Destiny Seymour is an Anishinaabe interior designer and founder of Indigo Arrows, a Winnipeg-based textile company. She recently co-authored the Manitoba-inspired book Women Without Limits, a moving collection that features the lived experiences and reflections of 15 women.
Wool blankets from Seymour’s Element Collection. She is pictured with her dad, a major source of inspiration throughout her career
Seymour said that despite initially turning down the collaboration, she is glad she embraced the opportunity, noting that the writing process became therapeutic.
“After losing my father on Boxing Day, this whole year was spent figuring out how to move forward without him,” Seymour explained. “He was a huge part of this business and it was such a huge loss in my life. But once I started writing, this whole experience helped me through it.”
Seymour was inspired to become an interior designer after noticing a lack of Indigenous representation in the field. She pursued her studies and career to become Canada’s first Indigenous interior designer. Becoming a mother also pushed her to achieve her goals.
“I wanted to make sure my daughters felt proud of who they were. We would look at products being featured in magazines, and I never saw Indigenous designers in the pictures. Now I can show my daughters my products and I can show them they can do anything they set their mind to. My daughters know they can create their own home décor and create patterns — it’s the family and community that continuously push me to work hard every day.”
Seymour is a Peguis First Nation band member and incorporates Anishinaabe inspirations into all of her designs, whether furniture or textiles. She recalls visiting the Manitoba Museum, where there are more than three million catalogued pottery pieces.
“I just remember these pieces having such interesting yet delicate patterns, and I couldn’t stop visiting them. I wanted to find a way to put these patterns on fabric.”
She enrolled in printmaking classes and began modernizing the designs, printing them on everyday objects at home. Friends encouraged her to sell her products at markets.
“Since then, I have continued to develop the brand and Indigo Arrows started to come together,” she said.
Seymour said her favourite part of entrepreneurship is seeing the satisfaction on her customers’ faces, especially after the nearly three-year process each project takes from start to finish.
“Walking through those built projects — that’s what I love the most. Seeing the patterns, language, identity and story come to life in my designs is the best part of this job,” she said. “As a designer, you are the voice of your client and you are fighting to make sure they get everything they need and require. My ideas just flow when I get a chance to listen to their stories.”
Her goal is to bring Indigenous designs out of museum cases and into everyday homes. She explained this is vital because history doesn’t need to remain in the past.
“We are evolving and I think being able to revive and celebrate these patterns in different ways is like a way of reclaiming it. This was the main idea behind the making of my textiles.”
Among all her prints, her Element Collection wool blankets are her favourites because of the way they reflect the elements — water, earth and fire.
The collection also holds personal meaning because of the memories it carries.
“It was one of the last projects I worked on with my dad. He always had so much fun. He never lost his childlike curiosity. We always had lots of fun and he always laughed. With all of those patterns on there, I am very proud of that collection.”
Her father is pictured wearing the water blanket on her website. Seymour spoke highly of him, noting how supportive he was throughout her life. He helped name several of her pieces in Anishinaabemowin, deepening both their cultural and family connection. Having Anishinaabemowin product names is what Seymour describes as a “teaching tool in disguise.” When people ask for a certain product, they are speaking Anishinaabemowin — a moment that was always heartwarming for her and her dad.
“People would ask for the Bezhik design, and knowing people were speaking Anishinaabemowin would make him smile.”
Her career hasn’t always been filled with joy. She said the hardest challenge she faced — aside from losing her father — was completing her Master of Interior Design. At the time, she said, there was a lack of Indigenous influence in the curriculum, and she struggled to connect it to her worldview, particularly as the only Indigenous student in the program. Over time, however, Seymour became an inspiration and mentor to younger Indigenous interior designers, helping to carve out a path within the industry.
“I enjoy mentoring the young designers when they need help. My role is to be here for them and I hope my work inspires them to create their own unique products. I think in the coming years we will start seeing a lot of interesting new designs.”
Looking ahead in her own career, she hopes to create a full fabric collection and continue expanding her current offerings. She also hopes to be a strong role model for her daughters and community.
“When I started out, I couldn’t find Indigenous representation in products, so I started making my own. I think this helped my daughters see they can look for solutions. I hope they will be that kind of person — where you find a solution no matter what it takes.”
Seymour provides a deeper look into her journey in Women Without Limits, Manitoba’s first bilingual English–Spanish book celebrating a diverse group of women whose experiences span migration, leadership, culture, business and community advocacy. The book officially launched Nov. 18 with an interactive panel, book signing and reception.
Seymour said she hopes one message stands out in her chapter — success starts with you.
“Be authentic and find your own stories,” she said. “Be true to who you are and speak from your heart because it will always turn out better.”
Women Without Limits is available on Amazon, with broader distribution planned following the launch.
