- Details
- By Kaili Berg
The event is set to take place from May 2 to 5 and will feature Native American and Indigenous Canadian designers who aim to shine a spotlight on their unique fashion narratives and celebrate the rich diversity in Indigenous cultures.
The line up of Native American and Indigenous Canadian designers include:
- Carrie Wood "chizhii"
- Dehmin Cleland
- Himikalas Pamela Baker of T.O.C Legends
- House of Sutai by Peshawn Bread
- Justin Jacob Louis
- Lesley Hampton
- Loren Aragon of Towering Stone
- Maria Hupfield
- Orlando Dugi
- Patricia Michaels
- Qaulluq
- Randy Leigh Barton
- Victoria's Arctic Fashion
Additional designers and special guests will be revealed in the next few months on SNFW’s Instagram account.
The event will commence with a media launch at the New Mexico Governor’s Mansion on May 2, 2024. The following day, a fashion mini-symposium will be held at a location that is yet to be determined, where panel discussions will range over topics such as “Why Native American Fashion Matters?” and a “Designer-Focused Fashion Hub”.
The weekend will bring mainstage fashion shows, trunk shows, and brand activations. These brand activation spaces will provide opportunities for organizations to engage with diverse communities and enhance their visibility in the fashion industry.
Tickets will be available to purchase in March 2024. The SWAIA is currently offering sponsorship opportunities and activation spaces.
Since SWAIA launched its Indigenous Fashion Show in 2014, its shows have grown tremendously. It is now a highlight of the Santa Fe Indian Market, the largest American Indian arts festival in the world, attracting Indigenous fashion designers from all over North America.
Designers for that monumental day were Orlando Dugi, Sho Sho Esquiro, Jamie Okuma and Bethany Yellowtail. The late World Championship Hoop Dancer, Nakotah LaRance, opened the show, performing with the DJ playing A Tribe Called Red in the background.
“Santa Fe Indian Market has always been about showcasing and making sure our artists have that same voice and that includes fashion. That is a really important voice to me because that’s representation and that’s something our cultures have struggled with and have been invisible for so many years,” SWAIA Executive Director Jamie Schulze told reporter Darren Thompson in a previously published article by Native News Online.
“It is important for us to come out as the creatives that we have always been historically, not only through our jewelry, our sculpture, and these amazing art pieces, but what we wore,” Schultz said.
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