A model for Rebecca Baker-Grenier on the runway during the Red Dress Event of the Vancouver Indigenous Fashion Week, at Queen Elizabeth Theatre, in Vancouver, on Nov. 20, 2023.PAIGE TAYLOR WHITE/AFP/Getty Images
Photographer and filmmaker Patrick Shannon and veteran Cree model Joleen Mitton have witnessed first-hand how treacherous the fashion industry can be for Indigenous youth.
“Often, the barriers are huge for our people to even get a foot in the door,” Shannon says. “Then, when it comes to the support, whether it’s community, cultural or even accommodating the fact that a lot of us come from traumatized backgrounds, there’s a lot of things that aren’t taken into account.”
The pair’s mutual disappointment over a lack of authentic representation and fair treatment of Indigenous models led Mitton and Shannon to found Supernaturals Modelling, the world’s first all-Indigenous modelling agency. Supernatural beings rooted in Haida culture, along with a handful of other Indigenous cultures, influenced the agency’s name.
These pivotal figures often act as guides, “reminding us how to be strong and good people,” Shannon says. To some degree, he adds, the agency’s models act as public figures that embody strength and resemble modern-day ‘supernaturals.’
While neither Mitton nor Shannon had prior experience owning and operating an agency, both made significant contributions. Mitton drew on her experience working as a model for more than a decade, while Shannon contributed his wealth of knowledge in photography, media and entrepreneurship. Together, they aimed to redefine how Indigenous peoples are portrayed in the media.
“One of the biggest challenges growing up was that we never saw ourselves authentically represented,” Shannon says. “It was always us being in the background in a cowboy movie, or we were on the news, and it was one of two stories: It was either the Natives are protesting something again, or a white man shot a Native person.”
Ensuring fair treatment was also crucial to Shannon and Mitton. Shannon says one of the agency’s models had been asked to take a chlorine bath to lighten their skin tone for a shoot. Another model came to Supernaturals after her former agency wanted her to cut her hair.
“In our culture, you only cut your hair in times of mourning. There’s like a lot of cultural sensitivities that aren’t observed or brought into account when it comes to working with a lot of us,” Shannon says.
In 2017, Shannon was on set for a film project in Vancouver, and around the same time Mitton was looking for help with marketing and photography for what would become Vancouver Indigenous Fashion Week.
That’s when their professional relationship began. The two would grow closer over the years, collaborating on photography, branding and marketing ventures. They bonded over witnessing and experiencing the same frustrations in their lines of work.
Shannon had grown familiar with the challenges that young Indigenous peoples often face when breaking into the industry. Many Indigenous youth, especially from remote communities, struggle to access opportunities. As a model, Mitton was met with many of those struggles first-hand.
Supernaturals launched in the spring of 2021 with eight models in Vancouver. Now the agency works with 30 models – who range from 19 to 45 years old – and plans to expand to Toronto.
Community is one of its core pillars. Shannon says Supernaturals has received about 4,000 applications since it started, but the goal is to ensure every person is a proper fit. The owners value models who are supportive of each other and who are community-oriented.
Shannon adds that most models come to Supernaturals with little to no experience. The team works with each individual to help them feel comfortable in front of the camera and to develop their portfolio. “Some of our models are former children in care and had nothing to look towards,” Shannon explains. “They would have never been able to enter this kind of work without this community.”
According to Statistics Canada, in 2021, more than half the children in foster care were Indigenous, a significant figure given the Indigenous population comprises only 7.7 per cent of children under the age of 15 in Canada. Supernaturals conducts regular check-ins with its models to ensure their well-being and to build a strong sense of support.
It also safeguards models to prevent exploitation. Shannon says every client the agency partners with must abide by certain protocols, such as cultural protection, and clients are vetted to make sure the intention behind all campaigns is to prevent the politicizing of Indigenous people.
“I remember in our first three months, we had to turn down a major brand because it was looking to do some damage control on a campaign centred around Indigenous peoples,” Shannon says.
From left, Patrick Shannon, co-founder of Supernaturals Modelling agency, model Alicia Hanton, and VIFW founder Joleen Mitton. 'It was just a moment of catharsis,' Shannon said.Alana Paterson/Vancouver Indigenous Fashion Week
As Supernaturals plots its expansion, Shannon adds he hopes to continue to build the agency without compromising its core values. “It’s all just about finding that right equilibrium between growth and cash flow, but also making sure that the talent is getting opportunities and we’re prioritizing them.”
Shannon says his proudest moment as co-founder was the Vancouver Indigenous Fashion Week held in November, 2023. The event kicked off with the Red Dress showcase. Mitton told Vogue it served to “heal” and “honour our departed loved ones.”
“Vogue caught this one photograph of me, [Mitton] and one of our models,” Shannon says. “We’re just standing there, just all holding each other backstage right off the side of the runway.” Shannon says the photo captures the essence of Supernaturals and the impact he and Mitton strive to make in a traditionally cutthroat industry.
“It was just a moment of catharsis of just understanding that it doesn’t matter how big or small we are as an agency. It’s about the people and building community.”
One in a regular series of stories. To read more, visit our Indigenous Enterprises section. If you have suggestions for future stories, reach out to IE@globeandmail.com