Brenda Lee Asp

Haines Junction, Yukon

Print Design, accessories, jewelry and regalia

Brenda Lee Asp, A member of the Tsʼékī yehłaan Raven Family, she is a Northern Tutchone First Nation from the Yukon and the Tahltan from Northern BC. with ancestral connections to the Upper Tanana, Atna, Sweden, England and Germany.

Feeling Empowered and comfortable is a necessary component to what I created.
Incorporating a contemporary blend of beading and form line artwork into mixed media fabrics and accessories, while combining these custom designed wearble art with natural materials such as bamboo, silk, velvet, fur and leather, Asp creates pieces that feel just as good as they look. “Slip on a drop of confidence and walk with pride” her vision statement of how things should feel when worn & embody through her creations & designs.
“Our people have been colonized in so many different ways… I view all avenues of what I create or teach others as a way to help
people feel proud again,” Asp says. That’s what I’m trying to bring, something they can feel
proud to wear.” Cultrual Revitilization is what I am participating in with the help of our people’s willingness to learn.
Growing up she was exposed to the traditional ways of beading & working with hide & traditional ways from her maternal family, her ancestors had historical, ways in making their own clothing to survive in the north.
Her paternal grandmother owned a small sewing / manufacturing center in the Yukon for as long as she can remember, this is where Asp spent most of her spare time. Early on, she was drawn to sewing and enjoyed “seeing the evolution of having a thought to seeing the finished product in the end.”
“I remember my grandmother saying it has to look as good on the inside as it does on the
outside. You need to take your time to do it right. Take the time and the care to do it properly.” Both Grandmothers would say, “Take it apart” or “do it again” till if was good enough to move forward.
Since these early years she has worked at trying new ways with designs of flowers and shapes while experimenting with mixed media allows her to find ways of displaying this art on printed textiles of garments and accessories .
However, Asp never imagined where her artistry could lead her.
During her search for something different, Asp attended the Blanche Macdonald Fashion Design
program, where she learned new skills and also gained more confidence in her abilities.
“I think of how intimidated I was with learning when I started the school and now that I’ve stayed in it, it’s become so
second nature,” Asp says. “I’m aware of the growth that has come just through staying involved
in my creation and not giving up.”
Since then, Asp has gone on to show her designs at large-scale events such as the Couture
Fashion Week in New York and Western Canada Fashion Week.

She has since broadened her products with the creation of hand crafted and hand harvested jewelry. All the materials she uses for her jewelry creations are what she harvests from the land, from porcupine hair and hand-dyed quills, she also incorporates healing energy stones such as Obsidian, Tourmaline, Moonstone, Quartz and Malachite healing stones with abalone, mother of pearl and various metals. in her view these are elements within our earth, water, fire and air.
Now Asp is working her passion into a sustainable business and follow her vision of building up confidence in our First Nation people with teaching and workshops throughout the north.
“For me, being a fashion designer, showcasing success or striving for success… when we bring
this out to the world and stand proud with what we do, that in itself is decolonization.”
Website: http://www.brendaleeasp.com
Instagram: @brendaleeasp
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrendaLeeAsp/