“I'm almost like a cobbler,” Warren Steven Scott states. “Just working locally, focusing on the art and the craft. I do seek inspiration from those kinds of makers, rather than the industrial design-to-manufacturer pipeline. I'm just so much smaller in that way,” he continues. Born and raised in British Columbia, Scott graduated from Toronto Metropolitan University’s prestigious fashion program in 2016, and since then he has established himself as one of Canada’s most intriguing young indigenous designers. But his most impressive feat, arguably, is how he managed to build, almost single-handedly, an eponymous brand that is both successful, and able to maintain its small size. “I wonder, do I want to be aspiring for that large scale, for immense growth? Right now, not really. I'm working on the projects that I want to work on,” he shares.





Scott cut his teeth post-graduation working in the atelier and flagship store of established Torontonian fashion house Comrags. But it was in 2018, when fellow indigenous designer Sage Paul launched Indigenous Fashion Week, that Scott was able to step into the spotlight for the first time with a debut capsule collection presented during the event.

“I wonder, do I want to be aspiring for that large scale, for immense growth? Right now, not really. I'm working on the projects that I want to work on.”
WARREN STEVEN SCOTT

Showing at Indigenous Fashion Week was the first stepping stone, but it was Scott’s jewelry that was the instant hit — and its popularity skyrocketed during the pandemic. “There was a very clear desire to support local indigenous and BIPOC designers. So I think people just became more aware of what I was doing,” he explains. “Funnily enough, 2020 was really a year of production and fulfillment for me,” he continues. 


The jewelry in question (mostly earrings) is inspired by nature, genealogy, and indigenous traditions and craft. For Scott, who is of Salish ancestry and is a member of the Nlaka’pamux Nation of British Columbia, memories from childhood merge with sounds, smells and textures, to trickle into sketchbooks and into physical forms. “I wanted to have a contemporary twist on traditional design, and it deals a lot with positive and negative space,” he begins. “I also was very interested in isolating the motifs of Salish design,” he continues. “So rather than creating a recognizable motif, a figure, a carving that could have been of a bear, an eagle, or a salmon, I wanted to just isolate the primary shapes.” 




Cut from sheets of acrylic, the earrings are just abstract enough to make the imagination wander, yet still recognizable enough to connect with Scott’s Salish roots. What’s more,, once the earring shapes had been cut, Scott’s keen artistic eye found new meaning in the excess acrylic sheets.  Rather than discard them, he created a series of artworks. “That has been something that's really invigorated my design process,” he tells. “I realized that the remnant sheets left over from the earring production were literally perfect examples of negative space, they were compatible with that same design mentality. I began to romanticize them, and started collecting them,” he adds. 

“I don't want these sheets to end up in the landfills, because of what my relationship is with my culture and this land and this territory.”
WARREN STEVEN SCOTT

“My second collection will be about double the size of my first, but it's on a similar timeline. I'm doing all the sampling and designing and pattern drafting and sewing myself,”

For her, fashion is first and foremost about finding joy in what you wear — extravagance and boundary-pushing design is not something she feels compelled to pursue. “I’ve never wanted to make avant-garde, I don’t want to be the next The Row. I just always wanted to make quality clothing that is fun to wear. And teaching people gives me a lot of joy,” she states. With over 115’000 subscribers on YouTube, DeVries has successfully tapped into an underserved market. And while many may have taken up sewing as a pandemic-era hobby, her channel has managed to keep its impressive subscriber figure post-lockdowns.


Scott and DeVries’ creative connection is clear — their aesthetics and reference points for womenswear are grounded in bold colors, playful fabrics, and movement. “I’m very drawn to the cottagecore romantic, feminine look. The epitome of that is my milk maid dress, which is very popular,” DeVries shares, noting that she draws inspiration from her childhood to create garments that hopefully channel a feeling of youthful innocence. 

The emotional resonance of the garment, she hopes, is only heightened when the wearer also feels the accomplishment of having made it themself. And in the end, the satisfaction goes hand in hand with reduced consumption. “I believe in clothing that lasts a long time, designs that are timeless. I don’t like this throwaway culture. It really makes me anxious when I see people doing ‘hauls’ — even with quality clothing,” she shares.






DeVries’ philosophy is one of simplicity, both aesthetically and materially. “I really encourage using natural fabrics, and even though cotton is seen as not so sustainable, it is durable and washes very well. Linen too, and I use a lot of bamboo,” she tells. In the age of overwork, DeVries’ mindset is refreshing, and offers hope for an industry plagued by burnout and a constant feeling of needing more. And the current pace of her business suits her just fine. “I like the small scale, I like that I can take care of it myself,” she shares. 


For both Scott and DeVries, then, fashion has proven to be far less harmful than they may have feared. Scott’s deeply personal garments and jewelry pieces remind the wearer and the observer about the much-needed, too-often-dismissed indigenous voice in Canada. DeVries’ commitment to passing on sewing knowledge to new audiences blends tradition with innovation. Both are key players on the exciting new Canadian fashion scene — a sector that is constantly growing, hoping to disrupt Canada’s position as a top greenhouse gas emitting country, with designers and brands such as Message Factory, Wildflo Studio, and Mariclaro. By working small, Scott and DeVries are part of a big change. 

Discover more at warrenstevenscott.com and lydianaomi.com