Hillary Ryder wins Sask Fashion Week's first Indigenous Designer Bursary

Hillary Ryder has been creating beautiful things since she was a little girl.

She recalls sketching often and mixing acrylics and watercolours to experiment with paint on cardboard as a child. It wasn't long before she asked her father to buy her canvas and he did.

• Behind the curtain at Sask. Fashion Week

Ryder discovered her interest in fashion design as a 16-year-old, while casually modelling for Indigenous designers in Regina.

"It looked like art to me," Ryder said of the work she was modelling.

"I thought 'I love fashion and I love art so I could combine them together and create my own couture dresses.'"

Now, at age 21, Ryder is a self-taught seamstress and beader.

"I get inspiration from my Assiniboine background," she said. "I love the patterns and shapes."

Ryder said each piece she creates takes months to complete. Herdedication has turned heads in Saskatchewan's fashion world.

Embraced by Sask. Fashion world

Recently, Ryder was awarded Sask Fashion Week's first-ever Indigenous Designer Bursary.

"SFW recognizes the significant importance of Indigenous culture and history in our province and we believe that Indigenous designers and artists play a crucial role in bringing the event to life," said Chris Pritchard, president of Sask Fashion Week.

The award includes $2,500 cash and a chance to showcase work on the annual event's runway.

Ryder said she will use the money to buy a new mannequin to help map out her designs.

"It will help me adjust sizes, make different sizes for different shapes," said Ryder.

"I usually use myself as a mannequin."