Early life Grant was born in 1955 in
Hydaburg, Alaska, but was raised in
Ketchikan. She is a
Kaigani Haida of the Raven Clan from the Brown Bear house of
Howkan. Her family crests include Two-Finned Killer Whale, Shark, Berry Picker in the Moon, and Brown Bear. She was trained in traditional Haida art forms such as the creation of
button blankets,
appliqué, as well as
basket weaving by her family and elders, including
Florence Edenshaw. Grant attended the Helen Lefeaux School of Fashion Design in 1987.
Professional development Grant broke onto the scene in the early 1980s when she began sketching
Haida artwork onto clothing. Grant's first collection was debuted in 1989 and featured 55 pieces. About the collection's debut, Grant has said, "It had a big impact because nobody was doing it at the time". Lisa Tant noted in her article "Dorothy Grant's Haida Couture", for
BC Woman, that Grant was the first "Aboriginal designer to combine traditional Haida
ceremonial dress with contemporary fashion." For example, some of her pieces utilize the tapering lines (
Formline art) of the
Haida ceremonial copper, notably its central T-ridge. Indeed, Grant has gained international acclaim for producing garments that infuse myth with fabric and for using fashion to share Canadian Northwest culture with a broader audience. This event brought much demand for Grant's work, "I just remember being so busy for several months after that with people coming and wanting to order things". In 1994, the Dorothy Grant Boutique opened at the
Sinclair Centre in
Vancouver, BC. Grant's critics have accused her of "going commercial", however Grant refutes such claims, arguing that if fashion products are produced with a "certain finesse that represents Haida culture and Canada, I don't think that's a sell-out. I think that's a positive step toward creating an employment for Native people and a national identity." Notable clients include
Robin Williams,
Marie Osmond, and
Susan Aglukark. Her self-named book,
Dorothy Grant, was published in 2024 and provides a lookback at her work.
Collector recognition In addition to clothing North American dignitaries and celebrities, Grant's detailed garments are available for public viewing in 13 museums from Canada to the United Kingdom. The
Canadian Museum of Civilization in
Ottawa purchased, "Raven Creation Tunic," a garment depicting a
Raven myth, and "Hummingbird Copper Panel Dress" for their permanent collection. Also available for public viewing in Ottawa, ON, is Grant's "Seven Raven Button Blanket," part of the permanent exhibit at the
National Gallery of Canada. Further west, the
Museum of Anthropology in Vancouver, BC, holds Grant's "Raven Greatcoat." Other notable museum displays include: "Raven Cape,"
Vancouver Museum in
Vancouver, BC; "Supernatural Frog Button Robe," in
DeYoung Museum in
San Francisco, CA; "Raven Coat," formerly displayed by the
Seattle Art Museum in
Seattle, WA; "Shark Blanket," in
Burke Museum in Seattle, WA; "Raven Chilkat Robe," in the Natural History Museum in New York NY; "Raven Button Robe" in the
Liverpool World Museum in
Liverpool, UK. In 2016, Grant designed a tuxedo for ''
The Revenant's'' Duane Howard to wear to the
Oscars. == Product lines ==