NATIVE FASHION EVENTS
Now is a thrilling time for Native representation in fashion. Roma actress Yalitza Aparicio (Mixtec/Triqui) made a splash in fashion magazines after her Oscar nomination for Best Actress. Last year, Sage Paul (Dene) and her team launched Indigenous Fashion Week Toronto. The Peabody Essex Museum’s groundbreaking traveling exhibition Native Fashion Now, curated by Karen Kramer, created a buzz and introduced the general public to some of Native America’s best designers. Christian Allaire (Nipissing Ojibwe) represented Native designers through his articles in Vogue. Native fashion has rich roots. “This field, or this movement, has been going on since the 1940s at least, with Lloyd Kiva New, who was, I do believe, the first to actually define himself as a fashion designer,” shared Jessica Metcalfe (Turtle Mountain Chippewa), a scholar and promoter of Native fashion. “But before that, we always had people in the communities making exciting clothing, because how we present ourselves is incredibly important, not only for our families but for the spirit world as well.… To present the self in a way that is pleasing to the ancestors is also important to us.” Native fashion continues to flourish in new and exciting ways, and Indian Market attendees will be part of the excitement through SWAIA’s official fashion events. On Thursday, August 15, the Indian Market kickoff party features freeze modeling of the work by Native designers, while two major fashion events take place on Sunday, August 18: the Native American Clothing Contest (NACC) and the Haute Couture Fashion Show. From 9 a.m. to noon, Indian Market artists and their family members compete in the NACC on the Plaza stage. The traditional category includes an overall Best of Show ribbon, plus first- and second-place ribbons for women and men as well as girls and boys age 13 and under. The contemporary category includes a Best of Show and a second-place ribbon. Last year Jewel Diamond Honga won the Traditional Best of Show Award, and Penny Singer won the Contemporary Best of Show Award. The Rex Arrowsmith Best of Show Award, Traditional Attire, recognizes Arrowsmith, a longtime emcee of the NACC who passed away at age 92 in 2017, another significant loss of an NACC organizer following the passing of Jeri Ah-be-hill (Kiowa) in 2015. Mother-and-daughter artist team and NACC emcees Juanita and Jessa Rae Growing Thunder (Assiniboine/ Sioux) spoke highly of Arrowsmith. “He was respectful of Native peoples and incredibly knowledgeable about many different kinds of Native art, jewelry and clothing. He didn’t just buy things without knowing the people. He built real relationships with all these artists,” affirmed Jessa. “He was a fixture at Indian Market for over 50 years.” Juanita first participated in the NACC in her dance clothes back in 1985. Back then, the stage was very different. “They had it up on sawhorses and plywood boards,” said Juanita. Over the years, she has been involved with the NACC in multiple capacities. “I guess it was in grade school when Jeri [Ah-be-hill] gave me a call, and she was asking if I might be interested in cohosting with Rex,” Juanita said. “It was an honor to be up there with Rex, because I was learning from him every time I would hear him talk. “For a majority of the artists and a majority of the families, this is a tradition that’s been in their family for generations,” said Jessa. “I think that was the most exciting thing about it — being able to not only give back to SWAIA, but give back to all future generations of artists that come to Indian Market.” The traditional and contemporary categories both involve strong cultural references and innovation by savvy artists. The traditional category typically includes garments with tribally specific forms and designs that would be at home in ceremonial and dance contexts. The contemporary category often includes formal wear such as gowns, as well as more casual clothing. “For us, it was just a chance to show where we’re from — our pride of where we’re from and what we do,” Juanita said. The clothing contest is always an opportunity to see and learn something new, and last year some Santa Fe visitors experienced that
firsthand when they found themselves walking in creations by Cathy Short and her son Christopher Short (both Citizen Potawatomi). “Two of our models got caught in traffic and did not arrive in time for the contest. We pulled two young women from New Jersey out of the crowd of visitors and used them as models,” Cathy Short revealed. “They had a blast. They were in Santa Fe on a family vacation and knew nothing about Indian Market, so the whole experience was a real eye-opener for them. We had borrowed special jewelry from Marian Denipah, and they even got to wear some of it.” For more fashion on Sunday, hit up the blockbuster Haute Couture Fashion Show from 4 to 5 p.m. in the Sweeney Ballroom at the Santa Fe Convention Center. The contest judges often include a few celebrities. This year Emil Her Many Horses (Oglala Lakota), associate curator at the National Museum of the American Indian and an artist himself, serves among the judges. Celebrity models, including Wes Studi and Shoni Schimmel, made appearances in 2018, with surprise guests planned for 2019. Metcalfe, who will assist organizer Amber-Dawn Bear Robe (Siksika), says, “We always try to bring something special to the show, whether it be a celebrity walking the catwalk or a designer that we’ve never shown before.… The Native fashion world is a lot bigger than people think it is.… Santa Fe has always been a fashion mecca — whether it’s Native fashion or just the broader American fashion industry. The Southwest desert has always been a place of inspiration for designers.” “An exciting lineup of designers are showing in this year’s SWAIA fashion show, mixing seasoned … designers and newbies to show on the SWAIA runway,” Bear Robe noted. Korina Emmerich (Puyallup) is the latest addition to the show. She is the founder of EMME, a New York-based women’s wear and accessory brand. Emmerich was a contestant on Project Runway Season 13. “I am thrilled to have Catherine Blackburn’s New Age Warriors line in the show,” said Bear Robe. “Canadian-based designer Lesley Hampton, who focuses on body positivity, is another newbie to the SWAIA fashion show, as well as Delina White of the label I Am Anishinaabe. Trailblazers of the SWAIA runway who always wow the audience are Jamie Okuma, Donna and Jason K. Brown of the brand Decontie and Brown, Pamela Baker and Sho Sho Esquiro. A fabulous, unique style created by each designer makes for an exciting and unexpected show every year.” Newcomers Jordan and Madison Craig, both Northern Cheyenne, discussed their collection: “We will be showcasing our handmade Shy Natives bralettes, high-waisted underwear and bodysuits.… Our lingerie label aims to empower women and fight the oversexualization and stereotyping of Indigenous peoples. We are reclaiming our bodies and sensuality, and providing a safe, supportive and beautiful platform for women to express themselves.” Returning husband-and-wife Penobscot Nation designers Jason K. Brown and Donna Decontie-Brown notably opened last year’s collection with an outfit modeled by Passamaquoddy two-spirit artist Geo Neptune, a powerful visual statement of gender inclusivity and reclamation rooted in Wabanaki cultures. One showstopper was their golden-fringed Star People gown and gloves. The conceptual design drew from Wabanaki stories of extraterrestrial beings. “For us, fashion is another way to express creativity and culture. Almost all of our designs have an intricate backstory inspired by Wabanaki elements and our natural surroundings,” shared Jason Brown. Metcalfe noted that around 200 people will work backstage, including designers, models, volunteers and organizers. “We’ll have over 100 models walking the fashion show — that’s how big this event is.” The organizers deliberately select diverse models. “We need people of all backgrounds to support this movement.” “It’s not just a Native movement. It’s a global movement, where we need non-Native allies to also help us let people know that we’re still here,” Metcalfe emphasized.
Neebinnaukzhik Southall is a graphic designer, writer, photographer and artist based in Santa Fe. She launched the Native Graphic Design Project and recently was a summer fellow at the Peabody Essex Museum.