(Malachi CD Tsoodle-Nelson received Honorable Mention in the Traditional category of the Native American Clothing Contest at Indian Market. - Natalie Guillén/The New Mexican)
Ford weighs in on Indian Market clothing contestKay Lockridge | For The New Mexican
August 21, 2011
Tom Ford, fashion designer extraordinaire and award-winning film director and producer, had to be convinced to join the panel of judges for the annual Native American Clothing Contest at Indian Market.
"Yes, it's true, Richard [Richard Buckley, fashion journalist and Ford's partner of 25 years] did persuade me to be a judge this year, but he won't ever have to persuade me again. I'll be happy to come back whenever they [Southwestern Association for Indian Arts] want me.
"It was so much fun to be part of the contest. I had been to the competition in the past but only as an observer. It's really important to support and encourage Native American arts, and that includes clothing," Ford said.
Buckley, who has sponsored the contest for the past four years and is a member of SWAIA, echoed Ford's words.
"The important thing is to encourage Native American culture and all the arts," Buckley said. "The clothing competition is my baby, and I wanted to share it with Tom. We've always made a good team."
When asked whether he found what he was looking for in terms of design elements, Ford responded enthusiastically, "Oh, yes! Good things are always good things and stand out. Good, creative design strikes a chord with people.
"This is true whether we're talking about traditional or contemporary design. What I found exceptional in the contemporary competition was that designers were faithful to traditional Native American elements and yet presented them with a new, fresh perspective."
Ford said that he particularly was pleased with the recipient of the first-place award in Contemporary Adult Women, Naomi Bebo Maybee (Menominee/Hochunk), who wore a Japanese-inspired kimono designed by her mother-in-law, Toni Williams, and 1-year-old Persephone Maybee, daughter of Naomi and artist Dallin Maybee (Arapaho/Seneca), who took Female Best in Show with a head-to-toe outfit created by her father.
"This was a family affair," Ford noted. "You could see the shared vision. I was quite taken with both outfits. This is what keeps me coming back," Ford said.
Jessica Growing-Thunder placed first in the Traditional category. - Natalie Guillén/The New Mexican
Persephone Maybee, 1, won Female Best of Show on Sunday at the Native American Clothing Contest. - Natalie Guillén/The New Mexican
These days’ college fashion trends are no longer restricted to being replica of celebrities. College students are also establishing their fashion intelligence and have turn out to be a topic of great conversation about fashion. We know fashion is an ever growing impression, which is generally borrowed from the earlier period. Therefore, here are some ever green college fashion trends.
White shirt and denim jeans have at all times their copyright on casual wears and are still hit. Now, accepting the college crowd needs, various fashion houses have started experiments on denim. High rise, Low waist, mid rise, buttoned up etc. Having bought that you can now experiment you own sense of fashion into it.
Both men and women fall into the fashion trap. However, women, more than men, tend to wear outfit that are too tight. Stylish tight tube skirts and tight pants can be good-looking, but are often too restrictive. Clothes that are too tight throw a person off-balance, and simple everyday tasks such as bending, sitting and walking become hard. Tight clothes restrict a person from moving comfortably, resulting in poor bearing and misalignment of the spine.
I discovered this band when browsing through Kirby's blog - http://thelifeofalostmuse.blogspot.com/. Two sisters, one blonde, one brunette, from Birmingham, Alabama. After trying and failing at the music industry a few years ago with their previous albums not becoming huge hits, the girls were ready to give up. Until Coldplay bass player contacted them and rescued them from their sorrows, and out they came with a brand new look, style and album entitled 'You & I'. The girls claim they were brought up with hippie parents who encouraged them to play musical instruments and listen to the likes of Simon & Garfunkel and the Mamas & the Papas from an early age. It seems there's a gap in the music industry at the moment for 60's influenced harmonised folk-pop bands, especially with female vocalists, and the Pierces more than fill this gap. If I was to hear one of their songs on the radio, without knowing what they look like or seeing their music videos, I would naturally assume they were the love-children of Michelle Phillips and Mama Cass Elliott. Not only similar sounding to the Mamas (without) the Papas, they also bear a huge resemblance to the early 70's band 'Heart'. However, the Pierces in all their dolly girl innocence and angelic harmonies, seem to have a much darker side. Their lyrics pay tribute to magic spells, dark romance, long lost lovers and witchcraft, insinuating that the girls or at least one of them has had a troubled past which has clearly heavily influenced their song writing. This not being bad, in my opinion this only makes the Pierces more intriguing and mysterious, wanting to know more about them as a band and their past endeavours.
