Full Circle: Lesley Hampton on Heritage, Accessibility, the Transformative Power of Fashion

Over the past few decades, the meaning of luxury has quietly started to change. Many of the large fashion houses once celebrated for their craftsmanship and heritage have been folded into massive corporate empires. For example, namesake brands such as Dior, Fendi, Louis Vuitton, and Tiffany & Co have been absorbed into the multinational conglomerate LVMH. The hands that once stitched and shaped garments in small ateliers are now being replaced by global supply chains, where speed, volume, and cost-cutting come at the expense of ethical labor conditions.

However, despite the rise of streamlined production, prices are increasing. For some, this only adds to the allure of luxury fashion. But for others, it raises the question: in the age of fast fashion, what does luxury mean?

Fashion is political, yet deeply personal. What we wear and how we present ourselves speaks volumes about what values we hold close. As the world changes rapidly around us, how we engage with our garments, and those who make them, determines true luxury.

Out of this tension, something new is beginning to take shape. More people are turning their attention toward smaller, independent labels. These are brands often rooted in community, committed to more transparent practices, and more intentional about how and where they produce. It’s about connection, ethics, and a renewed respect for the creative process.

While reviewing the lineup of designers to be featured at the Southwest Association of Indian Arts (SWAIA) Native Fashion Week in Santa Fe, one name stood out: Lesley Hampton. Lesley is a Toronto-based designer of Anishinaabe heritage, known for her everyday luxury designs, size inclusivity, and community-focused advocacy.

Lesley Hampton is an Anishinaabe artist and fashion designer focused on mental wellness and body neutrality in fashion through the lens of the Indigenous worldview.

“Lesley is a member of Temagami First Nation, and she identifies as an adult 'Third Culture Kid' with her formative years spent in Canada's Arctic and Atlantic, Australia, England, Indonesia, and New Caledonia. This amalgamation of her Anishinaabe Indigeneity and her international upbringing nurtured a passion for socio-cultural causes as she uses her work as a catalyst for research, conversation, and community building.” - 'Our Story' (Lesley's Biography)Her brand was founded in 2016. It has since grown immensely, and she has become a well-known brand name throughout North America and in the Indigenous fashion community. Notably, Lesley has dressed celebrities such as Lily Gladstone, Sandra Oh, Devery Jacobs, and most recently Anna Lambe for the premiere of the Netflix series North of North. She has presented her work internationally during Toronto Fashion Week, Milan Fashion Week, London Fashion Week, and New York Fashion Week, in addition to working with celebrity stylists and promoting fashion events in her home base of Toronto.

During the SWAIA Native Fashion Week in Santa Fe, I had the opportunity to talk with Lesley about her most recent collection, Obsidian, which was presented in two parts. The first, Lumina, was presented on the SWAIA runway, while the other, Solstice, was presented at a separate show later in the week. Lesley spoke about her personal journey in fashion design, the vision for her brand, and the experiences which have led her to become a leader and advocate in the industry.

Innocence, Ambition, and Industry Realities

On first impression, Lesley was energetic and sincere. We sat outside in the sunlight. As the preparations for the afternoon runway shows started to pick up around us, Lesley was focused and at ease.

Q: I wanted to ask about your collection that you’ll be debuting today. Tell me a little about it.

A: Absolutely. So this is our 2025 collection, and it will be showcased in two parts. The collection overall is called Obsidian. Part one, what we’re showing tonight, is titled Lumina. Part two is titled Solstice, which we’ll show tomorrow at a separate runway. The collection overall is my journey from starting out in the fashion industry to where I am now.



I’m thirty years old now, but I draped my first dress at fifteen, so it’s been like half of my life wanting this dream. I started the brand when I was twenty-two. Then, I was almost naive in thinking that I could come into the industry, especially the mainstream fashion industry, and be able to bring more inclusion and Indigenous representation into it. I was kind of gung-ho on bringing my messaging to the fashion world. This collection reflects that naive innocence. And you'll see that with the light color story within this collection; very girly, very innocent, a lot of flowy materials.



I really wanted to celebrate that time in my design career, where I just was powerful and felt like I could take it. Then part two, Solstice, it’s like turning the page. A little more hardened, been through the ringer. I saw the reality, now I know [the industry] is not that easy to change. But, with the communities we are building, not only with my brand but the fashion industry as a whole, we’re really moving forward to allow this change to happen.

Shifting Industry Norms and Representation

Q: Did you experience a rude awakening in the industry?

A: Yeah, I had so many moments. Like I said, I started at 22. I kind of assumed that people just weren’t casting plus size because maybe it was a little too difficult for the drafting process or something. And it was very interesting, because when I started casting plus size models or casting indigenous talent, my models were stopped at our backstage doors. Security wouldn’t let them in because they didn’t look like models. They would tell them, no, the entrance for the show is that way. I don’t know if any other designer in the mainstream world actually has to go get their models from security.

I’ve had mentors suggest not casting multiple size models because it’s distracting for the viewer. I’ve had so many moments where people I looked up to and people who are namesakes in the industry just have these underlying ideas that are just aged.

In 2019, we were invited to the official Toronto Fashion Week, which was the biggest show in Canada. I was going to cast all Indigenous for the show, I thought I’m really going to make a statement! But none of the modeling agencies had indigenous talent that I could cast, and it was assumed that the designers would cast agency models for this major fashion show, and I literally couldn’t do what I wanted to do… I had to do a lot of what they call ‘street casting’, which is just casting non-agency design models. And it’s interesting now, because a lot of the people I worked with then are now signed to agencies.

Q: I know fashion is traditionally somewhat elitist and unattainable, and it is not a world that you can exist in if you have a different body. How do you see that changing?

A: It’s been almost ten years [since I started]. I should really do something for my one-decade! But yeah, it was a slow change in the beginning, and every time I brought diversity to the runways, it was always a media moment. So, it was great to get my name out there, but I’m really happy with how it is now. We are able to cast diverse, there are other designers casting diverse, and we’re able to show not only that all bodies are included in this space, but we as designers are actually working towards that change, and we want everyone to be included. It’s not just one brand that has extended sizing. It’s innate within each brand now.

Cultural Identity and Creative Expression

Q: I know specifically in New Mexico, a lot of our youth are experiencing culture loss, and I know this issue is affecting indigenous communities. What is your perspective on your international upbringing, and how did it shape your perspective on your Indigenous identity specifically?

A: That’s a very interesting question. I’ve always known that I was Indigenous. I’ve known since birth. My mom is a 60’s Scoop survivor, and she was able to go through enough of her reconnection journey, to reconnect to her community and be on talking terms with her birth father. So I’ve always known that I was Indigenous. But with the international upbringing, I was in Australia when I was twelve. That’s kind of when you really start to step into your identity and start to think about those things. When I was down there, I said I’m Indigenous, I’m Aboriginal. But people down there were like no, you’re not, you don’t look like an Australian Aboriginal person. So then I thought, oh, I really want to connect with my culture, but I can’t, because it’s not tied to this land. I was very much in the outback, there were maybe one or two other Aboriginal students at the school. So, it was really hard to connect in that way… I really started my reconnection journey at university when I came back to Canada, and I was actually able to connect with Anishinaabe land, with my community. I continued my reconnection journey with my mom’s birth mom.

The Sixties Scoop refers to a period of time from the 1960’s to 1980’s, when the Canadian government mandated the mass removal of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit infants and children from their homes. The children were taken into the child welfare system and placed for adoption into mostly non-Indigenous homes and communities. Birth families were rarely informed on the location of their children, and many families affected are still searching for their loved ones today.

I used fashion really early on, and still do now, just to understand my feelings and thoughts. Every time I go through a personal journey milestone, I think it reflects in my work. Those have always been really wonderful moments. For the Vancouver Indigenous Fashion Week in 2021, I did a retrospective show, and that was the first show I presented after personally reconnecting with my mom’s birth family, so that was the first show they saw. I did a retrospective show so that they could see the whole entirety of my work.

Aspirations and Goals

Q: As a leader in the industry, what do you see in the future for your brand? Do you have any goals or dreams?

A: Yeah, the main goal of mine would be to eventually be a headliner at New York Fashion Week, on their official calendar. To my knowledge, there hasn’t been Indigenous talent on the official calendar, just on the subset under group shows or something, so I really want to be the first. It’s great to be able to come here and make our brand known on the international stage, but [I’d like] to really bring Indigenous representation to a mainstream show. The work that I do is accessible to anyone, it is high fashion, but it’s kind of an every-day luxury. So I want to see that an Indigenous designer can do both. It doesn’t have to be the kind of motifs that are assumed from Indigenous talent. It can also be red carpet gowns and things like that.

Hampton’s Custom Approach to Accessibility

Q: I know a large part of your brand is custom work. Tell me about your process for custom pieces.

A: A lot of clients either want custom because they have a specific event in mind, like a wedding, or they haven’t been able to find their body shape in off-the-rack sizing. So, we start with asking what the event is, what the budget is, measurements, and then we have a good idea of what they’re looking for. Sometimes it is a reference to a design we’ve done before, maybe with color changes, or it’s a completely new design. I work closely with the client to figure out how they want the neckline, or sleeves. We do a sketch up, and ideally, we have a few fittings, then we deliver the item. A lot of the time, it’s an existing design, but the client wants to cover their arms or something. You’ll see on the runway today, as well as last season, we use this feather-floral material. One of our clients said, I want that for my wedding. So we are doing it in a white color, and using solid lining as opposed to a sheer lining for the skirt.

Q: I know you do a lot of outreach with Indigenous youth specifically. Can you tell me a little bit about how you use your brand for outreach?

A: Absolutely. So, I love being a connector. Any moment that I can connect someone to someone else, I love doing that because that’s how I was treated when I was young in the industry.

We were able to connect with an organization called the Ontario Mining Association, and they were looking for somewhere to donate some money that they had, so I was like, why don’t we create a scholarship program for Indigenous youth going to fashion school in Toronto? We were able to designate a $10,000 scholarship for Indigenous youth to start their fashion design career. That was about three years ago now, during COVID, and they’re currently putting together their final collection, at their final step before graduation. It’s really exciting to see that journey.

I also always cast young talent for my campaigns or runway shows, it’s a great way to give opportunities to future talent. If someone’s looking for clients, and I’ve talked to a talent who’s looking for a manager, I’m able to connect them... It’s really interesting to see how all the circles connect.

Reflections

That evening, I had the opportunity to view Lesley’s highly anticipated runway show. The presentation encapsulated a glamorous bubblegum pop-punk energy. The show began with a sheer hot pink gown embellished with feathers to match, followed by soft and buttery pinks, sparkles, and eventually faded into silvers and blacks. Visually, it told a story of confident innocence. The final gown was a structured cream bridal gown, which stood on its own as a testament to Lesley’s artistic talent.



In an industry defined by exclusivity, Lesley Hampton offers a model that is rooted in accessibility. Designers like Lesley Hampton show us that fashion is about more than beauty. It can be a way of healing, of reconnecting, of reclaiming space. In her hands, clothing becomes a living archive of identity.

As fashion continues to evolve and trends rise and fall at ever faster rates, we find ourselves at a crossroads of values. The choices we make about what we wear carry weight. They shape who is seen, whose labor is honored, and what kind of futures are possible. This shift isn’t solely about supporting slow fashion, smaller labels, or more ethical production, but about reimagining what the industry can be when we lead with intention.