Decolonial Clothing Goes Global

Occupied with the full-time responsibility of their first-born, Casey Desjarlais and Dakota Bear needed to establish something that would support their growing family. Something sustainable. Something, ideally, that would utilize their creative natures.

They had ideas and designs scribbled down on napkins. They had, above all, a vision.

A handful of yeas later, the pair are being recognized as one of the 2025 TikTok Visionary Voices for their music, fashion, and activism – all of which is focused on truth and empowerment.

“We wanted to work with our creativeness to build something for our family, but also represent our selves in an industry where you don’t see a lot of Indigenous representation,” said Bear, a member of Witchekan Lake First Nation.

“A lot of people come through because of the social justice, the Indigenous representation – our clothing line is just an expression who we are,” he said.

Desjarlais and Bear are the co-founders and creative minds behind Decolonial Clothing, a streetwear brand which proudly displays cultural-centred messages of resistance and awareness like “Land Back”, “Dismantle Colonial Systems”, and “MMIWG2ST+ Justice”.

“The truth of who we are as people is not being shared. So us learning about who we are as people, our history, our traditional ways of life and how that has been attempted to be erased, it was a responsibility on our end to share this knowledge,” said Desjarlais, a member of Fishing Lake First Nation.

“When we share our voices and learn from each other, it’s a really powerful tool and creates ripple effects among communities,” she said.

While creating ripple effects is exactly what they’re doing, it took a hard work and a journey of personal healing to get to this point.

From Saskatoon, now based out of Vancouver, Decolonial Clothing started with Desjarlais and Bear immersing themselves in their culture, creation stories from Elders, traditional ceremonies – knowledge they weren’t subjected to growing up. In turn, this knowledge led them to their own healing and sobriety, they said.

Equipped with this cultural education, they began attending rallies and getting involved in the activist communities.

“It really strengthened our spirit. We wanted to help others feel the same way we felt – this fire inside,” said Desjarlais.

“Music and fashion – I think the two biggest influences in the world to inspire – are the platforms we use to hopefully drive change and empower the next generation,” said Bear.

Prior to launching Decolonial Clothing, Bear had made a name for himself in the hip-hop and activist communities, performing his music at social justice events for tens of thousands, such as the Global Climate Strike and the Black Lives Matter freedom march in Vancouver. He also started Land Back Records, which mentors and provides opportunities for Indigenous youth in the music industry.

Having previously started a clothing brand – 30604 Apparel, Desjarlais and Bear re-launched it as Decolonial Clothing. In order to make it work, they knew it would take a significant investment – a full redesign, building a website with e-commerce, learning to screen-print, and acquiring warehouse space. A risk, considering they used their last few dollars to build the brand, they said.

The investment quickly soared, as orders poured in not only from their communities, but from celebrities like actors Mark Ruffalo and Natalie Gold, and Canadian musician Shad.

Five years later, Desjarlais and Bear have a Decolonial Clothing storefront in downtown Vancouver, orders from all of the world, and a vibrant TikTok account with over 40,000 followers, where they blend product launches with powerful cultural education and activism. They regularly shed light onto issues they feel strongly about, such as Justice for Jared (Lowndes), who was shot by RCMP in 2021.

“What we do is with the highest of intentions. This is part of a higher responsibility that we don’t take lightly,” said Bear. “When the message gets out there, it reaches who it’s supposed to. Doing this work is a continuation of what our ancestors wanted – rising up and working as a collective.”

They said their messaging and clothing, some of which includes bold statements like “F_ Colonialism”, is not meant to provoke, but to invoke conversation.

“These things are able to trigger important conversations among individuals. When you’re out wearing our clothes, it’s common for someone to stop you on the street and ask you about it,” said Desjarlais. “It’s a way spark conversation. It’s a way to use your voice and bring yourself closer to standing up and speaking out.”

Despite their unwavering commitment to awareness and activism, being named one of the TikTok’s Visionary Voices still came as a surprise.

“We didn’t expect it at all,” said Desjarlais. “It’s such an honour, especially to be listed alongside some other crazy awesome visionaries.”

The couple now has two children of ten and five years of age, and while they no longer need to create a sustainable business from scratch to support their family, their motivations to remain the same.

“We want to continue to mentor, to pass on this knowledge, and provide opportunities for our people,” said Bear. “Hopefully we can continue to inspire and uplift others.”