Indigenous Fashion, Bespoke Tailoring, and Cultural Storytelling

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): The Good Men Project

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2025/03/30

Zahir Rajani, co-founder of The Sartorial Shop, Bespoke Atelier, talks about Indigenous representation in fashion and the role of bespoke tailoring. Rajani discusses the growing prominence of Indigenous artists and their integration into custom design. The conversation explores the collaboration for the documentary Sugarcane, featuring Julian Brave NoiseCat, Ed Archie NoiseCat, and Chief Willie Sellars. Rajani reflects on the intersection of fashion, history, and sustainability, emphasizing how traditional and Indigenous elements can be seamlessly incorporated into formalwear. He highlights the importance of authenticity, craftsmanship, and cultural storytelling in reshaping the fashion landscape.

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: So today, we are here with Zahir Rajani, co-founder of The Sartorial Shop, Bespoke Atelier. How do you see Indigenous representation in fashion evolving, particularly the role of bespoke tailoring in this?

Zahir Rajani: Yeah, that’s a great question.

For me, I can relate it to the project we worked on and what I have been fortunate to experience throughout this collaboration. Indigenous representation in fashion is increasing and moving in the right direction. Through this project, we have met some incredible Indigenous artists whose work is simply spectacular. Just through this collaboration alone, we have already started to think about how we, as a bespoke atelier, can incorporate some of their beautiful work into our designs.

The more we discuss it, the more we realize that Indigenous fashion is becoming more prominent. So, when I say it is headed in the right direction, I mean that it is gaining greater visibility and recognition, as it should.

Jacobsen: What was your initial reaction with Amanda May Daly creating some custom pieces?

Rajani: My wife and I run the business together—she is my co-creative director.

Our first reaction was one of honor—we were truly honored to be approached and selected to be part of this project on multiple fronts. First, it was an incredible opportunity to contribute to an important part of Canadian and British Columbia’s history. Second, we had the privilege of working with artists like Julian Brave NoiseCat and Ed Archie NoiseCat, whose work has been widely recognized, including at the Smithsonian Institution. And of course, collaborating with Chief Willie Sellars was a great honor.

We were incredibly excited about the project, especially at the outset when no one knew exactly what the final outcome would be. We knew that ideally, we wanted to incorporate Indigenous art and Indigenous fashion into a modern aesthetic with an old Hollywood and Western feel.

• CEO and Creative Director of The Sartorial Shop, Zahir Rajani (Left)
• Julian Brave NoiseCat, Oscar nominee, activist, filmmaker, writer, and co-director of Sugarcane (centre-right)
• Celebrity Stylist, Amanda May Daly (right)

Jacobsen: For those unfamiliar, The Sartorial Shop opened in May 2023 and later relocated to Downtown Vancouver. What factors do you attribute to its rapid growth and success?

Rajani: Great question. When we set out to reopen the family business, we were reviving a legacy. My parents originally started what would become The Sartorial Shop in 1984 and ran it until 2010, when they closed. My wife and I decided to reopen in late 2022, and we officially opened our doors in May 2023.

Our goal was to bridge a gap in Vancouver’s bespoke and custom suiting market and expand beyond that. The industry had two extremes—high fashion and fast fashion—and we saw an opportunity to offer a balance between them.

You don’t have a “you get what you pay for” fashion market in Vancouver or B.C. So, if you’re looking for something that’s $2,000, you get what you pay for. If you’re looking for something that’s $4,000, $10,000, $20,000, you get what you pay for. But in Vancouver, that middle ground does not exist. You have fast fashion—the obvious fast fashion stores—and then you have ultra-high fashion, which is often considered overpriced, especially for the quality.

Our goal was to bridge that gap and redefine it. That has contributed tremendously to our very rapid growth, and we’re obviously grateful for it.

We are honest in what we do. When we create a garment that is hand-sewn, it is hand-sewn. When we create a garment that is tailored in Europe or Italy, it is tailored in Europe or Italy.

If we create something worth $2,000, it is likely double or triple the price at a competitor of ours. The honesty and dignity in the work we put together and put out there have definitely contributed to our growth. Our eye for detail, the time we spend with each individual who walks through our doors, and the craftsmanship that goes into every product we create at our atelier are second to none—especially in our market.

Jacobsen: For the documentary Sugarcane, directed by Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie, they explore an important historical facet of Canadian history—residential school systems in Canada. The film centers on St. Joseph’s Mission Residential School, which was in Williams Lake, British Columbia. It investigates abuses, infanticide, and the enduring impacts on Indigenous communities today. What are your reflections on this chapter in Canadian history and the narratives of resilience and strength among Indigenous people who have endured these injustices?

Rajani: Having been born and raised in Vancouver, I, unfortunately, never learned about this in school. I went through the public school system. At the time, there wasn’t a lot of information available to us.

When the news first broke about the discovery of unmarked graves, that was the first time many of us truly started to understand what residential schools were and how they impacted Indigenous communities across Canada. Even then, unless we took the time to do our own research, there wasn’t much publicly available information.

So first and foremost, this is an incredibly important part of Canadian history. As dark, as sad, and as disheartening as it is, it is essential that we understand what happened. Because until you understand it, it is difficult to have a real conversation about it.

This documentary and its story help us understand how residential schools impacted previous generations and how they continue to affect current and future generations of the Indigenous community. It also helps us grasp what a true path to reconciliation could look like.

That’s probably the extent of what I can answer. I’m very much an outsider when it comes to this subject, and I only know what I have been able to research and what I have seen through this documentary.

Jacobsen: Many years ago, I conducted a long series of interviews with people in ethical and sustainable fashion. Most of them were small- and medium-sized fashion designers, developers, and business owners. A majority were women, at least in the interviews I conducted, primarily in North America but not exclusively.

How has that industry evolved over time—let’s say, in the last five to ten years?

Rajani: COVID, first and foremost, brought out a lot of entrepreneurs—or at least brought out the entrepreneurial side in many individuals.

If you were laid off, you either searched for another job or started your own business. We saw a 40% to 50% increase in entrepreneurship between March 2020 and today, and that trend continues to rise.

By virtue of that, we’ve seen a dramatic increase in independent fashion ventures over at least the last half-decade.

In terms of the gender split, in bespoke tailoring and bespoke suiting, even though our focus is menswear, we do ladies’ wear as well, and we do it quite well. However, you still tend to see more men as creative directors in this space.

That shift is beginning to change. More and more women are getting involved.

If we take a step back and look at the global men’s suiting industry, you had Tom Ford, who recently sold his company, as a male creative director. You have Alessandro Sartori, the creative director of Zegna, and, of course, Giorgio Armani, who runs his own namesake brand, alongside Ralph Lauren.

In bespoke suiting, custom suiting, or general tailoring, the industry remains male-dominated. If you go to Savile Row, 95% of tailors are men.

But that’s changing.

For example, in our own business, my wife is my co-creative director, and she has equal input, insight, and oversight on every design we produce and every garment we put together.

Jacobsen: How do you approach a bespoke atelier for a project like this?

How deep is the collaboration and coordination—from the accessorizing, blending of Indigenous and Western design, and the celebrity stylist’s own vision—while also coming from a Vancouver context?

Rajani: This is a great question, and this was where we had an incredible experience.

It was fun, it was challenging, and it was highly educational for us.

When Amanda May Daly first approached us in October of last year, she suggested there might be an opportunity—if Sugarcane was nominated for an Oscar or performed well during award season—to put together Oscars red carpet looks.

She asked if that was something we’d be interested in.

At the time, nobody fully knew what these outfits would look like. But as we started brainstorming, meeting, and discussing ideas, we knew one thing above all else:

It was essential that the three individuals felt comfortable in what they were wearing.

And I don’t just mean physically comfortable—as in a fabric that drapes well or a cut that isn’t too tight.

I mean comfortable in the sense that their outfits represented who they are—first and foremost.

Rajani: So it was about understanding that—what did this mean? What does this mean to Julian? What does this mean to Ed? What did this mean to Chief Willie Sellars? And second, how do we incorporate various elements of their own Indigenous communities and cultures into each garment? For Julian, it was about working around his moose hide vest, which his grandmother made for him. For Ed, it was about integrating his own artwork into various design elements, whether through a custom cummerbund, jewelry, or specific tailoring details in his tuxedo. For Chief Willie Sellars, he was very particular about the color of the garment, why that color was significant to him, and how it would complement other accessories and pieces being made. Amanda’s role—her task—was to bring these individual visions together and merge them into something cohesive that honored all aspects: the bespoke suiting world, Indigenous arts and culture, and each person’s unique identity.

It involved a lot of brainstorming, bouncing ideas back and forth, and ultimately ensuring that the three individuals wearing these outfits felt comfortable in what we were putting together.

Jacobsen: How were not only The Sartorial Shop but also Himikalas Pam Baker, Kokum Scrunchies, Joe Big Mountain of Ironhorse Quillwork, and Ed NoiseCat integrated into the overall design of the project?

Rajani: A lot of those collaborations—most of them, really—were Amanda’s connections and curations. She knew she wanted these creators involved in some way, and then it became about building on her vision and figuring out the best way to do that.

So when we understood what Julian, Ed, and Willie each envisioned, we built from there. For Julian, his look had to reflect a very specific western style, but in a way that would be appropriate for black-tie events and the red carpet. Typically, on a red carpet, you see people wearing tuxedos—but you can’t wear a moose hide vest under a standard tuxedo jacket. If you did, you’d hide the vest entirely.

So the question became, how do we take western-style pants and transform them into tuxedo trousers? The solution was to design trousers with a thicker waistband contrasted in black satin, a black satin tuxedo stripe running down the side, and a crisp western-style formal shirt that would pair with his moose hide vest.

For Ed and Willie, the approach was similar, incorporating elements personal to them. And then, for Ed, what made the most sense was that he wanted a classic Old Hollywood-style tuxedo. Typically, you’d have a bow tie, a pocket square, and a black cummerbund. But instead of a standard black cummerbund, we thought—how about creating one that represents Indigenous arts and culture, particularly his own community?

That’s where Pam Baker was commissioned to design a beautiful custom cummerbund. In addition, Heather Jude of Jude Canada Designs created another cummerbund, using Kokum scarf fabric, which tied into Indigenous design traditions.

Ed is also very passionate about hats—whether it’s a fedora or cowboy hat—so we asked, how do we incorporate a hat into his look in a way that fits the formalwear? We collaborated with Capelleria Bertacchi, a local hat maker with whom we have a great relationship, to customize certain elements of a hat that Ed already owned.

For Chief Willie Sellars, it was a similar process. Once he selected the color of his suit, Joe Big Mountain designed some beautiful quillwork to complement it. The entire project was about harmonizing each artist’s designs, styles, and garments while ensuring every creator had the space to do what they do best—all seamlessly integrated into the outfits we designed alongside Amanda.

Jacobsen: What would you say is your biggest takeaway from this kind of collaboration, where you’re incorporating sustainable fashion into the process?

At the same time, there’s another ethical dimension to this—not just from a sustainability perspective but from a historical and cultural standpoint. What are your key reflections after participating in this project and collaborating with everyone involved?

Rajani: The biggest takeaway is realizing the depth of the fashion and design world—and how you can incorporate someone else’s style and culture in a way that is both meaningful and stunningly beautiful.

If you want a traditional tuxedo, that doesn’t mean it can’t or shouldn’t incorporate elements of another culture. It absolutely can, and when done thoughtfully, it can look incredibly powerful, deeply personal, and still maintain a formal, elegant aesthetic.

Typically, in traditional fashion, whether it’s sustainable or fast fashion, there are strict norms that designers tend to conform to—such as, “This is a red carpet look” or “This is a formal black-tie look,” and you can’t deviate from that. But in this case, we did deviate from it. We redefined the rules to ensure that each look remained a formal, red carpet-worthy design while still incorporating everything we discussed—heritage, culture, artistry, and identity.

This entire experience speaks to the vast, untapped depth of fashion and style, particularly in North America and especially in our market.

Jacobsen: Thank you for the opportunity and your time, Zahir.

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