November is Native American Heritage Month and if you’re looking to refresh your closet (and your mind) with some new names, VALLEY has you covered! We’re taking this opportunity to highlight some of the biggest (Native) names in fashion to know and support now and forever.
The fashion industry has a long history of misappropriating Indigenous designs and misrepresenting the diversity of Native American cultures through its clothes. But, a series of Indigenous designers are taking up their place in the industry, breathing new life into what has been misrepresented for centuries. These designers are using their platform to reclaim their heritage and bring new perspectives to the future of sustainable fashion.
ThunderVoice Hat Co.
Starting from the top, ThunderVoice Hat Co. is a Diné and Totonac owned brand. Founder Lehi ThunderVoice Eagle wanted to “clothe people in dignity and reclaim what already exists into something beautiful.” The family-led company prides itself on their ethically and hand-sourced goods.
Around 95% of the brand’s products are made with reclaimed leather and other vintage items. The brand’s hats are based on the iconic and traditional Navajo brimmed hat, but are created so that anyone can wear them. In addition to hats, ThunderVoice Hat Co. also creates apparel, footwear and home goods –– all products that honor Navajo designs while blending the ancient with the modern.
Jamie Okuma
Shoshone-Bannock and Luiseño creative, Jamie Okuma, creates what she’s called “art ready to wear.” In 2023, Okuma was the first Native American inducted into the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA). Okuma’s creations have been exhibited in collections all over the world. Today, two of her pieces are permanent residents of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute (MET) collection. Her pieces were exhibited in “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion.”
Okuma’s brand, Earth We Wear, is committed to reducing textile waste associated with garment manufacturing. The brand utilizes digital printing and all-natural fabrics to produce unique items. With an emphasis on the unique, each piece is only produced once the customer places an order for it.
B. Yellowtail
This women-owned brand was founded by Bethany Yellowtail, a member of both the Northern Cheyenne Nation and Apsáalooke (Crow) Nation. B. Yellowtail’s site promises products that are “Indigenously designed for all,” remaining true to the label’s goals of sharing culture while amplifying Indigenous voices. The brand embraces and merges ancestral tradition with contemporary art.
Bethany has leveraged fashion as a tool to not only share her culture but also to give back to her community. B. Yellowtail works with Native artisans to produce their products. In addition, the brand also helps bring awareness to issues facing the Indigenous population. Through the Rez Girls Mentorship Fund, B. Yellowtail supports preventative resources to help combat the Missing & Murdered Indigenous Relative (MMIR) epidemic.
Urban Native Era
Founded by Joey Montoya of the Lipan Apache Nation, Urban Native Era (UNE) is a fresh brand focused on Indigenous visibility through fashion. The label has been featured on the show ‘Reservation Dogs’ and has gained traction in the fashion world.
Inspired by the “Idle No More” movement in Canada in 2012, Montoya took to social media to show solidarity with Canada’s Native population and spread the message of what was happening (at the time the environmental rights of Native people were being violated). UNE’s designs are minimalistic but send powerful messages that anyone can wear. Urban Native Era is committed to sustainability, manufacturing its products locally in Los Angeles and utilizing recycled fabrics with non-toxic dyes.
Arctic Luxe
While most of the fashion world has moved on from real fur –– its usage remaining controversial –– some Indigenous designers have highlighted it as an essential part of the culture and way of life. Bobby Brower, who is a Inupiaq Alaska Native, is the founder of Arctic Luxe, a luxury brand focused on providing its customers with ethically sourced fur products. Brower’s handmade designs were featured at New York Fashion Week 2022.
Indigenous designers like Brower take a more holistic approach to the use of fur in their clothing. Brower and others are keen on using the whole animal –– as has been customary among Native peoples for centuries. While large-scale fur farms may use inhumane killing methods, waste parts of the animal and leave a significant environmental footprint, Indigenous designers produce their items on a smaller scale.
Additionally, the animals that are hunted are also used for food and other purposes. Though the fur and fashion industry have been at odds in recent years, Indigenous designers like Brower underline that for them sustainability is not a trend, but a way of life.
The SWAIA Annual Indian Market
The Southwestern Association for Indian Arts (SWAIA) hosts the annual Indian Market in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The festival is a great way for art enthusiasts to explore Native American arts and cultures. Artists display everything from jewelry, paintings and beadwork to pottery, photography and more. These items can be entered into SWAIA’s prestigious art competition. Attendees can also partake in a Native American film festival, auctions, dancing and discover new designers at the fashion show.
Do you have any designers we should know about? Let us know by tagging us @VALLEYmag!
