D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai

By the time D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai stepped onto the set of Canada Goose’s Snow Goose campaign, he knew this wasn’t just another fashion shoot. The Oji-Cree Canadian actor, best known for his breakout role as Bear Smallhill in FX’s critically acclaimed series Reservation Dogs, could feel it was something different.
“Shooting a campaign of this scale feels surreal,” he says. “I’ve done fashion and editorial work before, but this was my first time stepping into something this iconic—especially alongside Willie Nelson. It felt like a true meeting of worlds.”

Snow Goose, Canada Goose’s more design-forward line under the creative direction of Haider Ackermann, recently unveiled its third collection since he took the helm in 2024. The accompanying campaign features Nelson—long known for his environmental activism—alongside Woon-A-Tai and reframes winter not as something to endure but to experience. It’s an idea that resonated deeply with Woon-A-Tai, whose world view is shaped by a profound connection to the natural world.

For him, the clothing feels practical yet expressive—designed not just to be seen but also to be lived in. “What stands out most is how thoughtful the pieces feel,” he says. “Everything is built to last, both practically and aesthetically. I was surprised by how breathable and easy they are to wear.”

Willie Nelson

“Winter is often imagined as a season of silence, as quiet or still,” Ackermann says in a statement. “But I wanted this collection to breathe, to move with the rhythm of life that persists beneath the cold and capture the pulse of life in the cold.”

That philosophy is reflected in the collection’s palette: deep browns and blacks punctuated by reflective details and more unexpected hues like fluorescent mint green, ice lavender, and marine earth blue. The result is outerwear designed to move with its wearer, guided by the message “The Earth Needs All the Friends It Can Get” (a statement that also features in key pieces of the collection). Highlights include the sculptural Thalix Parka, the fully reflective Merge Jacket and Pant, and the cozy Vertica Fleece.

“I gravitate toward pieces that balance comfort, function, and expression,” Woon-A-Tai says. “I’m a lively person, and I like to mix that with cool, understated, but still expressive looks.” It’s a sensibility that aligns naturally with Ackermann’s design language. “I admired Haider’s work long before this, but collaborating with him deepened that appreciation. What excited me most was how much meaning he brings into design.”

As part of the campaign, Ackermann hosted a four-day expedition to Churchill, Manitoba—the polar bear capital of the world. There, Woon-A-Tai joined Indigenous knowledge keepers from Cree, Dene, Inuit, and Métis communities, who grounded participants in the histories and traditions of the North before travelling onto the tundra with Polar Bears International, a longtime conservation partner of Canada Goose. “Being immersed in nature, observing polar bears, and testing the collection in real conditions made the collaboration feel purposeful and real,” he says.

The experience was not just visually striking but also culturally and emotionally grounding—especially for someone whose connection to nature has long shaped both his identity and the stories he chooses to tell.

Since Reservation Dogs, Woon-A-Tai has emerged as one of the most compelling young voices in film and television, earning recognition for nuanced performances and for helping usher more authentic Indigenous stories into the mainstream. At the same time, he’s become an increasingly visible presence in fashion, collaborating with global brands while continuing to champion meaningful representation on screen.

“It hopefully feels like a real shift, not a trend,” he says of the growing presence of Indigenous voices in media. “With Indigenous writers, directors, and casting leads driving the work, the stories feel more specific, honest, and human—reflecting the full range of Indigenous life beyond stereotypes. But I’m grateful for everyone who paved the way for that to start to be the reality.”

In the end, Woon-A-Tai’s collaboration with Snow Goose is best captured in a line from the campaign itself: “In our communities we don’t separate ourselves from nature,” he says. “We are nature.”

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