Cher Thomas | Designer Profile and Interview

I was very honored with the opportunity to catch up with O'odham and Yuman fashion designer Cher Thomas, owner of Cher Thomas Designs, about her most recent work. I first became aware of Cher's clothing designs while I was going to grad school in Arizona. She is a member of the Gila River Indian Community and I had seen her work in local shows. As a third generation seamstress, the act of making garments - both traditional and fashion-forward - runs in her family.

She was recently featured in Native Max Magazine, and in June she was spotlighted in the Brave Wings Charity Fashion Show held in Scottsdale. Here, she debuted her Spring 2013 collection, Desert Ballerina.

Click below to read my interview with her about this fabulous show.

Event | Native Fashion Show to Honor Women

The American Indian Graduate Student Association (AIGSA) will be hosting a fashion show to kick off the Arizona State University Powwow in Tempe next weekend.

Featured designers include Marco Arviso, Kevin Duncan, House of Darylene, Dineh Couture, Earle Couture, Glacsy, Genevieve Hardy, Cher Thomas, Shayne Watson and Kevin Whitehat.

The theme for the second annual show is 'Our Past, Our Present Woven Together: Honoring Our Native Women in Fashion.' Brenda Norrell at Censored News explains: "The theme highlights the strength of Native women, which is drawn from their Native cultures, values, and traditions and uniquely woven into their daily modern lives.