Native designers at Fashion Week

Three Native designers featured during Fashion WeekNew York City’s Fashion Week, held Feb. 13–Feb. 20, featured a preview of fall fashions from American and international fashion houses with such well-known names as DKNY, Diane Von Furstenberg, Calvin Klein, Dennis Basso, Carolina Herrera and Ralph Lauren. This year, RAMSCALE opened its West Village loft to three American Indian fashion designers: Virgil Ortiz, a potter and fashion artist from Cochiti Pueblo, N.M.; Patricia Michaels, a clothing designer from Taos Pueblo and Dorothy Grant, a Haida from Ketchikan Alaska who currently operates her company from Vancouver, British Columbia.

Fashion week has in the past featured American Indian clothing designed by non-Natives. In 2005, Alvin Valley began his collection with a reading of Dee Brown’s “Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee.” His collection featured western clothing with many feather jackets and skirts.Comment:  Notice the big difference between genuine Native designs (pictured below) and faux Native designs:

Audigier's stereotypical fashions
Going Native = fashion trend
Male models playing Indian
Faux Indian fashion
Pucci goes Native

In short, genuine Native designs aren't cowboy clothes accessorized with beads and feathers.