Video | From Culture to Couture Fashion Show

This video was shot during the 'From Culture to Couture' gala fashion show in Toronto.

Haida Designer Dorothy Grant Closes Shop

Haida Artist Dorothy Grant Closes Shop
By Karen Gram, Vancouver Sun, March 29, 2011

After 22 years of creating exquisite Haida inspired couture, Dorothy Grant is hanging up her scissors and turning off her light table, sort of.

Like others in the fashion industry Grant was hurt by the economic collapse three years ago. Many designers have since closed or adapted. Grant has decided to adapt. Rather than create a full line, she will limit her designs to more affordable accessories such as scarves and bags. She also hopes to teach business to first nations students.

Vogue's Indians

Well well well, Vogue editors throughout the world are tapping into the ol' "Wild West Indians" theme for their latest issues.  Instead of working with Native American fashion designers and models, the editors decided to go with non-Native versions. Shocker, I know. Maybe this is because the non-Native Indians are more Indian than the real Indians?

Forever 21 Goes Native

Forever 21 picked up on the Native American trend spotted on the runways and has made their signature 'affordable' versions.

Native-Inspired Collections at Paris Fashion Week

This is a little bit late (delayed, of course, by my preoccupation with the Heard Market) - but I wanted to round out my review of Native-inspired collections at the various Fashion Week events held in New York, London, Milan, and Paris. A couple of the designers at Paris Fashion Week showed collections with Native American influence. I'm still reviewing the collections from MFW and PFW, but read on for a list of some of the shows that drew inspiration from Native sources.

Heard Indian Market 2011 - Doug Miles & Susan Folwell

Blood & Dirt
Check out this cool Heard Market collaboration -

Santa Clara potter Susan Folwell and Apache/Akimel O’odham artist Douglas Miles (of Apache Skateboards) teamed up to create some truly unique collaborative work that experimentally combines street art with traditional Pueblo pottery.

Heard Indian Market 2011 - Sheridan MacKnight

I had the great opportunity to meet the wonderful miss Sheridan MacKnight a few weekends ago at the Heard Indian Market. She is primarily a ledger artist, but she also creates these little (big) earrings. And they are badass. I bought a pair (I'm a sucker for earrings) and everyone who has seen me wear them, throws in a compliment ("wow, I like your earrings"). They are stunning. I think I have worn them almost everyday since I got them.

So, this is a special post - an homage to my new earrings.


(Me rockin' Sheridan MacKnight earrings surrounded by the artwork of America Meredith and Linda Lomahaftewa. March 2011. Heard Indian Market in downtown Phoenix. Photo by America Meredith)

Heard Indian Market 2011 - Penny Singer

Navajo fashion designer Penny Singer was in her usual booth space this year at the Heard Indian Market, and I had a couple minutes to catch up with her. She had a picture of one of her clients wearing a Penny Singer jacket to a dinner with President Obama. That's pretty badass. Another one of her clients was in the booth and remarked that she had seen the tv broadcast of the event, and saw the jacket and knew it was a Penny Singer. Double badass.

Heard Indian Market 2011 - Craig Kelly

Artist Craig Kelly (Navajo) is a jeweler who creates 3-D work out of mixed media. He's won awards for his work and participates in the Santa Fe and Heard Indian Markets. Kelly incorporates unusual materials, such as carbon fibers or computer wiring, and beads a variety of subject matter (from skulls in film strips, to nudes, to tropical sunsets!), to create his jewelry designs. He grew up in Church Rock, NM and now lives in Albuquerque.

Heard Indian Market 2011 - Pilar Agoyo

It's always fun to see what Pilar Agoyo has been up to with her fashion designs. Since she also works as a costume designer for films, her clothing designs bring a welcomed edginess to the Indian Market scene.

Agoyo also took home an Honorable Mention award for her coat, 'Whisper,' pictured above.

Heard Indian Market 2011 - The Gaussoins

The Gaussoins: High Street Fashion Jewelry

As I was zipping around the booths at the Heard Indian Market, I came around the corner to see brothers Wayne Nez and David Gaussoin - two of Indian country's most avant-garde jewelry-makers.

The first thing out of my mouth was, "Where's the ribbons?!"

I was, of course, referring to the lack of blue ribbons (or any other color ribbons) on their table. I assumed they would have won something - an honorable mention at least. Come on.

Heard Indian Market 2011 - Indian Ink II

Indian Ink II

Thomas "Breeze" Marcus and Douglas Miles opened their co-curated show, Indian Ink II, during the Heard Indian Market weekend.

Indian Ink II was held at Pravus Gallery in downtown Phoenix and highlighted a number of emerging Native artists whose works "push out and ascend above the boundaries of stereotypical, traditional, and 'contemporary' Native American art." Almost every piece included in the show stuck with the black-and-white graphic palette, but there were a few well-placed punches of color (in particular, Melissa Cody's awesome Navajo weavings).

Heard Indian Market 2011 - Margaret Roach Wheeler

Margaret Roach Wheeler (Chickasaw/Choctaw) is one of my favorite artists to check in on at the Heard Indian Market. All of her garments are hand woven, and each year she brings a new style that she's been working on. You have to see her garments in person to appreciate the high-quality of the materials and her finely woven work is truly exceptional.

Wrapper’s Delight: Smart Scarves from Urban Native Girl

Lisa Charleyboy from Urban Native Girl Stuff wrote a post about her favorite scarves.

Her list includes scarves featuring Northwest Coast, Southwest, and Woodlands Indian art and designs.

Click here to read more: Wrapper’s Delight: Smart Scarves from Urban Native Girl.

Heard Indian Market 2011

Last weekend I went to the 53rd Annual Heard Indian Market held at the Heard Museum in downtown Phoenix.

One of the great things I like about the Heard Market is catching up with the designers to see what they've come up with next. I also like meeting the young new designers breaking through, making cool accessories and jewelry out of beads and silver.

I'll be posting pictures on specific artists within the next week, but here's a sneak peek:

(Margaret Roach Wheeler winning jacket)

(Colin Coonsis necklace) (Samuel LaFountain bracelet)

(Penny Singer booth)

Melissa Cody: Weaving Street Art

I'm in Arizona now, gearing up for the 53rd Annual Heard Indian Market and I came across this article about awesome Navajo weaver Melissa Cody:

("The Edge of No Water" by Melissa Cody. Image courtesy of Melissa Cody)

Weaver Melissa Cody on Native Rugs, New Style, and the Heard's 53rd Annual Indian Market
By Jessica VanZalen

​This Saturday and Sunday, the Heard Museum will host it's 53rd Annual Guild Indian Fair and Market, which showcases modern and traditional forms of American Indian art and culture.

The event features work from more than 700 of the nation's upcoming and established artists who create one-of-a-kind jewelry, pottery, textiles, and more.

Flagstaff artist Melissa Cody, previous winner of the event's Conrad House Award, will be in attendance this year with her bright woven rugs.

Native Blogging

Good news! Recently, I submitted a proposal to the Native American and Indigenous Studies Association council to present a panel on Native Blogging for their annual conference, and our proposal was accepted.

I will be presenting on my blog, Beyond Buckskin, along with Adrienne Keene from Native Appropriations, Gyasi Ross from The Thing About Skins, and Lara Evans from Not Artomatic. We will be discussing the importance of this new mode of writing and publishing.

Orlando Dugi Purse on the Oscar Red Carpet

Native actress Kateri Walker walked onto the Red Carpet at the 83rd Annual Oscars holding Navajo bead artist and fashion designer Orlando Dugi's "Regal Dignity" peacock purse.

Kateri Walker is a tribal member of the Chippewa of the Thames First Nation in Ontario and the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan. She recently starred in Shelley Niro’s directorial debut of the Mohawk feature film, Kissed by Lightning (2009). You can see the trailer of Kissed by Lightning on YouTube when you search the title.