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For some, fashion is everything that goes out of fashion, as Jean Cocteau said. For others, fashion weaves thousands of years of tradition. Combining modern tastes with the imprint of her Innu roots, soprano Elisabeth St-Gelais talks fashion choices—from earrings to evening wear.
“There’s a lot of beadwork among Indigenous people, and the Innu in particular. It’s part of our cultures,” says St-Gelais. In fact, as our June-July 2025 issue’s cover artist, readers will already have seen St-Gelais wearing multicoloured beaded earrings, a tradition of her Innu nation of Pessamit.
It’s not uncommon for St-Gelais to wear moccasins or beaded earrings made by Indigenous artisans on stage. “It’s part of the representation work I do, but also my love of colour. I like to be classy, but original,” she says. One of her inspirations is the artist and filmmaker Caroline Monnet, of French-Anishinaabe descent. “I want to convey the image of a self-fulfilled and confident woman. For me, that comes through with beautiful colours.”
St-Gelais often orders her earrings from Matsheshu Création, a company based in Mashteuiatsh, an Indigenous community near Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, Que. “They come in all colours and go well with my [concert]dresses,” she says. “There’s also an Inuit artist in Montreal, Anouapik, who makes earrings with seal fur and beads. If I want a touch of silver or gold to match my shoes, she’ll custom make it.”
Given the soprano’s busy schedule, planning an evening outfit for a premiere, a recital, or a gala involves a lot of logistics. St-Gelais makes sure to order her outfits in advance. “One of my favourite Indigenous designers is Lesley Hampton: she makes beautiful, very chic skirts.” One of them is a custom-made traditional ribbon skirt. “This skirt has a great spirit for me: it represents the emancipated Innu woman that I am.”
The young lyric soprano also keeps an eye open for mainstream fashion. “Sometimes I feel like wearing a dress I found on a site that has nothing to do with Indigenous fashion, and that’s okay!” she says. “ASOS is a beautiful, inclusive site that I like to order from. In Montreal, there’s [Boutique] 1861 on Saint-Laurent Street, which I really like. I have about 10 dresses from there—it’s very inclusive and the service is great,” says St-Gelais.
www.matsheshucreations.com
www.lesleyhampton.com
www.asos.com
www.1861.ca
www.instagram.com/anouapik/?hl=en
https://www.facebook.com/lagordita.designs/videos/
This page is also available in / Cette page est également disponible en:
Français (French)