A Saskatchewan jewelry designer is Hollywood bound, set to showcase her accessories to an international audience.
Helen Oro, 31, is from the Pelican Lake First Nation and has been “beading” for the last six years.
“Beadwork for me is a form of healing and it’s a form of teaching about patience and growth,” Oro said.
Based in Saskatoon, she has travelled the world with her jewelry; her next stop being events throughout the National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles, Calif., in February.
“I felt like I lucked out,” Oro said. “It’s exciting!”
Oro is expected to be the only Canadian and only Indigenous designer at the show.
Her jewelry features indigenous designs and beadwork on everyday items like necklaces, shoes and even sunglasses.
“I’m really aware of the patterns and colours that I use because I don’t want to offend other tribes, I’m mindful of that,” she said. “I get to share this with people who are not First Nations.”
Oro said the beadwork has helped her reconnect with her culture.
“Beading was something that I got back into to teach myself something, to learn about my culture again,” Oro said.
A group of eight models will join Oro on the trip, sporting new pieces from Oro’s collection that she describes as bright and flashy.
“I do simple, to the very extravagant and crazy bling,” she said. “Stuff you wouldn’t see anywhere else.”
Oro said she hopes to make good connections while she’s at the show and hopefully get her products sold in stores south of the border.