Hudson Williams wore this cardigan. Then the Indigenous designer's business went viral
Indigenous designer Justin Jacob Louis saw his business go viral after actor Hudson Williams wore his cardigan to a high-profile mental health summit. The sudden surge in demand highlighted the intersection of celebrity influence and support for Indigenous-led fashion.
Why it matters
The story illustrates the power of social media and celebrity endorsement in driving economic success for small, independent, and Indigenous-owned businesses.
In fact, he nearly forgot it was happening.
The Samson Cree Nation-born designer was spending National Day for Truth and Reconciliation away from work. He was with his family, unplugged and out paddling on the lake.
"There was, like, a whole bunch of sales and the social media was lighting up and I was just like, 'What is going on? Did something happen?'" he said in an interview with CBC News.
"I realized that, like, every cardigan had sold out. At that time, there was like $12,000 in sales in a matter of an hour. And I was like, 'What the hell?'"
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