Inside the first-ever Indigenous Fashion Week

Indigenous fashion is in the spotlight, largely thanks to actresses like Lily Gladstone and models such as Quannah Hunting Horse. But this is not just a passing trend. This unprecedented and long-awaited celebration of authentic Native representation is thousands of years in the making and honors the long-standing cultural traditions and techniques of countless tribal communities.

This diverse creativity was on full display over the weekend at the premiere Indigenous Fashion Week in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Presented by the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts or SWAIA, the nonprofit organization behind the popular annual Indian Market, the four-day event featured the work of 17 different indigenous designers. Their collections were worn by 140 models, including several indigenous ones, including Flower Moon Killers actress Tantoo Cardinal as well as Dark Winds stars Jessica Matten and Kiowa Gordon.

Fashion and art are the mirror of society, and there is currently a push for diversity at all levels, SWAIA curator and fashion producer Amber-Dawn Bear Robe tells ELLE.com . Our vision is to expand the footprint and representation of indigenous talent in all facets of the fashion industry, including design, modeling, hair and makeup, production and photography, and to invite people to truly invest in this vision.

Below, five notable Native Fashion Week collections from designers paying homage to the rich cultural traditions of their respective tribal communities.

Lesley Hampton

Lesley Hampton is a celebrated designer from the Anishinaabe/Temagami First Nation who has dressed actresses including Lily Gladstone, Tantoo Cardinal and Devery Jacobs of Reservation dogs. Her work focuses on body neutrality through an Indigenous worldview. In the Hamptons again Alkaline collection, this vision of the world takes shape in beaded dresses, long pleated skirts and flowing dresses adorned with her signature feather floral motif. I use my work as a catalyst to discover my own multifaceted identity and to comment on sociocultural issues leading to conversation, confidence and growth, says Hampton, who lives in Toronto. I believe in a fashion system where your height, hip size and heredity are not evaluated before being appreciated. This emphasis on inclusiveness is reflected in the diversity of its designs, proving that haute couture can speak to all bodies.

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Orlando Long

Orlando Long, who has been beading since the age of six, draws inspiration from the Din traditions that surrounded him growing up on the Navajo Nation. For him, it all comes down to hzhsignifying the beauty, harmony and balance in Din, which he says are ingrained in my culture and ingrained in my work. Marrying traditional techniques with modern elegance, his exquisite craftsmanship is apparent in everything he creates, from women's evening wear to his most recent menswear line, including versatile tulle tops, silk skirts and knit pants ready for layering. This is an important moment for Indigenous representation, Dugi says. Sometimes the only way to have space in an industry is to create it yourself, and that's what [we] did.

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Himikale Pamela Baker

For over 35 years, Himikalas Pamela Baker paid homage to her Squamish, Tlingit and Musgamakw Dzawadaenuxw heritage with couture dresses and ready-to-wear pieces featuring West Coast First Nations designs in striking colorways. She is also on a mission to educate others about tribal traditions and build confidence among Indigenous youth on the Capilano Indian Reservation in West Vancouver, Canada, where she grew up. Her latest collection commemorates the famous craftsmanship of her Coast Salish ancestors with intricately detailed robes, capes and menswear in black and white with touches of what she calls Indian red, a nod to look at the fact that his parade took place on National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons. With each item of clothing and jewelry made by Baker, she conveys a singular message: We are still here.

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Sutai House

Comanche/Kiowa/Cherokee nonbinary filmmaker, creative director, and model Peshawn Bread recently launched its line, House of Sutaimeaning to hurt in Comanche, to make space in the fashion world for the indigenous LGBTQ2S+ community. Bread draws inspiration from their long line of parents who have been creating clothing for survival, adornment and art for years, especially their great aunt. Josephine Myers-Wapp, who continued the practice of finger weaving until his death at the age of 102. Their collection presented at Native Fashion Week was inspired by the disco era. For what? The 70s was a time of increased political resistance when we were fighting for our rights to exist, so I wanted to create pieces that reflected what native people could wear to the nightclub, they say. I wanted to give that visual cue of indigenous joy in my collection while celebrating loved ones of all sizes, genders and skin tones.

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Lively sports

With a motto of life well lived, Tierra Alysias is all about golf Lively sports is fun, functional and feminine at the same time. Seattle-based designer Kashia Pomo/Filipino followed her brand's launch last spring with a limited-edition runway line that honors her heritage with subtle touches like gemstones and abalone shells. This juxtaposition of street style and high fashion reflects Alysia's sartorial vision. I see the world as a magnificent melting pot where all cultures and styles contribute to collective beauty, she says. In my collections there are so many different looks for so many different types of women, but somehow they all work in harmony.

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