized the fashion world—and his place in it—wasn't always quite as glamorous as he imagined it would be.

From grinding as an unpaid intern, to becoming a glitzy (but overworked) fashion editor, Allaire writes with feeling about the struggle to find his place – and community – in the highly exclusive world of fashion. And he recounts, with great candour, the difficulty of balancing his ambitions with the often-inaccurate perceptions—including his own—of his culture's place in the realm of fashion.

Full of joy, honesty, adversity, and great clothes, From the Rez to the Runway is a gripping memoir about how to achieve your dreams—and elevate others—while always remaining true to yourself.

About Christian Allaire

Christian Allaire is an Ojibwe, French and Italian writer who grew up on the Nipissing First Nation reserve in Northern Ontario. He has written for publications such as Refinery 29, Elle, Mr. Porter, Hazlitt, and The National Post. Allaire is currently the Senior Fashion and Style writer at Vogue, where he writes about celebrity style, red carpet fashion, and emerging trends, and works to bring Indigenous design and stories to the forefront of fashion. Allaire won CBC’s Canada Reads 2022 championing the novel, Five Little Indians by Michelle Good. He is based in Brooklyn, New York.
 
Instagram/Threads: @chrisjallaire
Website:  Christian Allaire

About Host Shelley Youngblut

Shelley Youngblut is the CEO & Creative Ringleader of Wordfest. She was the recipient of the 2020 Calgary Award for Community Achievement in the Arts and the 2018 Rozsa Award for Arts Leadership. She also won the 2008 Lifetime Achievement Award at the Western Magazine Awards. Youngblut was the founding editor of Calgary’s award-winning Swerve magazine and has created magazines for ESPN, Seventeen, Cosmopolitan, Nickelodeon, Western Living, and The Globe and Mail. She was also a former pop-culture correspondent for ABC World News Now and Canada AM.

Facebook: @ShelleyYoungblut 
Instagram/Threads: @youngblutshelley
Bluesky: @youngblut.bsky.social

About Calgary's Indigenous Artisans

Emerson’s Cree Designs 
Instagram: @emersoncreedesigns

Owner of Emerson’s Cree Designs, Emerson St.Laurent is from Peepeekisis Cree nation in Treaty 4. Emerson started beading at 17 to become closer to her culture and ended up finding a true passion for creativity through beadwork. Her business has allowed her to create a community while financially supporting her through university.

Erin Rianna Shanks
Instagram:@erinriannaart

Erin Rianna Arts (Erin Shanks) is a Métis artist living and working on Treaty 7 land. Using beadwork, collage, and the written word she loves to express herself boldly!

Karen Kryzan
Instagram: @kmkry1

The process of creating in any art form is both intuitive and experimental. Creating small scale sculpture for decorative, functional, or wearable purposes is my intention. As a maker, I am passionate about materials, creating my own designs, problem solving, and expressing these ideas by constructing one-of-a-kind objects. A common theme in my work is storytelling; whether it is about a particular stone in my Bison pendants (after a 140 yr absence they return to Panther Valley at Banff National Park), the Tribal Masks—‘The Ancestors’ collection of copper earrings and pendants references my Cree heritage, Canadian Snow Cast eh!—casting wax impressions of snow (giving snow permanence while glaciers disappear), or a continuation of weather by designing weather symbol pendants. Stories capture the attention of the viewer even if the story is about the process of making and the inspiration.

Midnight Sun Elegance @midnight.sun.elegance

Midnight Sun Elegance is a celebration of authentic Indigenous artistry, offering a stunning variety of handmade jewelry and accessories. Each piece is crafted with care, using natural elements such as beads, hides, fur, feathers, gemstones, birchbark, and porcupine quills, all designed to accentuate your unique beauty. With a commitment to exclusivity, all jewelry is produced in limited quantities, often as single editions, ensuring that each item is one-of-a-kind. Midnight Sun Elegance strives to blend traditional Indigenous techniques with a modern flair, featuring high-quality products that reflect the rich heritage of our Dene and Blackfoot roots.

Rezinbabe
Instagram: @rezinbabe

Rezinbabe is a Two Spirit and Indigiqueer jewellery maker from Siksika. They use materials comprised of porcupine quills, prairie medicines, florals, snakeskin, and resin. Since leaving the city and moving to southern Alberta, rezinbabe has been using the funds from her sales to help feed rez dogs in Kainai and Piikani. The main goal is working towards creating a regular food program, support in medical costs and specialized care, and opening up a sanctuary with direct support from the community and Nations that the dogs belong to. 

Be Curiouser

• The Best Front Row Style From New York Fashion Week. -Vogue Magazine
• Why I’m Buying Back Appropriated Clothing as a Power Move. -Vogue Magazine
• Vogue Style Writer Christian Allaire on Ribbon Shirts, Flour Bag Fashion & Killer Desserts. -Open Book
• There’s No Excuse”: Christian Allaire on Bringing Indigenous Fashion to the Mainstream. -Canadian Business