Become a Beyond Buckskin Fan on Facebook

Expanding the Beyond Buckskin circle - you can now fan the Beyond Buckskin Page on Facebook.

You can post Native fashion event announcements, photos, or designer info on the wall - just make sure that you stick to Native-made fashion.

(Left: Imaged from the Buffalo Thunder fashion show (2010), design by Jerry Ingram.)

Top 11 in Native Fashion for 2011

Well, I don't like when bad people who do bad things get all the attention, so now here is another list: The Top 11 Cool Things That Happened in Native Fashion in 2011.

1. Beyond Buckskin Expands: Not only did this blog site get a major make-over (thanks to Silver Jackson), now you can keep up with Beyond Buckskin and the Native fashion scene on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Etsy. Whew.

2. Native Designers in the Press: Journalists and writers were lovin Native fashion designers this year: Navajo designers were featured in WOTN Online Mag, the Canadian press fell in love with Manitoba Mukluks, Swagg Mag and other street sites promo'd Sho Sho Esquiro's threads, powwow fashionista Jhane Myers was featured on KASA Tv, Orlando Dugi was spotlighted on Phoenix's Good Morning Arizona, Dorothy Grant's shop closing was discussed as a sign of the economic times, and Louie Gong and his kickass shoes showed up in video docs and magazines.

Top 10 Native Appropriations in Fashion for 2011

It's that time of year! When everyone posts their Top 10 of 2011 Lists, and here is my list of the top Native appropriations in fashion for 2011 (take THAT, Los Angeles Times!):

10. Forever 21's Cheap Knock-Offs: We can always count on Forever 21 to give us some great cheap options for any fashion trend. I even make my students go to F21 as part of a Tribal Trend Scavenger Hunt assignment. They never fail to bring in stellar images of some wacky fringed and feathered bodily ruckus.

Manitobah Mukluks

Manitobah Mukluks have been hitting the (Canadian) news lately, and so I want to spread some love down here in the States -

Manitobah Mukluks is headed up by Metis entrepreneur Sean McCormick, who has turned traditional moccasins and mukluks into some pretty cool contemporary footgear.

Founded in 1997, the company started off small - at a trading post in Winnipeg. McCormick traded raw materials (leathers and furs) to First Nations women who brought in their handmade mukluks. Customers, he says, couldn't get enough of them, so he hired some folks and started producing them in-house. Since then, the four-person shop has grown to an operation that employs 50, with a factory and warehouse in Winnipeg and a global sales and marketing office near Ottawa.

Follow me on Pinterest

Click here to see my Pinterest Board, titled Beyond Buckskin, of course.

Los Angeles Times | Top Trends of 2011

This is interesting:

The Los Angeles Times listed their Top 10 fashion trends of 2011, and 'Native Accents' show up as #4 (hey, at least they list us on a sacred number). They explain: "Fair Isle knits and Native American prints were splashed across everything from 1980s-era cropped tops, to chunky scarves, leggings and sweaters. If you're looking for the source, think back to the fall 2010 D&G runway (a Fair Isle fest as seen in the top right photo), Proenza Schouler's fall 2011 collection inspired by Santa Fe, and the music festivals."

Cool Grey Skies Earrings by MiLoProductions

Source: img0.etsystatic.com via Jessica on Pinterest

MiLoProductions is headed up by Michelle Lowden, based out of New Mexico. Lowden is from the Pueblo of Acoma. She specializes in hand-made jewelry painted with geometric designs on balsa wood. Although the designs have a distinctive pop/street feel, all of her inspiration actually comes from traditional Acoma pottery, which is widely known for its historic intricate and geometric patterns.

Beyond Buckskin on Twitter

I just started up a Twitter account (behind the times, I know), but follow me!: @beyondbuckskin

Click here to see more.

Etsy Gift Guide: Hat Bands for the Men in Your Life!

For any guy - from your musician buddy, to your rodeo cousin, to your saddle-up-to-the-bar boss, to your tribal councilman uncle - these are cool.

These hat bands are made by CloudBurst, whose father is Chiricahua Apache and mother is Mescalero Apache.

This hat band is made with leather, seed beads and crow beads (hat not included!).

Etsy Gift Guide: Sunburst: Burnt Umber

Native American artists and designers mix deep reds with burnt orange and golden yellow hues. Click here to see more.

The Luta sunburst necklace and earring set is made with seed cut beads. The chain has bone hair pipe and Czech glass beads. It is clasped with an S hook. The back is lined with deer hide.

Etsy Gift Guide: Teal Time

Pretty items made by Native artists and designers featuring the color teal. Support small businesses on Etsy, and check out these cool finds. Click here to view the full collection.

Larimar and Metal Earrings, $15.

Etsy Gift Guide: P*nk Rock

From pretty frilly fun to sassy statement pieces, Native artists and designers rock the color pink. Click here to view the full collection of items made by Native artists or sold by Native-run small business.

Copper Pink Geode Necklace Pendant, $16.

Virgil Ortiz | Christmas Sale

Half off Virgil Ortiz scarves - Somebody buy me one!:

Click here for more information.

Art Knows No Boundries Online Auction for Attawapiskat

How about this cool idea - buy gifts for friends or family (or for yourself) all while supporting an awesome cause?! Yes!

Check it: The Art Knows No Boundries Online Auction for Attawapiskat is a group started on Facebook to help raise money for the families of Attawapiskat First Nation in Canada (click here for more info).

The auction ends Friday, Dec 16th at 12 noon Eastern Standard Time (more details are available on the Facebook group page).

Etsy Gift Guide: Snowflake

Snowflakes!

I'm in Tempe right now, and there are no snowflakes in sight, so I decided to create a Treasury List of items that combine the colors of white, silver and black, and give me that cool 'snowflake feel.' Snowflake feel? Yea, that. Click here to see the full collection.

(I've been blogging about Etsy to drawn greater awareness to Native American and First Nations artists and small businesses.)

Etsy Gift Guide: Through the Forest

Continuing with my posts on promoting Native artists and small businesses on Etsy, I bring you, 'Through the Forest' - a selection of items featuring the color green.

I have a confession.
I don't like the color green. I mean, I don't hate it, but I don't actively seek it out. But, I tell you what, I love these pieces. And they feature the color green. Muy bonita. Or however you say, gorgeous. So alas, maybe there is hope for me, and Mr. Green.

Intermission: The Brutal Reality

For the past several days, I've been highlighting Native American and First Nations artists and small businesses, in hopes that people will buy directly from Native artists this holiday season. And I love focusing this blog on talented individuals (and their creativity and awesomeness), but sometimes I need to post about issues of misappropriation, misuse, and misrepresentation.

I'd rather have this entire blog focus on 'Native-produced fashion,' but in our crazy world, unacceptable things occur, and I have to post about completely ridiculous things, because completely ridiculous things occur. And, unfortunately, they occur more often than we'd like to know about.

So here's an intermission post, where I write about the ridiculousness.

Etsy Gift Guide: Hotel California

mmkk...

So I'm slightly obsessed with Etsy right now, and this post isn't really 'Christmassy' so much as it is 'vintage deserty.' But in the cold months, sometimes we need to be reminded of the heat.

A couple years ago, I heard about Owl Vintage in my random research on fashion of the Southwest in the 1940s and 1950s.

Etsy Gift Guide: Pretty Plums

Ok, can I say that purple is my favorite color? Even if I already professed my love for the color red?? Yes? Ok, good.

Scroll down to see more, and after that, click here to see the full selection.

Beaded Metal Wallet, Mountain Design, $65.

Etsy Gift Guide: Up North

Continuing with my latest Etsy kick - today I'm highlighting a First Nations artist on Etsy.

First up is Justin Rivard, a First Nations artist who has been engraving for nearly 20 years. Originally from Nanaimo, he now works in Vancouver. Rivard is represented by several art galleries in British Columbia and the United States, but he also enjoys selling his work directly through Etsy.

Etsy Gift Guide: iPhone Case

I fell off the wagon.

This is NOT Native-made. But it is sooo badass I couldn't pass it up.

It's an iPhone 4 Case made/sold by S.O.B. Apparel based out of Los Angeles. Called "Native American Bag iPhone 4 Custom Case" it is a hard plastic case with decal, $22.50.

I wish I had an iPhone.

Etsy Gift Guide: Red Red Christmas

Red is my favorite color!

Check out these cool gifts made by Native artists and designers who use the awesome color RED. Click here to see the full selection.

Mohawk Hat Badlands

Etsy Gift Guide: A Native American Golden Christmas

Prefer warmer hues?

Below are some beautiful options made by Native American artists and designers who incorporate gold, copper, or golden hues into their work. Click here to view the entire selection.

Hand-Engraved 14k Yellow or White Gold Wedding Band

Etsy Gift Guide: Ring Ting Tingling Too

Velvet and Beadwork Glass Christmas Ornament

Found on Etsy: Oblong glass ornaments embellished with Northeastern style Native beadwork. The ornaments have a matte finish at the top, a mirror finish at the bottom, and a center panel of velvet embellished with Mohawk-inspired beadwork. Referencing holly branches or feathers accented with sparkling vintage rhinestones, these ornaments measure 3.5 inches long, not including the ribbon. These treasures are each hand sewn and hand beaded, and will add a beautiful touch to your Christmas tree. From NativeCouture shop on Etsy. $25.

Etsy Gift Guide: Silvery Simplicity

Need something elegantly simple, yet mega-chic with a lot of style?

Got a nice (but picky) boss to buy for this season? or a sweetheart sister? or your secret Santa selection was your cool Antie?

Well, I've got the answer! Check out Cristy Johnson's Jewelry Designs. Hailing from the Nlaka’pamux First Nations community in Spuzzum, BC, Cristy grew up surrounded by the scenic Fraser Canyon with its roaring river rapids, stunning coastal mountains, and beautiful canyons.

Currently residing in Victoria BC, Cristy expresses her love of nature through her jewelry designs in the form of leaves, dew drops, and symbolic representations of the beautiful West Coast.

This silver asymmetrical pendant is hammered into the shape of a delicate leaf, and suspends from 16" of sterling silver cable chain and a handcrafted silver closure with a 2" extender. $44.

Etsy Treasury Lists

So, Etsy lets you 'curate' lists of favorite items based on themes. I put together two 'Treasury Lists' and found out that it was a lot of fun (and borderline-addictive) to look through everyone's work and pick out some cool pieces that fit your latest interest (first, I was obsessed with all the pretty silver stuff, then red stuff, and then with teeny tiny baby stuff, and then with turquoise stuff, etc etc). Check what I did by clicking the links below, and think about making your own Treasury List with favorite items made by Native artists.

A Native American Silver and Shell Christmas

Native American Red Red Christmas

Itty Bitty Baby Gifts for Christmas, Made by Native Artists

Native American Style: The Coolest Turquoise for Christmas

Etsy Holiday Gift Guide: ndnchick

Continuing the Etsy-a-thon, here are some more ideas!

Ok, before I get in to it, I have a confession. I always wanted to be the Indian version of Martha Stewart. You know, write about cool "tricks of the trade" for beadworking, bring in special guests to talk about making fry bread for weddings, and do a feature on cool decorating ideas with birch bark.

(I'm looking off into the distance right now)

Ok, but back to this post (it relates, trust me, just see below, I totally pull a Martha Stewart)....

Holiday Shopping Guide: Support Native Artists and Small Businesses on Etsy

Ok ok ok -
Everybody is sayin that we should support local artists and small businesses this holiday season; and sometimes it's like, yea, that's a great idea, but just HOW do we do that?

Well, I'm going to make it easy for you! Over the next couple of weeks I'll be highlighting some of my favorite items and shops on Etsy.

Video | Jhane Myers Talks Powwow

Jhane Myers Noisecat, Matriarch of the Noisecat family, who will be participating dancers in the 2011 Gathering of the Nations Pow Wow this weekend, joins Nikki from KASA.com to talk about her heritage and family, and the 2011 Gathering of Nations Powwow. Her daughters Wakeah, Peshawn and son Fuji share their talent with a dance to the beat of a drum played by Roger DeWayne Tofpi, of both Kiowa and Ute Heritage.

Random Inspiration from Powwows.com

Somehow I got on the listserv for powwows.com - and normally I don't much care for mass emails, but this one was full of gems.

First, they tell me about Attaching Metal Cones. It's a cool little article that has nothing to do with what I do on a daily basis, but it was interesting. It made me want to go out and attached some cones to something.

Native Threads Online

Native Threads is unveiling a new online store with free shipping on every product.

As one of Indian Country’s only Native-owned and operated clothing companies, Native Threads has been building a loyal family of customers throughout North America since 1990. They state, "Our designs are contemporary, yet the messages are very traditional. By combining these elements, our clothing helps give Native people clarity about who they are in this place and time. By providing constant reminders about our past, our products help bring to the surface the pride we carry inside of us."

White Women and Headdresses

I'm on a mission to find out when white women started wearing Plains Indian headdresses as a part of 'fashion'.

One of my friends, Ross Chaney, found this gem:

A unusual vaudeville act - USA, 1940s
"Wearing her authentic Native American headdress, Enid Mutterbucket would leap up and down on two mini trampolines, ululating while she performed various movements of an arcane nature. She was accompanied by Signor Prosciutto on his accordion, who played his own arrangements of Lakota folk songs interspersed with popular Glen Miller hits of the day. (Well, I did tell you it was an "unusual" act!)"

The Heard Museum Presents: Native American Bolo Ties

Arizona’s official state neckwear, the bolo tie, has reappeared from its exile in grandpa’s dresser drawer to enjoy a fashion comeback. Explore this uniquely Western sartorial adornment’s history and revival in a wonderful and fun new exhibit at the Heard Museum in Phoenix. Native American Bolo Ties: Vintage and Contemporary will open Saturday, November 19, 2011.

The distinctive tie originated in the Southwest, and its popularity quickly spread throughout the West and in many other parts of the country. The distinguishing necktie has been made even more distinctive by contemporary American Indian artists in Arizona, who make bolo ties that are exquisite expressions of individuality and ingenuity.

Bolo ties, representing the casual nature and somewhat rugged milieu of the West, emerged as a form of men's neckwear in the 1940s. They directly countered business suits as well as the formality suits represented, and instead marked a different style and a different way of life. In particular, American Indian jewelers and silversmiths brought individuality and creativity to this art form, offering a broad range of unique and artistic options.

The exhibit and book will show the antecedents of the bolo tie, including Victorian neckwear and scarf slides. It will include an important early scarf slide from the Heard Museum collection made in 1930-40s by Leekya Deyuse (Zuni Pueblo). The exhibit and book will also include new information on patents for the different backings of the bolo tie, which is essential to accurate dating of a tie when the date is not otherwise known.

Also, the exhibit examines how Western wear, including the bolo tie, was popularized through 1950s television shows and movies. Some TV and movie personalities who brought scarf slides and bolo ties into the everyday vernacular include the Cisco Kid, Hopalong Cassidy and Roy Rogers. And of course, the exhibit will showcase bolo ties created by American Indian jewelers from the late 1940s through today.

The bolo tie’s road to acquiring the status of Arizona’s official neckwear is also quite interesting; the story stretches out several years. KOOL Channel 10’s anchor Bill Close and five other bolo tie enthusiasts met in 1966 at the Westward Ho Hotel in downtown Phoenix. From the beginning, their intent was to make the bolo tie a state emblem. Perhaps to help the cause, Arizona Highways Magazine devoted several pages of its October 1966 issue to Southwestern jewelry, including bolo ties. Help arrived when Governor Jack Williams proclaimed the first week of March 1969 as “Bolo Tie Week.” After several unsuccessful attempts, a bill making the bolo tie the official state neckwear was finally passed on April 22, 1971.

The bolo tie is also the official neckwear of New Mexico and Texas, although Arizona was the first state to designate it as such.

(Norbert Peshlakai (Navajo). Silver seed pot bolo tie, 2008, 3 1/8” height, stampwork and hammered texture silverwork with stones including coral, jade, and shell, with wire fittings. Hallmark is artist’s logo. Peshlakai was one of the first artists to make a silver seed pot around 1976. He excels in the art form and based this shape on one from the cover of the book "Old Traditions in New Pots.")

The exhibit will be on display through September 3, 2012.

Buy the book from the Heard Online Shop or from Amazon.

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.

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.

fashion STATEMENT: Native Artists Against Pebble Mine

fashion STATEMENT: Native Artists Against Pebble Mine is a traveling exhibit of wearable art that highlights a rural Alaskan community's opposition to foreign mining investors attempting to build North America's largest open pit mine at the headwaters of their fragile salmon spawning grounds.

Native Alaskan fisherwoman and artist Anna Hoover curated the exhibit as her Master's Degree project for the University of Washington.

The show, comprised of artwork created by internationally celebrated Native artists reproduced on t-shirts and limited edition prints, will be exhibited and made available online for purchase to raise awareness for this movement.

In August the exhibit premiered at the International Gallery in Anchorage, and on November 3rd, it opened at the Burke Museum in Seattle. It will continue to travel to a series of venues around the US, Canada and New Zealand.

The Natural Resources Defense Council has stated, “If the Pebble Mine is allowed to go forward, it will inflict irreversible damage on Bristol Bay -- including the permanent destruction of sixty miles of salmon habitat.”

The show features designs by esteemed Native artists such as Joe David, James Luna and Larry McNeil, all of whom have asserted the centuries long relationships that Native peoples have created with their environments, through Native art activism.

To view and purchase the T-shirts designed by the artists in the show, visit: www.nativeartistsagainstpebblemine.com

Click here to listen to an interview with Anna Hoover.

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.