Native American designers have long influenced the broader fashion landscape, particularly with beadwork, textile weavings, and intricate patterns, which have often been borrowed without acknowledgment. It is surprising that authentic Indigenous talent has been overlooked within mainstream fashion for so long. Rarely have Native designers been given the opportunity or platform to present in the major fashion capitals such as New York, London, Milan, or Paris.
This season, however, change was evident.
Jamie Okuma Makes History
During New York Fashion Week, Jamie Okuma became the first Native American designer to be included in the official CFDA calendar. The Luiseño and Shoshone Bannock designer held a digital presentation to debut her new ready-to-wear collection featuring original print work. Her elegant dresses and caftans incorporated imagery of dentalium shells, flowers, elk teeth, and butterflies.
She explained that many of the flowers were taken from her own photographs. They came from her studio or from places she had traveled, serving as a diary that captured specific times in her life.
Indigenous NYFW: A Platform of Its Own
The week also saw the first Indigenous NYFW, a program hosted by Relative Arts at the Grace Exhibition Space in the East Village. Over three days, Indigenous designers presented a diverse range of creative works. There was jewelry shaped with distinctive ovoid forms by Copper Canoe Woman, colorful porcupine quillwork by Joe Big Mountain, streetwear collections by Original Landlords, handwoven pieces by siblings Tyler and Naiomi Glasses, and sharp tailoring by Justin Jacob Louis.
This mix of styles and tribal backgrounds brought fresh energy and highlighted the depth and diversity of Indigenous fashion.
Influence Beyond the “Indigenous” Spaces
Indigenous presence extended beyond dedicated showcases. At the Parsons MFA show, fifteen graduating designers presented their work, including Jontay Kahm of Plains Cree heritage, who introduced sculptural and avant-garde pieces. His inspiration came from traditional ribbon skirts, which he reconstructed in innovative ways. Kahm, who often reimagines elements of powwow regalia, said he wanted to engineer the ribbon differently. His runway featured an entirely Native cast of models, including Quannah Chasinghorse, Heather Diamond Strongarm, Phillip Bread, Robert Doka, and Ala'suinu Barnaby.
The week’s social events also gave Indigenous creatives space to connect. At an Assembly store event in downtown Manhattan, the dance troupe Indigenous Enterprise performed in full regalia on the streets. On a rooftop in SoHo, a gathering organized by the Decolonizing Wealth Project brought together designers and models to celebrate what many saw as the beginning of a new chapter in fashion, one where representation became tangible and not just aspirational.
