Video | Patricia Michaels Guerrilla Fashion Parade

Jamie Okuma Beaded Shoes

(Beaded Shoes by Jamie Okuma, Shoshone/Luiseno, at the 2011 SWAIA Santa Fe Indian Market. Photo by Amber-Dawn Bear Robe)

My friend Amber-Dawn Bear Robe spotted these awesome shoes at the Santa Fe Indian Market last weekend. They are made by Jamie Okuma, who is of Shosone-Banock and Luiseno heritage.

Tom Ford Weighs in on Indian Market Clothing Contest

(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 contest
Kay 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

Patricia Michaels Guerrilla Fashion Parade

Hey folks!

I'm just now somewhat bouncing back from my trip last weekend to Santa Fe where I checked out the SWAIA Indian Market.

Showcasing over 1100 artists from 100 tribes, the Santa Fe Indian Market is the largest cultural event in New Mexico, attracting 100,000 visitors per year. The Indian Market features visual arts competitions, film screenings, musical performances, lectures, galas and much more.

Virgil Ortiz's Vertigo

Virgil Ortiz's latest exhibit, Vertigo, opened last week at the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture in Santa Fe (just fyi, I'm no longer living in Santa Fe, and I'm crushed that I can't attend every opening! Sadtimes. BUT, since I will be in Santa Fe for their annual Indian Market, I will still get to check out the show. Awesome.).

About Vertigo (Ortiz always has the best one-word show names, I swear), the Museum press release explained,

The past receives a current voice with the newest figurative work of Virgil Ortiz. With pieces whose scale and style are both unprecedented, the Vertigo series infuses cultural understanding and historic research. Just as his ancestors used clay to comment on their lives and experiences; Ortiz does the same and adds a fresh element and spin by enlisting family members to contribute their respective works in this spectacular series.

Inspired by Ben Wittick’s famous photograph, circa 1880, Ortiz recreates the scene using a photograph of the Charles Bridge he took during a visit to Prague, Czech Republic in 1999.

“When I walked up to the Charles Bridge, it reminded me of that photo from the Clay People book and I knew someday I would recreate it.” – Virgil Ortiz

The original Wittick photo, and Virgil Ortiz's version.

So if you plan on checking it out, here's the dish:

WHAT: “Vertigo: A Spin on Tradition ~ Reviving the Past” with Virgil Ortiz and family members

WHEN: Monday August 1st through September 5th, 2011

WHERE: Museum of Indian Arts & Culture | 710 Camino Lejo, Museum Hill off Old Santa Fe Trail, Santa Fe New Mexico. Phone: 505.476.1250

“There is no better illustration from an artist who constantly challenges his abilities to mold clay into forms never imagined. The Vertigo series comes full circle and ends with the traditional “Mono” at this point in time.” – Robert Gallegos, Art Dealer - Historian


ALSO: Keep your eyes open for Ortiz's collaboration with Aqua Hospitality Carpets.

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.

Santa Fe Indian Market 2011 Fashion Events

Ok ya'll! It's August! Well, it's been August for over a week now, but I'm just now catching on. And since it's August, that means Beyond Buckskin will be featuring information about the upcoming Santa Fe Indian Market, to be held August 20-21, 2011.

Now, if you know anything about Indian Market, you'll know that the fun stuff isn't just on Saturday and Sunday, it is also on the days preceding the event.

I'm very excited about this year, because there will be fashion-related events on Thursday, Friday, and Sunday (What's that? No Saturday? Well, I'll find some 'fashionable' Indians to spotlight on this blog as a 'Saturday Night Special' of sorts - yea?! **NOTE: I found a Saturday fashion event! See the addition below).

On the Process of Fashion

“Some of these concepts I play around with and it takes seven years for me to execute. Fashion is extremely difficult and so time-consuming. You need to be dedicated for long hour hauls and your mind has to be evolving in the piece.” - Patricia Michaels, 2006

(Image above is Patricia Michaels' sketchbook from the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture exhibit Native Couture II)

Mildj Fashion Show at Crow Days

Based out of Montana, Mildred Carpenter of Mildj Fashion Designs recently hosted a fashion show during Crow Days held in June at the Apsaalooke Nights Casino.

Check out these shnazzy pics, snapped by Tommy B. Robinson Photography from Lame Deer, MT.

NAISA 11 Conference Highlights

I recently attended the Native American and Indigenous Studies Association 2011 Conference that was held at UC Davis in California.

It was a great time catching up with my peers from the American Indian Studies program at the University of Arizona, and of course, meeting a ton of new folks in the field.

Usually I present on Native art or fashion, but this year I chaired a panel that focused on Native blogging. It featured Native Appropriations blogger Adrienne Keene and Not Artomatic blogger Lara Evans. The panel presentations went really well, we got some great questions from the audience, and it was nice to catch up with Lara and meet Adrienne.