Men's dress shoes with undyed ringed seal skin, by Nicole Camphaug, 2021
Women's high-heeled shoes with dyed black harp seal fur, by Nicole Camphaug, 2021

Nicole Camphaug is a Canadian Inuk fashion and jewellery designer from Nunavut.[1][2] She is primarily known for creating sealskin-covered shoes and other contemporary Inuit fashion items under the label ENB Artisan, which she runs with her husband.[2][3] Camphaug uses commercially purchased shoes and covers them with sealskin and ornaments made from traditional animal materials like caribou, muskox, and narwhal.[4][5] The pelts are sourced from Labrador.[6] She also makes jewellery from bone, tusk, and similar materials.[2]

Camphaug, who is from Rankin Inlet, learned to sew at an early age, mostly producing traditional Inuit clothing items like parkas and hats for family and friends.[1][4] In 2015, she created her first pair of shoes by attaching scrap sealskin to a pair of her old boots.[1][3] When she posted photos of the boots to her Facebook page, the positive response encouraged her to make more, which she began to sell.[3][4] Camphaug has described her work as a means of promoting sealskin products, as well as Inuit culture and fashion.[5][7] In an interview with Up Here, she stated that she enjoyed making high heels and dress shoes in particular because it provides a way to wear sealskin outside the winter season without being too warm.[8]

A pair of Camphaug's heels are held in the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto.[4] In 2016, a pair of high heels by Camphaug were featured in Floe Edge, an exhibition of Inuit art and design by Quebec art collective Axe Néo-7.[7] In 2019, Camphaug provided accessories for outfits at the Upingaksaaq Fashion Show in Iqaluit, which featured Inuit designers.[9][10] ENB Artisan was short-listed for the grand prize of the 2021 Pow Wow Pitch, a competition for Indigenous Canadian entrepreneurs.[5]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Ryder, Kassina (July 17, 2017). "Growing A Business". Up Here. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 "Profiles: Nicole Camphaug". Ornamentum. July 17, 2022. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 Levy-McLaughlin, Rachel (May 19, 2017). "See how an Inuit designer combines fashion and tradition using sealskin". Canadian Geographic. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Bowen, Dana (November 5, 2020). "High Heel Seal". Up Here. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
  5. 1 2 3 Wright, Trevor (August 30, 2021). "Inuit women dominate territorial semifinals of Pow Wow Pitch". Nunavut News. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
  6. ↑ "Nicole Camphaug takes sealskin footwear to new heights". CBC News. July 21, 2015. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
  7. 1 2 McCue, Duncan (March 14, 2016). "Putting sexy back in sealskin: Nunavut seamstresses aim for high-end fashion market". CBC News. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
  8. ↑ Eden, Hannah; Weaver, Katie (October 2016). "Behind the Look: Part 4". Up Here. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
  9. ↑ LeTourneau, Michele (April 24, 2019). "Photos: Nunavut fashion comes home after Paris". Nunavut News. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
  10. ↑ Driscoll, Kent (April 23, 2019). "Nunavut fashion show in Iqaluit by Inuit, for Inuit". APTN News. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
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