Jerney Desjarlais modeling overseas at Paris Indigenous Fashion Week

September 23, 2024, 10:36 am
Ashley Bochek

Some of Jerney Desjarlais’ model shots. At left is a photo taken by Bob Clark with design by Giggy’s Beads Boutique. In centre is Jerney’s headshot taken by Monte Arnold. At right is a photo taken by designer Bruno Henry.

Jerney Desjarlais of Rocanville selected to be a part of Indigenous Fashion Week in Paris coming up at the end of September. Desjarlais is a Métis model and is excited for the opportunity to model in Paris.

Desjarlais says she lived in Rocanville until she was 12 years old before moving to B.C.

“I am a 15-year-old model, and I am currently living in British Columbia in the lower mainland, in Coquitlam,” she says.

“I was born and raised in Saskatchewan. I lived in Rocanville for the first 12 years of my life. The first time I ever modelled was when I was eight months old. My mom signed me up for a model shoot. Then, we moved to B.C. and I have always been interested in fashion so I thought, ‘Oh yea, I want to get into modelling,’ and my mom was 100 per cent on board with that.

“She started school at Blanche Macdonald in Vancouver and students there will model for their class and so I thought I could be the models for them, so that is when I really started.”

She says there are some challenges that come with modelling.

“The quick changes that happen, like last minute changes in schedules. That is probably one of the most stressful things I have gone through.”

Desjarlais models at the Blanche Macdonald School of arts, fashion, and make-up in Vancouver.

“From my second runway I was asked to be a part of an agency,” she said. “Even though I don’t think I have done a lot of modelling, when I add all of it up I have definitely done a lot.

“I modelled in Kamloops for a fashion show for the elders, and I have modelled for IKR (International Kids Runway) which was my first-ever runway. The main thing that I do is model for students at Blanche Macdonald.”

She says she is beyond excited to go to Paris for Indigenous Fashion Week.

“Kim Coltman, the founder of Indigenous Fashion Week, looked at the list of applications and thought which ones would work. I was ecstatic when I found out I was chosen. I was so excited and to be honest it was a huge shock. I have come very far in modelling.”

Desjarlais will be going to Paris with her mom and younger sister.

“Indigenous Fashion Week in Paris is for about a week. We leave on September 22. I am very excited for the trip and the event,” she says. “I hope it opens more doors in the world of fashion and I believe that it will. I am most excited to tour Paris and see the sites and the actual experience of the fashion show. My mom and my younger sister are coming with me too. My mom and I have a really good relationship, so I am excited she is coming.”

Desjarlais is enjoying modelling for right now, but sees her future working in a different profession.

“I don’t see myself going that far in modelling if I am being honest. When people ask me, ‘Do you plan on doing modelling as your actual job?’ I always say, ‘No.’ I do plan on taking a break from modelling after my two-year contract is up, which just started. I would like to focus more on school after my contract and I see myself going into law in the future instead of modelling.”

Jerney modelling as an eight-month-old baby for an ad in the World-Spectator’s Winter Fun Guide.

Jerney’s mother Ruth will be responsible for makeup at the event in Paris, and her sister Echo will be a backstage Production Assistant and dresser for the show.

“I’m responsible for all eight models, and then sometimes if the staff don’t have time to do it themselves, then I’m lucky enough to do their makeup too,” says Ruth. “It’s very, very cool and it’s kind of weird because I wanted to be in Indigenous fashion right off the bat but it didn’t happen. Then Jerney became involved and she got me involved. So it’s really, really strange how that happened. I guess that’s the way that it was supposed to be, through her.”

All eight models at the show will be Canadian. The show takes place at the Canadian Ambassadors Residence in Paris on September 27.

“It’s a lot of work and a lot of people underestimate what goes into fashion shows,” says Ruth. “It can be quite overwhelming actually, especially runway because there are a lot of quick changes between the shows and there’s a lot of pressure. So there’s probably about four days of preparing and rehearsal because they have to practice as a team.”

According to Kim Coltman, the Co-Founder of Fashion Speaks International, “Indigenous fashion is the fastest growing segment of the fashion industry. It is now providing equitable opportunities and access to Indigenous creators and youth.”

Ruth says the growth of Indigenous representation in fashion is an important step for the industry to take.

“Indigenous fashion is important because it’s Indigenous designers creating the designs to represent what Indigenous fashion looks like or should look like, and not what we’ve seen showcased in the past,” she says.

“It’s time to bring Indigenous designers, Indigenous models and anything Indigenous to the forefront. I think it’s really, really important to show our youth that the sky is the limit and I think it’s just important to put that culture front and forward. It’s important and I think it’s really cool that they do Paris Fashion Week as well as Paris Indigenous Fashion Week. One of the girls that Jerney met at the International Kids Runway—she and another Indigenous designer are actually taking part in Paris Fashion Week as well as Paris Indigenous Fashion Week. I think one of the coolest things is that they’re bringing Paris Indigenous Fashion Week to the forefront and they’re not taking it and separating it, there are also Indigenous models and designers in Paris Fashion Week. It’s just that in Paris Indigenous Fashion Week, they’re taking that and really focusing on it as a highlight. So I think that’s really cool.”

Ruth says she thinks interesting that Jerney’s first model photo showed up in the World-Spectator when Jerney was just a baby.

“When she was eight months old we were asked if her picture could be used for photographer Kirsten Franson’s marketing—she had little business cards. She asked if she could put Jerney’s picture on her business card and advertise it in The World-Spectator, and so at the time you’re flattered because you think that you must have a cute baby but you’re not thinking about the future at all.

“When she started getting a little bit older, she did a little bit of modeling for Lindsay Weimer Photography. She did that for a little while at about six years old. Then when we moved to B.C. she started really taking it more seriously.

“I just think it’s so cool that The World-Spectator is where she got started. If you go back to the 2009 Winter Fun Guide, on the front page was a little snowman face and then you open it and Jerney is on the top left and it’s an ad for Franson’s Photography when she’s a little baby with these little angel wings. I think she was about eight months old then in 2009. So we thought it was really, really cool that this is where she is now.”