' 44 — Sunday, February 17, 1991 — North Shore News FASHION Fashion with a touch of culture Native designer Pamela Baker-Pack is proud of her heritage Carol Crenna Fashion in harmony with nature “IT IS the Indian way of thinking, based on the med- icine - wheel teachings. The emotional, mental, spiritual and physical ele- ments are in harmony with each other. The four races are in harmony. “I’m trying to help native peo- ple get their message out,’’ states Pamela Baker-Pack, a successful fashion designer based in North Vancouver. A member of the Squamish Nation, Baker-Pack (who until recently was Pamela Baker Wooden) adds a touch of native culture to her clothing line under the label TOC Legends. Baker-Pack’s blending of cen- tacies-old cultural design with up- to-the-minute fashion design is her way of bringing spiritual and native Indian awareness to the public. She states that the First Nations people of Canada have for some time been expressing their culture through the visual arts. She feels that the time has come for native people to place their artistic skills and creative energy vibrantly on fashion designs to receive long deserved recognition. Baker-Pack, also a counseilor and an artist, is fiercely proud of her heritage and therefore makes it the base of all her designs. She explains, ‘‘We see a lot of our designs being made by non-natives and we feel that we would like to have them designed and made by native people.” Touch of Culture was introduc- ed as a fashion firm with a fash- ion show organized for a fund- Taising event in 1986, which gen- erated a lot of excitement. “‘We are not just another fash- ion show. Our vision and objec- tives are number one — to pro- mote a better native self image by visual presentation and develop young native role models," says Baker-Pack. Her fashion pres- entations showcase native design- ers from across Canada and the United States. The popularity of her fashion shows, produced and modelled by native Indians who were trained by Baker-Pack, inspired her to in- troduce a collection of women’s and children’s wear, manufactured by her firm Touch of Culture. “We design with natural fibres. We use beads and silver buttons, FASHION STATEMENTS but not too much. Remember, it’s a ‘touch of culture.’ ’’ She ex- plained that it is a women’s line of business wear with just a hint of the native culture added to each suit so that anyone can wear them. For instance, a black wool jacket may simply be accented by silver buffalo head buttons. Touch of Culture also offers young native adults an image and self esteem program which in- cludes modelling, native heritage education and hair styling courses. Baker-Pack’s background includes a diploma from Blanche Mac- donald Inc. in fashion merchan- dising, as well as working for sev- eral years as a drug and alcohol counsellor for the Squamish band, where she began coordinating fashion shows for related con- * ferences. TOC Legend's collection for spring °’9! includes cropped boleros thai are loosely cut or mid-thigh-length jackets in single-breasted styles that skim the body. The jackets feature a not- ched geometric design that was adapted from the Plains Indisns. High-waisted shorts, skirts and pants match the jackets, and gen- erously cut blouses in liner or cot- ton coordinate with the suits. A family crest with a two-headed sea serpent is used on blouses and shirts. Logo T-shirts have also been added. Colors are chosen from native cultures too. Baker-Pack, a longtime member of the Western Canadian Design- ers and Fashion Association and a newly accepted active designer member, will present her spring line featuring her own native models at 2 general meeting, open to the public, on Feb. 25, 6:45 p.m. at Lz Meridien Hotel in the Belair Room. The cost is $5 for non-members. Looking ahead, the goal of the design firm is to have native peo- ple manufacturing TOC Legends clothing on the reserve. “We are desi jing our own TOC Legends fook for the smoke signals ir the future,’’ said Baker-Pack. TOC Legends are available through a mail-order catalogue. Call 980-0419 for snore informa- tion. Quick snips © Woman Today weekend to relax After a long, frazzling winter, many women may feel the need for a metamorphosis, a change from old to new. If you need a spring refresher, the Hyatt Regen- cy’s eighth annual Women Today is an entire weekend of health, in- formative learning and complete self-indulgence. The event takes place on the weekend of March 1, 2 and 3, and is available to women only. It is coordinated and organized by the Hyatt Regency, Vancouver Hotel, 655 Burrard St., Vancouver. It does noi offer a trade show of - any kind, which means that no one will try to sell you anything. The Hyatt gives an exceptional price for the weekend package as a promotional vehicle for the hotel itself. The cost of Women Today is $305 per person for double occupancy and $355 per person for single occupancy. . During the event, 350 B.C. women will share perspectives, participate in any of 15 seminars which have been organized for the weekend, and enjoy fine food (all meals are included) prepared by the hotel’s executive chef. The Women Today weekend also includes daily fitness classes, beauty salon consultation, an evening fashion show featuring the city’s best models wearing clothing from the boutique Wear Else?, luxurious accommodation ‘for two nights and great live entertainment cach evening. he seminars, offered throughout the weekend, include topics such as Creative Visu- alization, a fun seminar on stress release and relaxatizn, Relation- ships: What Makes Them so Dif- ficult, which identifies expecta- tions and pinpoints common pit- falls, Trends for the ’90s, a look at issues facing the consumer in the future. : Wine Tasting talks about grape varieties and food-and wine pair- ings. The Zen of Surviving With Grace talks about balancing the priorities in your life. The Ap- pearance Factor discusses projec- ting your image through your ap- pearance, Cooking With the Hyatt gives secrets from the hotel’s chef. Clothing Style Strategies advises on how to achieve your most flat- tering look. Man-handling is a thoughtful approach to under- standing the difference between the sexes. Money Matters deals with GST, interest rates, pension teform and other financial infor- mation. Beauty treatments by Van- couver’s La Raffinage will be of- fered at a reduced rate to all Women Today participants, in- cluding manicures, pedicures, facials, massages and makeup ap- plications. There are prizes which include vacations, wardrobe consultations and designer clothing. To book a Women Today package, call Mariette Wilcox at The Hyatt Regescy Vancouver, 643-5827. © The Bay pulls out furs The Hudson’s Bay Company has recently pulled its entire stock of furs from its B.C. stores. Though animal rights activists were claiming a victory, The Bay's general manager Gary McLeod and vice-president of The B.C. Trappers Association, Peter Alan, both agree that the controversy over fur trapping had nothing to do with the decision. eee