Our Story

TAMARA MALCOLM DESIGNS

My inspiration is my four children and grandchildren.

One day my youngest son came up to wearing a sweater that had images of feathers and chokers on it. He asked me, "Mom, you think the next time you're going down to Toronto, if you see anything like this, can you get it for me?" I told him I would. The next time I went to Toronto, I went looking for something similar, but I couldn't find anything. As I was going into stores looking through the clothing it suddenly hit me, my son wanted to wear something that reflected his identity. He wanted to wear something to reflect his pride in who he is. But the designs that are so frequently available on hoodies and jackets that depict feathers, chokers, and dreamcatchers are stereotypes and aren't made by Indigenous people at all. I started to think and wonder how my son could wear clothing that showed his identity. I wanted to have clothing for my son that reflected some authentic Anishinaabe designs because we are Anishinaabe (Ojibway Nation/Tribe). So I took it upon myself and started creating designs and that is how "Tamara Malcolm Designs" began.

Some of you may be familiar with my well-documented story of my 10-year battle with the Child Welfare system in Manitoba to get my three sons back. It's one of the most egregious cases of the First Nations Child Welfare System in Manitoba. If you are interested, I documented it in full on X @TamaraMStory. This is why I'm so passionate about these designs and my collection.

Our family is together and thriving and we are proud to be Anishinaabe. I love designing for my family and hope you all love the designs too.