b'FASHION SPOTLIGHTHamptons affinity for fashion was sparked at the University of Toronto, where she specialized in art studio and history. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts, she enrolled in George Brown Colleges Fashion Techniques and Design Program where, in her very first week, she launched her fashion business. I was very eager to start, she recalls. I knew what message I wanted to put out there as a business and as a fashion brand, and it just took off from there. Hampton debuted her premier collection during her first semester, earning attention from fashion media outlets around the globe. In the years that followed, she completed her studies and earned a residency at the Toronto Fashion Incubator. Her work has been featured at Torontos Indigenous Fashion Week and has been worn by actress Tantoo Cardinal, singer Serena Ryder and TV personality Lainey Lui.Naturally, there have been far fewer galas and red-carpet events during the time of COVID-19. Yet while this initially led to a marked decline in sales, Hampton has adapted by shifting her fashion focus. We responded to COVID-19 by shifting to developing non-medical cotton face masks, decreasing the number of evening wear items we offer, and increasing the number of athleisure wear we offer to amplify on the need for comfortable clothing for the work-from-home switch, she reports. In-person events are no longer an option. Thats why, like many in the fashion field, Hampton has leaned into her e-commerce business, lever-aging her online channels and social media accounts to stay in touch with both her clients and the press. Aboriginal BUSINESS REPORT21'