Not many runway walks start with the deep drum beat of “powwow-step” music, a genre of contemporary, Indigenous EDM. This was no ordinary fashion show, though. With a floor-length, blood-red gown and hooded black cloak, Te-Moak model Eva Brander Blackhawk hauntingly navigated the runway as The OG by Halluci Nation pulsated through speakers.
Terminating the walk, her fist pummelled the air as the sampled words of Canadian politician Romeo Saganash rang out: “Why doesn’t the Prime Minister just say the truth and tell Indigenous peoples that he doesn’t give a fuck about their rights?” That was only the start of Sky-Eagle Collection’s show.
In 2022, a study undertaken by Textile Exchange found that Indigenous communities played a role in the decision-making of only five per cent of fashion brands. For decades and decades, ‘Indigenous inspired’ patterns have been present within the fashion industry, take the ‘Navajo’ style of Ralph Lauren in much of the ’80s and ’90s, for example. These acts of cultural appropriation have neglected Indigenous designers, consistently pushing them to the sidelines. But now, more than ever, Indigenous designers and artists are resisting, empowering their own histories and cultures, pushing for change.
The latest milestone in this reclaiming is the Indigenous New York Fashion Week (INYFW). Having debuted from Thursday 11th September until Monday 15th September, the event made history as the first of its kind. The brainchild of Korina Emmerich (Puyallup) and Liana Shewey (Mvskoke), founders of Relatives Arts NYC, INYFW brought together designers, models, stylists, hair and make-up artists, and performers in a show-stopping celebration of contemporary Indigenous creativity. Among the 25 fashion brands showcased was a vast and diverse range of designs, from Ironhorse Quillwork’s jewellery made using porcupine quills and beads, to Pacha Arts’ black-and-white geometric skirt, poncho and montera hat referencing the Andean landscape. Throughout the collections of INYFW, traditional Indigenous elements were fused with more modern fashion ideas and stylistic developments.
Beyond the vivid and ingenious designs, INYFW also served as a reminder that fashion is much more than beauty, craftsmanship and aesthetics. Fashion is identity. Fashion is politics. Fashion is protest.
This was core to Sky-Eagle Collection’s work. Mirroring their powerful start, they ended their show with a bang: complementing the chanting crescendo of The OG with model A’ngelee captivating the crowd, and media thereafter. “No more stolen sisters” was freshly spray-painted in red upon her billowing white petticoat. The heart-wrenching garment served as a necessary nod towards MMIW (Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women) and the overall ongoing violence and discrimination towards Indigenous communities.
This urgent disruption is in no way confined to New York’s East Village, though. INYFW has been the trigger earthquake to a tsunami of questions, dialogue and (growing) understanding of Indigeneity within the fashion community like never before. One of the show’s designers, Dante Biss-Grayson, of Sky-Eagle Collection, highlighted this when speaking with The Student. He observed “conversations happening everywhere” as INYFW showed “Indigenous fashion is not a niche or a trend; it’s a global industry with deep roots.” With Indigenous peoples’ rights, histories and cultures erased in the past and present, INYFW has proven to be a powerful platform for designers to step into the limelight and dig their heels in. The creation and implementation of the fashion week entirely by Indigenous peoples was also essential to the event’s impact, evident when Qarla Quispe, of Warmichic, explained to The Student how INYFW “allows our narratives not to be interpreted but told by ourselves.” As previously stated, ‘Indigenous inspired’ designs are not new to the fashion world, but Indigenous artists being involved is a fresh concept. INYFW is one of the few initiatives in which Indigenous designers are actively involved in the celebration of their art; that is an invaluable quality.
Furthermore, both designers reflected on the momentous influence of INYFW on Indigenous futures and the artists of generations to come. Dante spoke of this through his overwhelming gratitude for INYFW and its impact, as “for the next generation watching and realising – they belong here too.” Not only does INYFW play a role in the present, but it also carves out a space of empowerment and celebration for future Indigenous designers and creatives.
Though the beautiful and innovative designs of INYFW were central to its week-long stint in Lenapehoking (now NYC), ultimately, at its core was the unapologetic glorification of Indigenous creativity, a necessity which has made waves in the global fashion community and beyond.
Livestreams of the first Indigenous New York Fashion Week are available on demand on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/@n8tives/streams
Photo by Sky-Eagle Collection
Sky-Eagle Collection has given the student permission to publish this image.