Sandra Hale Schulman
ICT
The latest: Native art and style rise in Santa Fe, collaborations in NY, gala helps students
FASHION: Designer gives back
Osage designer Dante Biss Grayson of Sky Eagle Collection has been making waves with his elevated clothing designs and celebratory shows that are part fashion, part political statements and part entertainment. During Indian Market, he is presenting “UPLIFT: The Indigenous Fashion Renaissance,” a two-day fashion show August 15 and 16 with Indigenous talent and veteran voices to benefit Wounded Warriors in Santa Fe at the Vladem Museum.
Biss Grayson is a veteran who served overseas. Designers in the shows include SACRD THNDr, Breezy Designs, House of Sutai, Rebekah Jarvey and more. The event features pop-up shops to buy items from the Runway and Collections after the show.
“I had a designer call and a lot of them have never shown in Santa Fe so that was the concept of uplifting Indigenous voices,“ Biss Grayson told ICT. “Then me being a veteran, I partnered up with Wounded Warriors project, which helps out veterans. A lot of our designers are veterans and a lot of our models like Che Jim will be there. He’s a veteran. Night one is kind of dark and a bit goth, punk rock. Then the next night is golden, beauty, glam and very elegant. I’m really enjoying being a producer.”
He just dropped a new Sky-Eagle Collection with some different kinds of higher end limited edition silk pieces.
“I am pivoting a little bit,” he said. “I found a place in London that does on demand and the silk items are just so nice but yes pricier so are a limited edition. My stepdad, artist Earl Biss, would drop a limited edition print series and I thought let’s apply the same concept to this new drop.”
Biss Grayson designed the prints based on his art with images overlaid with deer antlers and in vibrant neon colors.
“I took the idea of ledger drawings, but then I started deconstructing treaties, and added in cubism, overlaying a pop kind of version. It came out really, really fun.”
His most humorous new design is the Frybread swimsuit with a bright green background and oozing frybread with toppings. Where did he get the actual fry bread image?
“I took the picture. I needed to find some fry bread and loaded like an Indian taco or Navajo taco. I took a bunch of pictures and that was one of them.”
He will be showcasing the new designs in August at Uplift, along with his gorgeous lace ribbon skirts and menswear.
“I will run this show with military position. We’re having fun! I’m getting older in Native ways; we got to lift up everybody and now I’m comfortable with sharing the limelight. I feel good about that.”
ART: Native American Heritage meets contemporary design
A brand that blends Native American art with modern fashion, HOSH, founded by DY Begay and Tom Tarica, creates wearable casual art in collaboration with Native artists. Their collections bring Native heritage into modern designs, with a fresh perspective on culture and craftsmanship.
A star-studded opening at The Hole Gallery in NYC earned a splashy spread in the NY Times with guests, model Phillip Bread, artist Brad Kahlhamer and Cherokee singer-songwriter Ken Pomeroy.
The name HOSH is pronounced “woosh” and comes from the Diné word for cactus, symbolizing resilience, being rooted, and finding beauty in unexpected places. This spirit runs through the pieces that merge traditional painting, weaving, silversmithing and pottery with a modern design.
Collaborating with artists Tyrrell Tapaha, Tony Abeyta, Craig George, Berdina Charley and Mary Louise Tafoya, HOSH celebrates modern Native artisans, showcasing their craft in updated ways.
MUSIC: Foundation puts on a show
The First Annual event to raise donations and bring awareness to the Foxfire Foundation happens July 12th at the historic Kimo Theater in downtown Albuquerque. The Foxfire Scholarship Foundation for Indigenous Students was established in honor of Ashley Miles, the daughter of Santa Ana and Hopi Pueblos, along with Cathleen Lopez-Booth, her mother and founder.
The night will include music from rocker Levi Platero, comedy and a fashion show with models Jovan Lopez and Janet Johnson, and will feature clever tipi bags from BT Luxe and food trucks with Native foods.
Guest cartoonist Ricardo Caté has been drawing the daily cartoon “Without Reservations” for the Santa Fe New Mexican since 2006. His wry, poignant humor of Indians without eyes pokes fun at both the white man and the Indians.
Ricardo follows the ways of his Kewa Pueblo heritage and teaches on the reservation. Actor Wes Studi says, “Caté’s cartoons serve to remind us there is always a different point of view or laughing at everyday scenes of home life where Indian kids act just like their brethren of different races. ‘Without Reservations’ is always thought-provoking, whether it makes you laugh, smirk, or just enjoy the diversity of thought to be found in Indian Country.”
Related
link