Event | Heard Museum Fashion Show

Ah yes! A fashion event in Phoenix - check it out:

Trendsetting Native American couture to highlight Heard Museum fashion show

Explore the color, glamor and cutting-edge excitement of Native American couture and jewelry at Native Style: Where Fashion is Heard, the Heard Museum’s fashion show, boutique and luncheon, on Friday, December 2. Native contemporary designs by Orlando Dugi, Penny Singer and Patricia Michaels will ignite the runway, accessorized by stunning jewelry from top designers like Victoria Adams, Marian Denipah, the Gaussoin family, Kenneth Johnson, Steve LaRance, Duane Maktima and Wes Willie. The show will also provide a rare opportunity to view vintage couture by iconic Native American designers Lloyd Kiva New, Kay Bennett and others—all from the collection of Robert Black, proprietor of Scottsdale’s retro-chic boutique Fashion by Robert Black.

“Fashion is a living art form that impacts our daily lives,” commented Heard Museum President Dr. Letitia Chambers. “The Heard is honored to celebrate the contribution that American Indians have made, and continue to make, to the world of fashion. The museum’s collection includes classic pieces by mid-century designers like Lloyd Kiva New and Charles Loloma, but the Heard has also always been dedicated to exhibiting and promoting the work of living contemporary artists. Native Style provides a great opportunity to do so in a way that’s engaging and fun.”

Native Style kicks off at 10:30 a.m. with a reception and pre-sale, followed by a delectable lunch and runway show. Music will be provided by leading Canyon Records recording artists Radmilla Cody, Aaron White and Anthony Wakeman. Fashions and jewelry by many designers represented in the runway show will be available for purchase at a private boutique sale, which then opens to the public at 2 p.m.

“We’re proud to represent some of today’s hottest Native trendsetters in a visually stunning event,” noted Heard Museum Art Director Phil Conley. “This will be a fashion show unlike the rest, and the only place to see the finest in Native style.”

Native Style
Where Fashion is Heard
Friday, Dec. 2
10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Tickets are $45 for Heard Museum members
$50 for non-members

Call Dani Boone at 602.346.8192 to purchase tickets.

Collab: Sho Sho Esquiro and Turquoise Soul

I've been slackin'!

So, if you recall, I had an awesome opportunity to tag along on a photoshoot this past summer with Wabanoonkwe Cameron-Hernandez and Sho Sho Esquiro, who were working with photographer Anthony Thosh Collins and models Amberae Wood and Miigwaans Cameron. Click here to see my behind-the-scenes images before you scroll down to check out the awesome pro images that came out of that shoot:

Miigwaans Cameron models a Pendleton Leather Graff Zip-up by Sho Sho Esquiro Clothing, and large beaded hoop earrings and beaded bracelet by Turquoise Soul. Hair and Make-up by Wabanoonkwe Cameron-Hernandez. Photo by Anthony Thosh Collins. Location: Cochiti, NM.

Amberae Wood models a long-sleeve print dress by Sho Sho Esquiro Clothing, and extra-long bangin' beaded earrings by Turquoise Soul. Extra-long legs by Amberae Wood. Hair and Make-up by Wabanoonkwe Cameron-Hernandez. Photo by Anthony Thosh Collins. Location: Cochiti, NM.

Amberae Wood models a High Waisted Skirt with Leather Ruffle by Sho Sho Esquiro Clothing, and extra-long beaded earrings and necklace by Turquoise Soul. Hair and Make-up by Wabanoonkwe Cameron-Hernandez. Photo by Anthony Thosh Collins. Location: Cochiti, NM.

DJ Young Native models a Men's Pendleton Jacket by Sho Sho Esquiro Clothing. Photo by Anthony Thosh Collins. Location: Cochiti Pueblo, NM.

DJ Young Native models a Men's Pendleton Jacket with Leather Sleeves and a Fitted Beaded Hat with 14K Gold Beads, both by Sho Sho Esquiro Clothing. Photography by Thoshography. Location: Cochiti, NM.

DJ Young Native models a men's Pendleton jacket, custom t-shirt, and beaded cap by Sho Sho Esquiro Clothing. DJ equipment is model's own. Photography by Thoshography. Location: Cochiti, NM.

DJ Young Native models this Pendleton Jacket by Sho Sho Esquiro Clothing. Bingo card print on the inside of the hood. Photo by Anthony Thosh Collins. Location: Cochiti Pueblo, NM.

Miigwaans Cameron models a Black Leather Top with Carved Bone Feathers and Sterling Silver Beads by Sho Sho Esquiro Clothing, and Turquoise Soul earrings and necklace. Hair and Make-up by Wabanoonkwe Cameron-Hernandez. Photo by Anthony Thosh Collins. Location: Cochiti Pueblo, NM.

Disa Tootoosis Reds

I'm loving these designs by Disa Tootoosis that incorporate lots of deep reds - beautiful colors for autumn! Photos taken at North Battleford, SK, Canada.

Dressed Just Right Exhibition

Mildred Carpenter's dress was recently featured in the Dressed Just Right exhibit at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center Museum in Cody, Wyoming.

Her red dress, pictured on the left, was on display at the "contemporary platform" - representing some of the best current western fashion today. It's really cool to see a Native-inspired dress, made by a Native person, exhibited in the 'contemporary' section - because most of the time our awesome gear is relegated to the sections devoted to 'the past.'

Carpenter was also recently awarded the Best Fashion Collection at the Annual Cody High Style Fashion Show held every fall in Wyoming. Here's a few pics from her collection:

Read more about Carpenter by clicking here or here.

He Sapa Style Show 2011

South Dakota doesn't celebrate Columbus Day - instead, they celebrate Native American Day. While the rest of the country commemorates the arrival of Christopher Columbus and his three ships (which didn't even make it to America, btw), people in South Dakota honor the Indigenous peoples who were here long before Columbus.

The Black Hills Powwow, or He Sapa Wacipi as it is known in the Lakota language, is one of the biggest celebrations, coinciding each year with the weekend before Native American Day. It is a competition powwow held in Rapid City. Besides dance and drum competitions, there are also a wide variety of other events, such as a youth day symposium, hang game tournament, Miss He Sapa Win Contest, and a Style Show.

Above is a picture from the 2011 He Sapa Style Show featuring a design by Mildred Carpenter (photo by Dawnee LeBeau). Designers at this year's event included Darlene Perkins, Meghan Casey, Sina Shaw, Prarie Edge, Darla Brown, Bessie Sherwood, Mildred Carpenter, and Jackie Bird '2010 He Sapa Style Show Designer of the year.'

Angela DeMontigny's Parfleche Series

Check out First Nations fashion designer Angela DeMontigny's latest purse collection, the Parfleche Series. Based on Plains Indian parfleche rawhide bags, DeMontigny's versions are hand cut and sewn by master leather craftsmen using the finest Italian leather and hardware.

This collection is based on the parfleche, which is a Native American rawhide bag used in the past for holding dried meats and pemmican. The first known use of the word parfleche was in the early 1800s and comes from the Canadian French parflèche - from French parer meaning to ward off, and flèche, which means arrow. The term referred to the hide, which was tough enough to be used as a shield.

Among many tribes, women made and decorated parfleche, often with designs that were passed down for generations through families. In addition to familial designs, painted parfleche bags can also be identified by tribal characteristics. Crow, Lakota, Blackfeet, Ute, Nez Perce and other tribes all used mineral paints and designs that reflected community artistic styles.

The large flat surface of the parfleche bag was painted with colorful, geometric, abstract designs. Some of the original parfleche bags had graphics that were maps or general geographic depictions of the surrounding landscape. A sharpened porous buffalo bone served as an effective paint brush. Sometimes the rawhide was incised to highlight a design. (Click here to view historical parfleche bags in the Smithsonian's online collection.)

The development of DeMontigny's collection was a result of the Cody Institute for Western American Studies (CIWAS) Resident Fellowship program at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody, Wyoming, where DeMontigny was a fellow last summer.

(Images are all © Angela DeMontigny 2011)

Beyond Buckskin September Links!

Lots happening in the Beyond Buckskin area of interests, so I thought I'd do a round up of some interesting articles and links - click away!

Native Elegance Hits Runway: A review of a Rapid City runway show featuring designs by Darlene Perkins, Mildred Carpenter, and Danita Strawberry. Models and designers from Indian country makin South Dakota look sexy!

Oklahoma Artist Joins NIKE to Create Native Inspired Clothing: A cool write-up about Bunky Echo-Hawk's historic collaboration with Nike - an alliance that's proving to have positive impacts on inspiring Native youth. Follow your dreams, kids!

Crossing Generations: Blogger Miss Mondo highlights Maori fashion designers Keri Wanoa and Hemi Sundgren, the brains behind WHIRI fashion. Miss Mondo is basically the Maori version of Beyond Buckskin, so of course I am an avid reader/follower! (but not in a creepy way!)

The Ephemerals: An all-female Aboriginal collective of artists and curators, the Ephemerals critique the current Tribal Trend and encourage college students to take a deeper look at the cultural implications of Fall's most important trends.

The Racial Construction of Preppiness, part II: The fierce ladies over at Threadbared take a look at a group of young urban males who appropriate and re-mix (and re-fashion) the Americana image constructed by designer Ralph Lauren. That's right, 'Polo low lifes'. Not specifically Native-focused, but a good article on the construction and reconstruction of identity, culture, and class. Super sick.

Futurist Giorgio Sant' Angelo, An Hommage: A model's perspective on Giorgio Sant Angelo, a designer whose vibrant Indigenous-inspired couture was all the rage in the 1970s. He made the Tribal Trend très chic by garbing celebrities such as Zsa Zsa Gabor, Diana Ross, and the Jaggers. (the Jaggers!)

Colorful Rooster Feathers Being Used As Hair Accessories: A creepy article about how one salon is taking the Feather Extensions Trend "a step further" by adding Native hair to the feather look. Get this, "because it's so hard to get rooster feathers," they started incorporating American Indian hair ("because of its strength"). Yikes! Using American Indian hair, they say, offers a more animal-friendly alternative. Scalps anyone?

Style Show Highlights Traditional Dress: The Cherokee Phoenix online news source reviewed a recent Southeastern-Indian fashion show held in Tahlequah. Models of all ages wore clothing from a period ranging from 900 A.D. to the present. Photo highlights include a full-length turkey-feather cape and this pretty Seminole style skirt (pictured above).



NDNs From All Directions from Bear Witness on Vimeo.

And finally, A Tribe Called Red Production video featuring the NDNs From All Directions ultimate remix. Fricka fricka.

Orlando Dugi 2011 Collections

I ran into Orlando Dugi when I was in Santa Fe last week, and I wanted to post some of his recent work, because it is absolutely stunning. Dugi is a Navajo beadworker who creates elegant, lavish and sexy dresses, purses, and other accessories. All of his garments and purses pictured below are modeled by the lovely and talented Miss Wakeah Jhane Myers (Comanche/Blackfeet/Kiowa), who is also a champion powwow dancer.

Heavenly Seduction handbag by Orlando Dugi

Celestial Phoenix box purse by Orlando Dugi and Rebecca T. Begay.

Clutches and handbag by Orlando Dugi.
TOP: Stingray flowers on white pebbled leather, silk lining, size 13' Czech cut beads. Middle: Caiman crocodile leather on white pebbled leather, silk lining, size 13' Czech cut beads. Bottom: Single bead stitch on entire image of the stargazer lily with contoured background. Outer shell in white patent leather, sterling silver hardware, 4 ft ss chain, Mabe pearl clasp.

Dugi also has a fashion show coming up at the Museum of Contemporary Native Arts. Dubbed 'Opulance,' the show will also feature work by the Gaussoins (if you can't make it, don't worry, I'll try my best to post a review).

Orlando Dugi / Indian Market 2011 Radio Ad by SWAIA

Click here to learn more about Orlando Dugi.

Virgil Ortiz Scarves

Click here for the latest from Virgil Ortiz.

Pilar Agoyo Shirts

Check out the shirt designs that Pilar Agoyo debuted at the Heard Indian Market this past spring:

Penny Singer Shirt

(Shirt by Penny Singer, photo by Andrea Martinez, graphics by Wolfn Photographies, golden mature eagle by Blue Mountain Wildlife, model Martin Sensmeier, location Tamatslikt Museum in mission Oregon.)

Article | Margaret Roach Wheeler Inspired by Heritage

Below is a really neat article (that I've edited slightly, so click the link at the bottom to read the full article) about Margaret Roach Wheeler. She's a fiber artist and clothing designer, and her work exemplifies how contemporary Native fashion designers look to storytelling traditions as sources of inspiration to create new garments. Many Native women of the past also looked to stories as a source of creativity, and I'm proud to see designers such as Wheeler who continue this legacy.

Fiber artist's Native American heritage inspires her collections
By JASON ASHLEY WRIGHT World Scene Writer

Margaret Roach Wheeler is a storyteller.

She doesn't rely on the written word or spoken prose, but fabric, literally weaving a tale.

A fiber artist based in Joplin, Mo., Wheeler is the owner and designer of Mahota Handwovens, a beautiful collection of elaborate garments inspired by her Native American ancestry - specifically, her Chickasaw-Choctaw roots.

"I have pieces that are very emotional," she said during a phone interview, alluding to garment tributes she's made to her mother and father.

In a way, her creations offer a back story about Wheeler, whose grandmother taught her to sew at a very young age.

"I was surrounded by clothing," she said, remembering her grandmother knitting and crocheting dresses and three-piece suits.

Her dad was a teacher through the Bureau of Indian Affairs, so Wheeler grew up on school campuses, including Sequoyah High School in Tahlequah. There, she remembered seeing a room with looms for teaching weaving as a trade.

She also recalled the colorful murals in post offices and schools, created through the Federal Art Project of the Work Projects Administration. They had a great influence on her.

And so did her family's history, generations of which has been passed down.

"Having my history written for me has absolutely been very integral into what I do - to have that history and to know about it, to have my family be very proud of it," said Wheeler, who studied weaving during her master's work at Pittsburg State University in Kansas. She's been weaving ever since.

"So many people don't have any idea about their great-great grandmother and what they did," said Wheeler, whose great-great-great grandmother's name was Mahota, after whom her business is named.

Her grandmother lived with the family, and she'd tell Wheeler stories about their ancestors.

"It made it very precious for me," she said, adding it probably had much to do with her style of work.

Wheeler makes "street clothes," she calls them - her version of ready-to-wear, she allowed us to analogize. All one-of-a-kind and hand-woven, they include colorful dresses, tops, coats, even men's apparel, all contemporary interpretations of Native American garments.

But her Mahota collection is more like art - wearable, of course. And each comes with a story.

Like her "Requiem for a Raven," a long, gorgeous red-and-black robe with an almost Egyptian-like headdress shaped like a raven.

The raven is perched proudly at the top, she explained. "And there's a whoosh of color in the wing structure, and that's the raven flying up at sunset."

The closure at front is two wings, and on the inside are hand-painted silk feathers that are falling - like the lost soul the raven is flying to.

When she lectures about the development of style, she asks people to look at their own heritage, to draw from their own history.

"We all can do that," Wheeler said. "I just feel very fortunate that mine was Native American."

For more about Wheeler, visit tulsaworld.com/mahota

Click here to read more from this Tulsa World article.

DeMontigny Designs for Haida Musician

Fashion designer Angela DeMontigny outfits Haida musician Terri-Lynn Williams-Davidson for her latest CD.

DeMontigny says, "I am proud to announce the upcoming launch of Terri-Lynn Williams-Davidson's newest cd....I am also proud to have her wearing some of my custom designs...especially the jacket on her stunning album cover."

With this CD, Williams-Davidson is striving to keep tradition alive by introducing something new. She has written: A responsibility of aboriginal artists, storytellers or singers is to keep the knowledge alive, and if need be, to change the ceremonies or bring new creations into the world so that the knowledge remains relevant to people. To remain static denies the creativity and genius that flows from the Creator.

(Williams-Davidson wearing a black leather trench with lime green mongolian lamb collar made by DeMontigny)