Go behind the scenes of the Indigenous style extravaganza that recently took place in Santa Fe.
Now in its second year, SWAIA Native Fashion Week celebrated Indigenous excellence with a full slate of runway shows, educational symposiums, popup shops, and parties that took place across Santa Fe May 7–11. The style extravaganza brought together more than 25 Native designers from across North America as well as hundreds of fashionistas eager to see the inspiring new lines being premiered. Special guests included former U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland (Laguna Pueblo), actor Eugene Brave Rock (Blackfoot) and weaver/artist/designer Naiomi Glasses (Diné)—all of whom took to the runway. Cowboys & Indians was there to take it all in fashion action, including getting a behind-the-scenes look at the shows.
Ahead of the fashionable festivities, designers, stylists, models, photographers, videographers, hair and makeup artists, and other industry professionals made their way to Santa Fe—which has solidified its status as the ultimate Indigenous design destination—for fittings, photo shoots, and other preparations. The week’s affairs officially commenced with an invite-only VIP and Donors Preview Party on Wednesday night at the El Dorado hotel that offered sneak peaks of the looks set to debut on the runway that weekend. On Thursday, the popular Fashion Media Party returned to the New Mexico Governor’s Mansion, where designers, members of the media, and other notables mixed, mingled, and made merry.
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The main event kicked off on Friday night, when the Santa Fe Convention Center came alive with fashion shows from Dancing Storm Designs, Stitched by April, Dene Couture, Sage Mountainflower, Randi Nelson Designs, and Lauren Good Day. The final show included a spirited performance by Reservation Dogs rapper Mato Wayuhi (Oglala Lakota) and appearances by celebrity models like Cree hoop dancer James Jones, aka Notorious Cree.
Saturday saw even more style, including shows from Sacrd Thndr, Vividus by Tierra Alysia, Snowfly, Wabanoonkwe x Jennifer Younger, House of Sutai, Lesley Hampton, Ally’s Ribbons, and TOC Legends by Himikalas Pamela Baker. Backstage was bustling with dozens of dressers, hair stylists, and makeup artists getting models preened and prepped to take to the catwalk in new collections by the aforementioned designers.
That day, I had the distinct honor of modeling looks for Lesley Hampton, Vividus, and Wabanoonkwe x Jennifer Younger. Each of these designers debuted couture creations that told a sartorial story. For example, Hampton’s Obsidian Lumina collection centers around the lightness of becoming and the glimmer before the glow, featuring rose quartz, silver hues, and fluid draping reflecting the Anishinaabe designer’s early career, what she deems “a time untouched by fear yet full of vision.” In Hampton’s flowing, fluttery Ice Princess dress—the same one worn by Inuk actress Anna Lambe for the premiere of the Netflix show North of North—I felt like regal Northern royalty.
With her newest Vividus collection, dubbed Thunder Arrives, Tierra Alysia is honoring her Pomo heritage with a deeply personal story about strength, survival, and the beauty found within the darkness. Fittingly, the ‘fits featured metallics, dark hues, and pops of abalone—an important cultural and culinary resource for her tribe and others from Northern California. I embraced my edgy side in what Alysia lovingly dubbed her “seaweed dress”: a fitted iridescent frock that shimmered in the spotlight and paired beautifully with a tailored trench.
Meanwhile, Anishinaabe designer Wabanoonkwe Irick is telling Water Stories with her latest line, highlighting the water contamination crisis that so many Native communities face, including her own. To drive home the fact that issues like this are impacting tribal nations worldwide, her show featured New Zealand model Sharn Maree Cassady (Ngāpuhi/Te Whānau-ā-Apanui), who donned a scene-stealing dress to close out the show. Each look was complemented by Indigenous artisan Jennifer Younger’s signature copper jewelry imbued with delicate freehand engraving reflecting her Tlingit culture. Wearing those pieces was particularly meaningful for me and helped me feel connected to my Alaska Native ancestry.
Water Stories by Wabanoonkwe Irick
Sunday’s shows included Towering Stone by Loren Aragon, K. Lookinghorse, Kaylyn Baker Designs, Suglit Lukxs Designs, Copper Canoe Woman, RVSO78, Stevens & Snyder, Robyn McLeod, and PM Waterlily by Patricia Michaels. Although there were countless standout moments, the highlight of the weekend was no doubt Deb Haaland walking the runway in PM Waterlily—a strong conclusion to the fashionable festivities.
Above all, SWAIA Native Fashion Week was about coming together as a community in celebration of Indigenous creativity. It was a stunning showcase of the rich diversity of Native design, with styles ranging from ethereal to avant-garde to uber glam—a salient reminder of the adaptability, beauty, and power of Indigenous cultures.
PHOTOGRAPHY: (All images) courtesy Viisual Productions
