DESMON PACK MERGES CULTURES TO TELL STORIES THROUGH FASHION

By: Erica Commisso 

There’s a lot of fusion in Desmon “Day Day” Pack’s designs. His brand, Creator's Kidz Co., blends streetwear and couture, and pays homage to the his genetic composition, blending African American streetwear and West Coast Indigenous art and traditions. And his design style marries modern silhouettes and techniques with repurposed pieces, focusing on reconstructed, upcycled, and dynamic garments that tell a visual story through the tailoring and design rather than a fabric that adds to the problem of waste in the fashion industry. 

And his debut at the Santa Fe Indian Market last month was a resounding success, as he showcased a two-chapter collection of Afro-Indigenous designs at the SWAIA Native Fashion Show at the 104th iteration of the event.

Creator's Kidz Co. sent structured jackets and hoodies, vests and oversized tees, textured layers and digitally-printed pieces down one runway at the Indian Market, each piece with a clear story to tell. Pack’s vibrant and upcycled debut collection came as his mother, celebrated designer Himilakas Pamela Baker, presented in the same show as one of the legacy Indigenous designers at the Indian Market. 

But Pack’s work is worth celebrating on its own, independent of his notable heritage. It mixes clean lines with lace and texture, emblazons streetwear with with floral prints and decals, and carries both Indigenous and African American motifs through every fibre, through every stitch, through every design. 

Courtesy of SWAIA

Creator's Kidz Co. is Pack’s first foray into working for himself after spending years doing design work, creating, and consulting for others, helping bring their artistic visions to life. Having his own brand, he says, is a deeply personal experience, an opportunity to share his own stories with the world. It’s more than fashion for him, it’s storytelling through creative design, a “bold expression of culture, identity, and artistry—where the collaboration of West Coast traditional Indigenous art and African American stylistic influence collides with the energy of streetwear and the elegance of couture fashion,” as he describes it. 

As an Afro-Indigenous member of the Squamish Nation with Kwakwaka’wakw and Tlingit roots, Pack sees Creator's Kidz Co. as a brand that makes a statement of pride, “a reflection of my culture, my family, and my community, woven together with respect for tradition and a passion for innovation,” he wrote on Instagram. Essentially, he combines his heritage and the future to tell a story through fashion. 

Courtesy of SWAIA

And part of his story is basketball, which he’s described as having saved his life. And Creator's Kidz Co., which has “Break The Cycle” emblazoned across its website, donates $5 from every item from the aptly named Game Saved My Life collection–which boasts a series of basketball-themed graphic tees–to Roundball Impact, a non-profit organization that’s dedicated to mentorship, community support and leadership development through the sport. 

Through Creator’s Kidz Co. and through his Game Saved My Life collection, Pack aims to build a community and to carry on traditions–blending it all together into one clear package–through fashion and the arts.