Rocking the runway in New York City 

As Kahnawa’kehró:non Vanessa Martin strutted down the runway as part of this month’s New York Fashion Week (NYFW) show, she cradled her baby bump.

“I already knew I was going to do it, because the belly’s bumping, they’re going to take pictures of it anyway, so I’m just going to frickin’ own it and show it off, and let it be my announcement to the public,” Martin said. “Yes, I’m a mom, I’m expecting my third baby, but I’m still this powerful and fabulous woman, and I feel like it was empowering a little bit.”

Martin walked for Alicia’s Designs, a Nuu-Chah-Nulth/Kwakwaka’wakw brand. It was Martin’s first time walking in NYFW – a longtime personal goal of hers.

“There were all different types of designers there,” Martin said. “It just felt like how you see it in the movies. You go in there and there’s tons of makeup artists and hairstylists, and everything’s extremely organized.”

The outfit selected for Martin was burgundy, with hand-painted gold embellishments on over the knee heeled boots, and a wraparound leather shirt. The look was part of the Runway 7 Fashion show.

“It had this really cool look to it,” Martin said.

Before she steps out on any runway, Martin has her own ritual: two deep breaths, and a pep talk.

“I tell myself, ‘Okay, it’s game time now. Put on whatever face and whatever face you’re going to do, and just work it and strut it,” she said. “It’s just me grabbing every ounce of confidence I have and just throwing it out into the world.”

Though Martin said she was the only model from Kahnawake in her show, there were many other Onkwehón:we models and designers.

“The highlight of the whole experience was just meeting all the different Indigenous people, and all the non-Indigenous people and designers, it was just really cool to see all the different people that came together to put this event on,” she said.

Martin hopes that other community members will feel empowered to walk the runway, with more and more locals taking steps in the modelling world.

“My advice would be to just frickin’ go for it and apply to as many things as you possibly can, because even the bigger shows all have model callouts and auditions,” she said.

“If you know people who have an in, or a designer, reach out to them and don’t be scared to try and grab those opportunities, because they’re not just going to fall in your lap, you have to work for them too.”

[email protected]