Yolonda Skelton is a First Nations multi-disciplinary artist and designer from the Gitxsan Nation, whose career spans fashion, theatre, and film. Rooted in eco-conscious practice and Indigenous storytelling, she now brings her signature blend of cultural resonance and sustainable craft to ballet costume design, collaborating with choreographer Joshua Beamish, for the upcoming program.

Yolonda’s work bridges contemporary fashion and performance costume, honoring her Gitxsan heritage through pattern, material choice, and narrative detail. Her fashion collections have appeared on international Indigenous stages, including Vancouver Indigenous Fashion Week (VIFW), Indigenous Fashion Week Toronto (IFWT), SWAIA, and Paris presentations. She operates a values-driven label focused on local sourcing and environmentally mindful production: www.sugiitlukxsdesigns.com.

Performance Credits

Theatre: Rose (The National Arts Center) Rez Gas (The Capitol Theater); The Secret To Good Tea (The NAC, Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre, and The Grand); Beautiful Scars (Theatre Aquarius)

Film / TV: Lay Down Your Heart (NFB); Assistant Costume Designer, Bones of Crows (feature / 5-part mini-series); WaaPaKe (NFB); Angela’s Shadow (feature); Reclaim My Skin (Documentary Series); Tombs (Feature)

Yolonda approaches costume design as storytelling through fabric—translating character, movement, and cultural memory into garments that perform under stage lights and on screen. Her collaboration with Joshua Beamish marks a new chapter focused on ballet, where technical rigour and sculptural costume work meet her sustainability and cultural practice. Yolonda continues to expand the dialogue between Indigenous identity and contemporary performance, crafting designs that move bodies and minds alike.