Nunavik Creations sews made-to-order parkas for 100 - Action News
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Nunavik Creations sews made-to-order parkas for 100

The Arctic Winter Games team from northern Quebec will look sharp this year, with green and black parkas that were designed and sewn by Inuit seamstresses.

'The seamstresses are all from this region,' says chef de mission Nancianne Grey

Three Inuit seamstresses sewed 100 parkas to outfit Team Nunavik at the Nunavik Creations workshop in Ville St. Laurent near Montreal. (Photo credits: Nunavik Creations, Barbara Valente and Vickie Okpik )

When it comes to the traditional trading of Arctic Winter Gamescoats and jackets in Alaska next week, the young athletes from Team Nunavik will have a distinct advantage: theyll be wearing hand-made parkas, designed and sewn by Inuit women.

A model shows off Team Nunavik's parkas for the 2014 Arctic Winter Games. (Photo credits: Nunavik Creations, Barbara Valente and Vickie Okpik )

"We're part of the team going there," saiddesigner Vickie Okpik.

They have in-seam pockets, and theyhave a makkalik hood which is the traditional style, she said, describing the parkas.

Originally from Quaqtaq, Que.,Okpik did a degree in Fashion Design from Lasalle College before she was hired by Makivik Corporation in 1999 to launch a clothing project.

That project evolved into Nunavik Creations, which was established to "expand economic opportunities and produce products that reflect the culture, crafts and traditions of Nunavik to the outside world."

This is the seventh year that Nunavik Creations has outfitted Team Nunavik for the Arctic Winter Games. (Nunavik Creations, Barbara Valente and Vickie Okpik)
Today the company specializes in sealskin parkas, mitts and hats for men, women and children.

It's also designed and manufactured parkas for Team Nunavik since 2000.

Okpik remains the in-house designer for the company.

Vickie Okpik is originally from Quaqtuq, Nunavik.
She started working on the project a year ago, and the seamstresses got to work last summer.

I try to incorporate something Inuk in there, she said. Something Nunavik style. Something that the ladies will like to have, and the men.

Team Nunaviks chef de mission Nancianne Grey saidthe uniforms are an interesting mix of modern and traditional.

And she has praise for the company that made them.

The seamstresses are all from this region and were very proud, Grey said.

In fact, Grey saidshe can't imagine having the team uniforms made by anyone else.

"They have the resources to make large orders such as ours. They have the experience, they have the fashion sense, they have the desire to try different things. It was the perfect business relationship.

Nunavik Creations is based in Ville St. Laurent just outside of Montreal. The company also employs two seamstresses at its sewing centre in Inukjuak.

The company is wholly-owned by Makivik Corporation, the landholding corporation based on the 1975 James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement.

The Arctic Winter Games get underway in Fairbanks, Alaska this weekend. They run until March 22.