SWAIA Announces Centennial Fashion Designers

SANTA FE, N.M. , May 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Southwestern Association for Indian Arts (SWAIA), the non-profit organization that produces the annual Santa Fe Indian Market, is pleased to announce SWAIA's Centennial Indigenous Fashion Show designers.

The 2022 fashion programming is expanding over two days, showcasing two full fashion shows with the first premiering on Saturday, August 20, at the Centennial Gala Party: Shiny Drop. The finale Indigenous Fashion Show takes place on Sunday, August 21, at the Santa Fe Convention Center. The Indigenous Trunk Show, will immediately follow Sunday's fashion show, and be limited to ticket holders. Guests will have the opportunity to buy and order directly from their favorite designers.

Amber-Dawn Bear Robe, who produces the fashion events, states "The long-term goal is to grow the fashion programming into a SWAIA Fashion Week. Last year we announced a partnership between SWAIA Fashion, Indigenous Fashion Arts (IFA), Vancouver Fashion Week (VFW) and the newly established Supernaturals Modelling Agency. All partners will be back this year and we hoping to announce a Santa Fe Indigenous Fashion Week soon."

Details are available on the new SWAIA fashion website at  swaia.org/fashion. Tickets on sale soon!

The 2022 participating fashion designers are:

• Jason Baerg (Cree Métis) 
• Himikalas / Pamela Baker (Kwaguilth/ Sqaumish)
• Catherine Blackburn (Dene) and Melanie LeBlanc (European and Dene)
• Orlando Dugi (Navajo)
• Korina Emmerich (Puyallup and Nisqually)
• Sho Esquiro (Kaska Dene/ Cree)
• Lauren GoodDay (Arikara, Hidatssa, Blackfeet, Plains Cree)
• Dorothy Grant (Haida)
• Lesley Hampton (Anishinaabe)
• Ursula Hudson (Tlingit)
• Patricia Michaels (Taos Pueblo) 
• Skawennati (Mohawk) 
• Jamie Okuma (Luiseño, Wailaki, Okinawan, and Shoshone-Bannock)
• Cody Sanderson (Navajo)
• Yolanda Skelton (Gitxsan)
• Adrian Standing Elk Pinnecoose (Navajo/Southern Ute)

Concurrent with SWAIA's Centennial fashion programming, the Museum of Contemporary Native Arts (MoCNA) is launching an exhibition entitled Art of Indigenous Fashion, curated by Bear Robe. Opening Thursday, August 18^th, the show features many of the designers who have been on the SWAIA runway. 

About SWAIA Fashion:
SWAIA Fashion encompasses the annual Fashion Shows produced during, and soon beyond, the Santa Fe Indian Market by curator and Indigenous art historian Amber-Dawn Bear Robe. Since 2014, Bear Robe has produced and directed SWAIA's fashion programming.

VIFW
IFWTO
Supernaturals Modelling

SOURCE Southwestern Association for Indian Arts