Aurellia Nelson is excited to hold her second annual Kwakwa瘫ka瘫'wakw Fashion Show at the Civic Centre in Port Hardy on April 12, and there's a few key differences this year from the last.

"This year I am incorporating more traditional culture into the show," Nelson said, confirming the fashion will open with a speech from the Kwakiutl First Nation hereditary chief David Knox, they will have two special dancers to welcome everyone, and there will also be an intermission where they will have more dancers come out in-between designer sets.

After the fashion show ends at 8 p.m. on Saturday there will be a ball afterwards to allow everyone to gather and finish the night off with some dancing.

Nelson also noted the Friday before (April 11) there will be a gathering at the Fort Rupert Big House for a cultural exchange with the visiting S蓹lilw蓹ta涩 (Tsleil-Waututh) from north Vancouver.

The fashion show's April 12 date is a personal one for Nelson. She chose it because it's a significant one for her family, as it was her late great grandmother's birthday.

"I decided [last year] to honour her legacy by hosting the fashion show within the community," Nelson said. "I had woken up that January with the thought of hosting one, and then later that week we secured the venue at the Kwa'lilas Hotel and I knew we were on the right path to making it happen."

Nelson put the word out she was looking for Kwakwa瘫ka瘫'wakw designers, which brought three other designers to share the night with her, and she also opened it up to vendors so they were able to incorporate everyone鈥檚 talents to be showcased.

"Our models are our own community members," she said, stating this makes the night all that more special, because it includes everyone within the community, either as part of the show or by simply attending.

Nelson said when she walked out the first time and saw the fashion show was sold out with over 250 people sitting there, "every little thing, from the stressful days put in, to the welcoming of our members that live outside of the community, my noke (heart) was so full... I could hear from the backroom the audience cheering and clapping, and then being able to go out and see everyone鈥檚 smile... That feeling didn鈥檛 fade for a while, which is why I鈥檓 so excited to be able to gather again, and this time in a bigger venue."

The Kwakwa瘫ka瘫'wakw Fashion Show is an extension of Nelson's own company, Premium Culture Club, a clothing brand she created during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021.

She said the fashion show is a visual way to help share the traditions and values of the Kwakwa瘫ka瘫'wakw people through her art, aiming to bring awareness and inspiration to both the non-Indigenous and Indigenous communities.

"The brand name itself has a story," stated Nelson. "'Premium Culture' is because the Indigenous culture is not ordinary but in fact a very wealthy culture, and to finish the name, 'Club' allows it to be open to everyone and make people feel welcomed to be a part of such a strong brand."

She was proud to say Premium Culture Club has branched off in many different ways to help support the community, such as "donating profits of sales to non-profit organizations that help our people. We created the 'YOU MATTER' collection to support suicide awareness. The design represents healing and is a reminder that you are not alone. The non-profit organization we chose to give back to is the , which goes towards their suicide prevention line."

"We also created Orange Shirt Day designs to show our support for the Residential School Survivors," she added. "Sept. 30 is known as Truth and Reconciliation Day, and a part of the profit made off the sales we donate to the . This past November I was able to attend the IRSSS Gala in Vancouver, and I鈥檝e also created designs for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Day, Pink Shirt Day, and I have participated in creating many custom designs for our community teams, memorials and businesses."

When asked what it means to her to celebrate and honour her culture, Nelson said she feels very fortunate to be able to get to create Kwakwa瘫ka瘫'wakw art.

"During my early years at university is when I first started finding my Indigenous identity," she said, noting she holds her art very close to her, as she feels it's her entryway to her culture.

"I think showing our culture through fashion is unique because it's different, in our community we don't tend to see it often. Our culture is known to heal people, and our remote community goes through constant hardship. The last year was filled with a lot of grief, especially for myself, losing friends at such a young age. Hosting this event allows everyone to gather in a healthy and safe setting to embrace our culture in the healthiest way, and I get to celebrate both my great grandma鈥檚 legacy for the beautiful woman she was and the culture she and I share."

Follow Premium Culture Club on Facebook/Instagram @premiumcultureclub. You can purchase tickets online for the fashion show at .

Doors open at the Civic Centre at 5:30 p.m., seating is first come first serve, and the show starts at 6 p.m.