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.
Conversation
Audience Q&A
Book Signing
75 minutes. No intermission.
HarperCollins Canada
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.
Conversation
Audience Q&A
Book Signing
75 minutes. No intermission.
HarperCollins Canada
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. A former pop-culture correspondent for ABC World News Now and Canada AM, she was also a frequent contributor to CBC Calgary’s The Eyeopener, The Homestretch, and Daybreak Alberta.
In the spirit of reconciliation, we acknowledge that we live, work and play on the traditional territories of the Blackfoot Confederacy (Siksika, Kainai, Piikani), the Tsuut’ina, the Iyarhe Nakoda Nations, the Otipemisiwak Métis Government of the Métis Nation within Alberta District 6, and all people who make their homes in the Treaty 7 region of Southern Alberta.
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