All About Native Fashion

Native Fashion is more than clothing—it’s a powerful expression of Indigenous knowledge, language, identity, and contemporary life. Each garment and design carries layers of meaning, shaped by designers who honor cultural roots while pushing boundaries, reimagining traditions, and crafting bold new narratives.

Why Native Fashion Matters

Native fashion is not just style—it’s sovereignty. It’s a living, breathing art form that tells stories of land, survival, joy, and resurgence. Through fabric, beadwork, print, and silhouette, Native designers express who they are and where they come from.

Supporting Native designers is an act of respect, recognition, and solidarity.

In a world where Indigenous designs are often copied or mass-produced without consent or credit, choosing to buy from Native creators ensures that the artistry, labor, and meaning behind each piece are honored—and that the profits go back to Indigenous communities, not large corporations profiting from stolen culture.

Too often, brands capitalize on "tribal" patterns or "Indigenous-inspired" styles without understanding or acknowledging their origins. This erases the cultural context and disrespects the people whose identities and traditions are being commodified.

When you buy directly from Native designers, you are not just buying fashion—you are supporting cultural continuity, creative sovereignty, and Indigenous economies.

It’s about recognizing that Native people are not costumes or trends. They are artists, leaders, and visionaries shaping the future of fashion.

Who It’s For

Native Fashion Week is for everyone—but especially for those who want to celebrate, support, and engage with Indigenous creativity in authentic, ethical, and meaningful ways.

Whether you’re Indigenous or non-Indigenous, a fashion lover, an educator, or simply curious, Native Fashion Week invites you to support and enjoy the brilliance of Indigenous design.

What Native Fashion Is

Contemporary Native fashion is diverse, dynamic, and rooted in both tradition and innovation. It includes:

• Beadwork & Embroidery: Traditional techniques reimagined for the runway and everyday wear.
  
  

• Modernized Traditional Garments: Ribbon shirts, jingle dresses, and other regalia adapted with contemporary cuts and fabrics.
  
  

• Streetwear & Statement Pieces: Designs that speak directly to identity, resistance, and pride.
  
  

• Accessories & Jewelry: Created with Indigenous knowledge and materials—from silver and turquoise to antler, birch, and digital print.
  
  

Why It Matters Now

Indigenous cultures are not static. They are always evolving—adapting to the land, responding to the times, and challenging colonial definitions of art and identity.

Native Fashion Week Santa Fe is part of that evolution. It reclaims space in galleries, runways, and conversations.

When you support Native designers, you’re helping to dismantle systems of erasure and uplift voices that have always been here.

Join us for Native Fashion Week Santa Fe & Support the Original Couturiers of America.