A Beaded Gift for the First Lady

First Lady Michelle Obama's staff bought a purple beaded clutch made by Teri Greeves to give as an official gift to First Lady Margarita Zavala (the wife of Mexican President Felipe Calderón).


For more about Teri Greeves, read my previous designer profile on her.

Events | Fashion at the Santa Fe Indian Market

Ooh! A ton of events are planned for the upcoming Santa Fe Indian Market hosted by SWAIA, whose goal is to bring Native arts to the world by inspiring artistic excellence, fostering education, and creating meaningful partnerships. And I can't wait to pack my bags!

I love attending Indian Market and checking out all the artist booths down at the Plaza, but I also love to check out all the events that occur on the 'edges' of the sanctioned SWAIA booths.

This year, there are many notable Native fashion events going on - in particular, Virgil Ortiz's Made in Native America clothing line debut, the Tsosie-Gaussoin family's Axiom exhibit at the Poeh Museum, Dorothy Grant's collection preview and booth, the Wheelwright Trunk Show, and the SWAIA Native American Clothing Contest.

Also, check out Southwest Flair's August issue to get the latest scoop on Native fashion - it's all online!


About the events:

Virgil Ortiz's MINA line
August 19-22, 2010
Eternity boutique

Virgil Ortiz will debut his Made in Native America (MINA) Signature T-shirt Collection and canvas tote bags during Indian Market, available exclusively at Eternity located at 127 Water St, or at www.virgilortiz.com. He will also have a pottery showing at Shiprock Trading - the REVOLT opening reception will be held Thursday, August 19, from 6-8 P.M.


Axiom: The Tsosie-Gaussoin Family
August 19, 2010, 5-8pm
Poeh Museum

The Poeh Cultural Center and Museum of the Pueblo of Pojoaque proudly presents its Annual Indian Market Exhibition: AXIOM: Connie Tsosie Gaussoin, David Gaussoin, Wayne Gaussoin, and Robert Dale Tsosie. The exhibit will feature jewelry, clothing designs, paintings, digital media and sculpture. The Opening Reception is Thursday, August 19, 2010 from 5:00 to 8:00 PM and includes Inuit Throat Singers, Maori Dancers, and Tsimshian Singers and fashion show! The exhibit will be open through November 20, 2010.



Dorothy Grant Collection Preview and Booth
August 19-22, 2010
Santa Fe

Dorothy Grant will have a booth down at the plaza (747 LIN-E), featuring Haida couture, sportswear, and accessories for men and women. You can also preview the collection at Hotel Plaza Real, August 19-20, from 1 to 5pm each day. For more information go to dorothygrant.com



Art-for Wear Trunk Show
August 20, 2010, 10:30am-12:30pm
Wheelwright Museum

The Wheelwright Museum's annual Indian Market Trunk Show is back by popular demand. They will host five Native American designers participating in this year's Art-for-Wear event - Featuring exquisite designs by Patricia Michaels, Pilar Agoyo, Penny Singer, Teri Greeves, Margaret Roach Wheeler, and TahNibaa Naat'aanii.


The SWAIA Native American Clothing Contest
Sunday, August 22, 2010 9am-12pm
Santa Fe Plaza, Downtown Santa Fe

Among the many cherished traditions at the Santa Fe Indian Market, the Native American Clothing Contest (NACC) is one of the most beloved and anticipated events. For over twenty years, the NACC has been the most photographed event at the Santa Fe Indian Market. The contest includes categories for traditional and contemporary Native American fashions, features children and adult participants, and awards prizes in over 20 categories.


(A dress by Pilar Agoyo at the SWAIA Native American Clothing Contest)

Designer Profile | Teri Greeves

Teri Greeves
Kiowa

Teri Greeves grew up on the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming and began beading when she was eight years old. Since then, she has developed her own style and has become known for beading on unusual surfaces. Her medium of choice, beadwork, represents Native adaptability to new materials because it references the interaction and cultural exchange with Europeans who first introduced trade beads to Native Americans centuries ago.

Eclectic and vibrantly colored, her fully beaded high-top shoes combine contemporary Native realities with traditional oral historical themes, and modernizes the tradition of beading moccasins. Through her work she hopes to educate by sharing the history and values of her people, and to bring beauty into the world in new ways. Although many of Greeves’ pieces are for adornment, essentially, she says, “I bead contemporary Native life.”




Greeves’ Indian Couture book (pictured below) features six powwow outfits and highlights how each small accessory works with the dress to create an overall “look.” The handmade hairpieces, footwear, belts, dresses, pouches and shawls are all made with the finest materials. Through this book, Greeves honors Native women’s contemporary dance and clothing, and shows that these specially-made Indian outfits are couture. She states that changes in Native ‘traditional’ clothing represent living Native cultures, and these garments, which fuse the new with the old, are beautiful representations of survival. Greeves explains that, “In their contemporary, often urban, often educated, often well-traveled way, the women who dance and make outfits today are not only couture, but also the very definition of ‘authentic’ Native America.”

Event | Partners in Design: Native Chic Trunk Shows

(Patricia Michaels)

Perhaps one of the best things about being in Santa Fe, New Mexico, has to do with the fact that it is a mecca for cutting-edge Native American fashion.

The Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian, at 704 Camino Lejo in Santa Fe, is currently hosting trunk shows to feature Native designers and jewelers. The first two events, which were held in September and October, spotlighted Penny Singer, Jennifer Curtis, Pilar Agoyo, and Cody Sanderson.

Trunk shows are important ways for fashion designers and jewelers to get the word out about their art, to connect with collectors, and to commission new work. Trunk shows involve less time, energy, and funding than the standard runway fashion show (in which dozens of volunteers, hours of preparation, and lots of $$ are required), and provide significant sources of income for designers. Because of their intimate nature, they are also great opportunities to meet and talk with the artists.

The final three events, to be held in December, January, and February, promise to be exciting shows, and IF you find yourself in New Mexico, you should definitely check them out:

December 20, 2009
Partners in Design: Native Chic
Third in a series of five trunk shows, featuring Native American designers and jewelers. Works by Patricia Michaels and Connie, David, and Wayne Nez Gaussoin to be featured.

January 31, 2010
Partners in Design: Native Chic
Fourth in a series of five trunk shows, featuring Native American designers and jewelers. Works by Teri Greeves and Keri Ataumbi to be featured.

February 28, 2010
Partners in Design: Native Chic
Fifth in a series of five trunk shows, featuring Native American designers and jewelers. Fashion week blowout with works by select artists.

All trunk shows will be held at the Mary Cabot Wheelwright Library from 3-5 p.m. with free admission. For additional information, contact Robb Lucas at 505-982-4636 x110 or send an email to casetradingpost@wheelwright.org.