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Seven Native Fashion Designers
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More than just fashion

In honor of 2021 New York Fashion Week, which kicks off this weekend,  we’d like to take a moment to celebrate a few of our favorite Native American fashionistas. These incredible artists have incorporated their Native heritage into their modern day designs, some even taking a stand for social justice within their work. Keep reading to learn more about some Natives fashion designers bringing Native authenticity to the fashion industry.

1. Bethany Yellowtail

(Northern Cheyenne Nation)

Bethany graduated in 2009 from the Fashion Institute of Design and Technology, and runs her own fashion brand “B. Yellowtail”. Bethany’s work as a designer is more than just fashion–her work stands for social justice. She has designed and created apparel to raise money for the Native-led protest against the Dakota Access Pipeline (No-DAPL) and women’s rights movements. Bethany acknowledges the cultural appropriation that Native Americans often face and aims to be a beacon of authenticity in the fashion industry for her culture.

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Colorful Sewing Tools
Photo by Adonyi Gábor from Pexels

2. Keri Ataumbi

(Kiowa)

“The purpose of jewelry is not just for adornment. There’s information in it and it changes you when you put it on.”

Raised on the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming, jewelry artist Keri Ataumbi uses her background and upbringing as inspiration. Combining her Native Heritage with her education at the Rhode Island School of Design and the College of Santa Fe, she came to create her own brand.  Keri categorizes her creations as wearable art, meaning her work can stand alone on its own while also being wearable on the body.

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3. Erik and Amanda Ginew

(Ojibwe, Oneida, & Mohican)

Ginew (Gih-noo) is the only Native American-owned denim line. Founded by Erik and Amanda, a married couple from Wisconsin currently living in Portland, Oregon.

Ginew places importance on family tradition and oftentimes incorporates family teachings and symbols into their pieces. Their buffalo belts are all prepared, tanned, and hand-dyed by the Ginew family, and their patterns are completely unique, having been passed down in the Ginew family from generation to generation.

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Colorful Folded Fabric and Tassels
Photo by Francesco Ungaro from Pexels

4. Lauren Good Day

(Arikara, Hidatsa, Blackfeet, & Plains Cree)

Lauren Good Day is an award-winning artist with a passion for intertwining old traditions with modern-day culture. Her designs have been featured at some of the most prestigious Native American art shows including the Santa Fe Indian Market, Heard Guild Museum Market, Autry American Indian Arts Marketplace, Eiteljorg Museum Indian Market, Cherokee Indian Market, Red Earth Fine Arts Festival and the Northern Plains Indian Art Show. Lauren began creating Native American art at age 6, beginning with beadwork and Tribal regalia and then expanding into mediums such as quillwork, ledger drawings, rawhide parfleche, and clothing.

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5. Michelle Lowden

(Acoma Pueblo)

With descent from Bear Clan passed down from her mother and Yellow Corn Clan passed down from her father, Lauren is the founder and owner of Milo Creations. Since 2014, Michelle has been an Inspired Natives Collaborator and was the first ever arts entrepreneur with the “Eighth Generation’s Inspired Natives Project.” Michelle works to honor her heritage through art, which ahs grown from creating Acoma-influenced jewelry to offering products such as wool blankets, silk scarves and graphic work.  Recently she embarked on working for her tribe through the Cultural Liaison at Acoma Behavioral Health Services. She currently resides in her ancestral home in the Pueblo of Acoma (known as Aa’ku in Keres)
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Rolls of Fabric
Photo by cottonbro from Pexels

6. Amy Yeung

(Diné/Navajo)

Amy is the founder of Orenda Tribe, a small team of designers from all around the world deeply committed to helping Indigenous makers and artists find opportunities to create. After years in the fast fashion industry, she made the decision to start designing more consciously. She believes in sustainable design processes—handmade, restored and repurposed vintage, one-of-a-kind upcycling of textiles. Her goal is to honor her Indigeneity, to protect our sacred lands, and to help others.
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7. Jamie Okuma

(Shoshone-Bannock, Wailaki, Okinawan, and Luiseño)

As far as she can recall, Jamie Okuma’s life has been intertwined in the art world in some way. Following the footsteps of her mother, who designed album covers for Lynard Skynyrd and Cher, Jamie took graphic design courses at Palomar college in San Marcos, California and attended the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Jamie specializes in one-of-a-kind pieces while also designing ready to wear fashions. Her work has shown across the United States, as well as in Germany, Australia and France.
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SOURCES:

https://www.vogue.com/article/indigenous-fashion-designers-cultural-appropriation-activism 

https://www.harpersbazaar.com/fashion/designers/a34228968/indigenous-designers/

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Walt Pourier

Vice Chair

Walt is Oglala Lakota and created the logo for Urban Rez. He is Creative Director, owner of Nakota Designs Advertising Designs and Graphics. Executive Director of the Stronghold Society nonprofit dedicated to instilling hope and supporting youth movements through Live Life Call To Action Campaigns.

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lynn palmanteer-holder

Lynn Palmanteer-Holder, an Indigenous plateau woman of North Central Washington and member of eight of twelve Tribes of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation. Lynn recently retired as inaugural Director of Tribal Government Affairs for Washington State Board of Community and Technical Colleges, the state’s oversight agency of 34 CTCs.  She is a highly accomplished professional that spans over 40 years. She is an experienced educator that has a demonstrated history across K12, post-secondary & higher education as a teacher, school counselor, superintendent, researcher, and professor. Also, she has diverse experience as an entrepreneur, Tribal leader and administrator. She is skilled in curriculum and program development, facilitating government to government relationships that led to formal partnerships between state institutions and Tribes developing custom programs. Lynn has served on many boards and has been recognized for various statewide, and national awards. She has several scholarly publications and has done various conference presentations and speaking engagements, at the local, national and international level. Lynn holds a Ph.C. (ABD) in Social Welfare Policy from University of Washington. She earned her M.Ed., with a concentration in counseling psychology from Washington State University and B.Ed., in K12 Education from Eastern Washington University. Lynn is a wife of 49 years, a mother of three adult professional children, granny of 10 and great granny to two. Lynn and her husband are high school sweethearts, and together enjoy time with their 15+ two-legged blessings.