Native Fashion in Trend Magazine

Native fashion is featured in Trend Magazine's current Spring/Summer 2010 issue, which is out on newsstands right now.

The article discusses the hurdles Native designers have to overcome in the fashion industry, and features quotes from moi, as well as the amazing Patricia Michaels and Pilar Agoyo.

I was about to try to order a copy of it when I discovered that it's available online, so check it out! The fashion article is on pages 22-24. Click here: Trend Magazine Spring/Summer 2010. Enjoy!

Designer Profile | Virgil Ortiz

Virgil Ortiz
Cochiti Pueblo

Designer Virgil Ortiz comes from a well-known family of potters, and his first form of artistic expression was in clay. He is an artist whose work defies easy definition: in addition to being a ceramicist, he is also a sculptor, jeweler, painter, and fashion designer. “The thought has never crossed my mind to be anything other than an artist and fashion designer. Art is in my blood,” says Ortiz. “I want to take Native fashion to the next level.”


In late 2002, New York designer Donna Karan attended the Santa Fe Indian Market and met Ortiz. The two collaborated to create a line that featured Karan’s silhouettes and Ortiz’s fabrics decorated with Pueblo designs, such as the wild spinach, water, clouds, and fertility symbols of the Southwest. With this collaboration, Ortiz’s pottery art morphed onto the figures of runway models and transformed into haute couture.


“The main difference in moving from clay to fabric,” Ortiz says, “was taking on a larger scale,” meaning his audience would be many and different from those who know his clay figures. Ortiz felt that taking traditional Pueblo symbols and printing them on nontraditional canvases would require adaptation so as not to lose their sense of origin. His designs are a captivating balance between the provocative, edgy, and traditional.


Visit Ortiz's website at virgilortiz.com

Socks with shoes raising the style quotient

Go on with your gut feeling and wear ankle socks under your favorite pair of heels. Never give it a second thought as it no longer is a faux pas. The idea is sure to get your goose bumps if you are a fashion freak. There is no room to be skeptical about it as you can start looking at the bright side of it. Point one, socks are cheap. Point two, they take up considerably less space in your wardrobe and point three, they are wholly practical. Plus the latest fashion trends suggest that it is high time you experiment something daring.

If you are having long legs, then you are at the lucky end. Keep the socks bunched up at the ankles and it would make your legs looks shorten. It is of no surprise that it would look best on you and there would be a bonus if you have defined ankles. There are, of course options open to those not blesses with models’ legs. You can go for mid-calf versions, finer fabrics that don’t bunch too much and the like. Make yourself comfortable and try out very low sitting ankle socks that would just show a peep above your shoes.

Bring in the fashion trend and dare to look like female dandy with ankle or mid-calf socks. The chic side can also be downplayed with the socks gilding with the heels. They can even be paired with man-style flats like lace up oxfords. If you are concerned about the intensity of warmth that you would get, you can wear the socks on top of stockings which would give a layered look this season.

Home Fashion

Dressed For Success - Work at Home Fashion & Professionalism

Last week, I spent most of my days running errands, out and about town doing business, attending meetings, and accomplishing a lot of 'stuff' which absolutely had to be done. None of it was glamorous, but all of it was necessary. As I ran into people around town I passed out my card, gave away links to the community website, and offered ideas for business startups online. These are things I do regularly around my community. Most people here know I work from home, and understand the dynamics of the lifestyle.

But... there was that moment when I ran into an old classmate, and I felt like a dweeb from nana land. But, wait, I was wearing the latest fashion, at least according to my daughter... Jeans, flip-flops, and a spiffy tee shirt with cap sleeves and an oversized button-up loose in front like a jacket. My hair was even combed, and in Colorado winds, that is a feat near impossible.

So, I came home to explore the fashion world of work at home mom's.

I found pajamas, slinky, sexy, and rather risqué, but they did look rather enticing after a day of running errands. Foot massage anyone?

Jamma pants and tees, looked rather cozy and stylish for working from my den, although I didn't think they looked appealing for the trip to the auto shop to pick up my no-longer ailing car. Perhaps, something more austere?

Then without even a keypunch delay, I located sensible fashions, stretchy pants, over blouses, and comfy shoes... and quickly passed them by.

I went to search my closet for appropriate day wear, since I still had more errands to run. I found dress up slacks in tones of 'dark' and blouses, shells, and sweaters galore, but not a single fashionable thing hung in my closet. I looked again, and there hidden behind last winter's sweatshirt and jeans, I spied a pink sundress, just waiting to be worn. I pulled it out and pulled it on. It still fit, after the winter... Amazing!

There I stood in my pink sundress, yellow, orange, and red painted daisies splashed all over it, and the need for a jacket? I stared at the closet, until I spied a yellow button up with cap sleeves and a rounded shirt tail. It worked great as a jacket. The flip flops that caught my eye were pink with a yellow flower snuggled between the toes, and itty bitty heals that gave me just enough lift to be dangerous. I popped my hair into a ponytail, it's finally grown out enough, tied it with a pink sash and went back to running my errands with a wicker shoulder tote, my business cards confined in a small gray case inside.



After a day of running the same kinds home fashion of errands I'd run the day before in my frumpy jeans, I realized, I get the same amount of work done, and I'm just more comfortable looking frumpy. But sometimes dressing up and going out makes you feel really good.

If you're staying home all day, working behind a computer, in the garden, and in various other daily tasks, you often need comfy clothes that are stylish, and easy to wear. Consider a seasonal change now and then to pep you up, but remember you still have to get the job done. Be comfy.(http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jan_Verhoeff)

Find out the other guide on Fashion Designs.

Original Watercolor by Acee Blue Eagle Fashion Design

Original Watercolor by Acee Blue Eagle Fashion Design


I found this interesting little tid bit about well-known Native artist Acee Blue Eagle (1909-1959) who created an original watercolor of a personal fashion design for Miss Nampolee Wineland, of Seminole, Oklahoma.


Commissioned by Miss Wineland, the work is entitled "Monogram Frock" (Wineland signed her initials as "N.W.F.), and instructions as to how the dress is to be made are included with the rendering. Acee Blue Eagle has signed his work below the instructions. This is a unique piece demonstrating how Native artists were creating chic designs during this time period.


Acee Blue Eagle, a Pawnee-Creek Native American, was born near Anadarko, Oklahoma. He was an artist and a teacher who had a very distinguished and widely varied international career. His works are shown at the Philbrook and Gilcrease Museums in Tulsa, The Institute of the American Indian in Sante Fe and the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., among many others. He was named as Outstanding Indian in the United States in 1958.

Fashion celebrities : Kristen Stewart vs Dakota Fanning

With Twilight mania hitting we thought we'd hit up a little bit of healthy fashion competition between some of the co-stars. We've already given you a fashion face-off between Ashley Greene and Kristen Stewart so today we decided it was the turn of Dakota Fanning to be leaning against the latter.

Kristen and Dakota are best friends off-stage and as well as Twilight both starred in The Runaways. And it seems being close friends has rubbed off on their style too, with both ladies opting for very parallel premier dresses. At last night's Twilight Eclipse premier both went for designer Elie Saab.

Kristen opted for a daring white backless number, while Dakota played it safer with a cute beige feathered piece. Both ladies also went for short frocks with sheer sleeve details at the The Runaways' premier at the Cinerama Dome Arclight Theaters in Hollywood.

However, Dakota opted, for what seems to be her brand puffball frock while Kristen went for a bodycon frock. It also seems Dakota likes to play it alot safer than Kristen opting for unbiased colours such as beige and silver, in flowing styles, while Kristen goes for bodycon styles by Herve Leger, backless numbers and bright colours.

However, off the red carpet it's a different story. While Dakota likes to experiment with the latest fashion trends such as girly pink shorts, skinny jeans and baggy tops, Kristen plays it alot safer. She's often snapped in her Converse trainers, casual skinny jeans and a grungy top and opts for negligible make-up.

As a result we're a little bit on the fence as to who should win our fashion face-off so we've decided to open up the floor to you. View the gallery of the two co-stars.

Trigun Manga Wallpapers

Trigun Manga Wallpapers

Rozen Maiden Anime Wallpapers

Rozen Maiden Anime Wallpapers

Ah My Goddess Anime Manga Pictures

Ah My Goddess Anime Pictures

Kanokon Manga Anime Wallpapers

Kanokon Wallpapers

Kanokon picture

Kanokon anime images

Haruhi Suzumiya, Manga and Anime Wallpaper

Haruhi Suzumiya, Manga and Anime Wallpaper

Runway Fashion

Runway Fashion Recreated on a Budget in Minutes

Runway fashion can be completely overwhelming (not to mention costly). Purple is the new black, patent is a must have for Fall, drop the gloss because it is all about a matte lip this season, and the list goes on. Who has time to keep up with it all?




I do. My name is Stella, and I have been working/living in the land of high end runway fashion for almost a decade. I started on the sales floor in couture where I could see the latest collections roll in each season. That is where I learned why Giorgio Armani has the reputation he does, how Missoni keeps the signature zig-zag pattern relevant, and why Dolce & Gabbana are known for the corseted look.

I could never afford the runway pieces that I pined over, nor did I have the patience to shop the markdown racks. Still, I wanted to figure out how to recreate these runway looks on a budget, and without having to go to battle in a store. It boiled down to three things: price, convenience, and personal style. When it comes to personal style, what I am referring to here is knowing your measurements when shopping on-line, but more importantly, know what makes you feel good when you put it on and building on that.

Overall, it is a process that ideally keeps one in a constant state of "style evolution." I know, it sounds intense, especially with the topic being that of fashion, but the bottom line is that it is about self expression and, most of all, having fun with it.(http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Stella_B)

Find out the other guide on Fashion Designs.

Exhibit | A Song for the Horse Nation

If you haven't checked it out yet, the NMAI exhibit, A Song for the Horse Nation, is currently on display at the George Gustav Heye Center in New York (November 2009 - July 2011). And for those of us who can't make the trip to NYC to see it in person, much of the exhibit is available online. Here is an excerpt that discusses clothing and personal items.


(Glass horse mask, 2008, by Marcus Amerman (Choctaw, b. 1959), New Mexico. Multicolored glass. Photograph by Ernest Amoroso, NMAI)

A Song for the Horse Nation Introduction:
The story of the relationship of Native peoples and horses is one of the great sagas of human contact with the animal world. Native peoples have traditionally regarded the animals in our lives as fellow creatures with which a common destiny is shared. When American Indians encountered horses—which some tribes call the Horse Nation—they found an ally, inspiring and useful in times of peace, and intrepid in times of war. Horses transformed Native life and became a central part of many tribal cultures.

By the 1800s, American Indian horsemanship was legendary, and the survival of many Native peoples, especially on the Great Plains, depended on horses. Native peoples paid homage to horses by incorporating them into their cultural and spiritual lives, and by creating art that honored the bravery and grace of the horse.

The glory days of the horse culture were brilliant but brief, lasting just over a century. The bond between American Indians and the Horse Nation, however, has remained strong through the generations.


(Spanish expedition pictograph. Nancy Nehring. Canyon de Chelly National Monument, Arizona. Courtesy of Getty Images)

Return of the Horse Nation:
The horse originated in the Americas more than 40 million years ago. After spreading to Asia and Europe, it became extinct in its homeland. In 1493, the horse returned to the Western Hemisphere when Columbus brought a herd of 25 on his second voyage. Back in the Americas, its native environment, the horse flourished.

The Spanish used the horse as an instrument of warfare and control. But as soon as horses came into Indian hands, Native peoples began to weave a close relationship with the Horse Nation. By the late 1700s, virtually every tribe in the West was mounted. Horses strengthened Native communities and helped in the fight for Indian lands.


(Central Plains (possibly Oto or Kaw) beaded leggings, ca. 1900. Oklahoma. Seed beads, metal spots, pigment, hide, and cotton thread)

Clothing and Personal Items:
As European and Native cultures met, new styles developed. Western-style clothing and new trade materials, such as glass beads, wool, and cloth, would influence Plains culture. Beaded horse designs would now be depicted on Western-style clothing and other personal items.


(Lakota beaded hide coat, ca. 1890. Cut beads, metal buttons, cotton cloth, hide, and sinew)

This Western-cut hide jacket is beaded with figures on horseback. But instead of illustrating an individual’s exploits, these are simply decoration. The horses’ tails are doubled and tied in preparation for battle.


(Walla Walla beaded bag, ca. 1915. Washington. Seed beads, wool cloth, canvas, hide, and cotton thread. Photograph by Katherine Fogden, NMAI)

The Native peoples of the Plateau region (covering modern-day Idaho, Oregon, and Washington State) have a long artistic history of weaving cornhusk bags. After trade goods became widely available, they made cloth bags decorated with glass beads. This one features a man astride a prancing horse, wearing what appears to be the Army uniform of a corporal.


(Tsitsistas/So'taeo'o (Cheyenne) beaded tipi bag, ca. 1880. Montana. Seed beads, horsehair, tin cones, feathers, porcupine quills, pigment, hide, and sinew)


(Chaticksi (Pawnee) coat belonging to Lone Wolf, ca. 1910. Oklahoma. Hair locks, sweetgrass, seed beads, feathers, horn, porcupine quills, pigment, wool cloth, cotton cloth, hide, and sinew. Photograph by Katherine Fogden, NMAI)

This Western-style tailored coat reflects the influence of the white world on Plains culture in its straight body, even hem, and collar, as well as in its decorative use of five-pointed stars and crosses. The two-toned speckled horse with the horn on its forehead could represent a pinto or a spirit horse.


(Spokane woman on horseback with infant in baby carrier, 1900. Colville Reservation, Washington. National Museum of the American Indian)

When a tribe acquired horses, the status of women improved. Horses helped lighten the work load, and women gained more time for creating art and social involvement. Women’s arts, such as beadwork and ornamenting hides with porcupine quills, flourished.


(To learn more about this exhibit, visit the website at A Song for the Horse Nation)

First Nations Fashion at the Miss Universe Canada Pageant

First Nations fashion designer Angela DeMontigny created this dress for Cree contestant Ashley Callingbull for the Miss Universe Canada Pageant last week. The silver and black suede evening dress was embellished with Swarovski crystals. It's great to see a woman representing First Nations people at this national competition, and doing so in clothing made by a First Nations designer.


To see an earlier article written on this topic, click here: Angela DeMontigny Dresses Miss Universe Canada Contestant Ashley Callingbull

LA Fashion

LA Fashion Story

LA fashion Week started in the middle of the 20th century with "Press Week" and the invitation of fashion journalists to see collections from, and in, Southern California.

Since the late 1990s, LA fashion Week has been represented and coordinated by a loose consortium of L.A. fashion designers, journalists, and marketers interested in its success. Among the longest running Fashion Week exhibitions since that time is Gen Art, with its annual "Avant Guardians" and "Fresh Faces in Fashion" events, which are held in March and October respectively at venues throughout Los Angeles.

In 2002, IMG's fashion division, which produces Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York, made its first foray west, with Mercedes-Benz Shows LA in downtown Los Angeles at The Standard

In 2002, IMG's fashion division, which produces Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York, made its first foray west, with Mercedes-Benz Shows LA in downtown Los Angeles at The Standard hotel. Simultaneously, Davis Factor and Dean Factor produced Smashbox Fashion Week Los Angeles at Smashbox Studios in Culver City. Dozens of designers showed their collections to journalists, celebrities, family and friends at these two centralized venues, while others still chose to show their collections in unique off site venues such as nightclubs, private estates, train stations, churches and lofts. In 2003, IMG and Smashbox united under one banner to streamline services and venues, choosing the Factor-owned Smashbox Studios Culver City location over downtown Los Angeles venues. The relationship between IM




In October 2005, the LA Fashion Awards debuted to celebrate and honor the very best of California fashion. The annual Awards are timed at the closing of Fashion Week and the opening of Market Week in October, at the service of both retail store buyers and press. A nominating committee of more than forty of LA's top fashion journalists, merchandisers, stylists, designers and marketplace experts participate in the selection process. Among past winners are educator Rosemary Brantley; retailers Ron Herman, Fred Segal, Cameron Silver and Christos Garkinos; designers Trina Turk, Monique Lhuillier and Max Azria; fashion innovators Nony Tochterman of Petro Zillia, Rozae Nichols and Juan Carlos Obando; journalist Rose Apodaca; stylist Arianne Phillips; web publisher DailyCandy.

Find out the other guide on Fashion Designs.