Santa Fe Native Fashion Week 2025: A Dazzling Celebration of Indigenous Innovation

This past weekend, Santa Fe, New Mexico, transformed into a vibrant epicenter of Indigenous style as the city hosted its second annual Native Fashion Week. What began as a passionate grassroots event has quickly become one of North America’s most anticipated showcases for Indigenous designers, artists, and storytellers. Across the city, runways, galleries, and pop-ups buzzed with creativity, pride, and a sense of community that was as palpable as the desert sun.

A design by Ayimach Horizons

A City Draped in Culture and Couture

Santa Fe Native Fashion Week is rapidly emerging as a must-see event, drawing stylish crowds from across the continent. Over 50 Indigenous designers presented their latest collections, each one a bold fusion of heritage and innovation. Attendees arrived in their finery: flowing gowns, intricate beadwork, dentalium shell necklaces, and statement earrings that glinted in the New Mexico light. The city itself became a living canvas, alive with color, texture, and tradition.

A design by Dorothy Grant

The Runway: Tradition Reimagined

At the heart of the event were runway shows that celebrated the tension-and harmony-between ancestral craft and contemporary design. Legendary Haida designer Dorothy Grant captivated audiences with hand-appliquéd coats and dresses, each piece a tribute to Northwest Coast formline art. Pamela Baker, another West Coast icon, delivered bold silhouettes and intricate beadwork, while Navajo designer Penny Singer’s collection of ribbon shirts and appliquéd jackets burst with vibrant color and cultural storytelling.

Indian Market favorite Lauren Good Day presented a collection of printed dresses and jackets featuring her signature ledger art. “It was my interpretation of a neutral yet bold palette-earth tone ledger florals on silks, organic cottons, and tencel,” Good Day explained, her garments reflecting both tradition and a distinctly modern sensibility.

A design by Alex Vigil Apparel

Material as Message

The SWAIA shows leaned into tradition, with designers like Randi Nelson crafting fitted gowns and vests from home-tanned hides in natural shades. “Home-tanned hide is a material of wealth, and this collection challenges what luxury means,” Nelson shared. The monochrome palette placed the focus squarely on texture and craftsmanship.

Vina Brown of Copper Canoe Woman blurred the lines between jewelry and sculpture, creating intricate body chains from laser-cut acrylics, abalone, and dentalium shells. “I love to mix modern materials and mediums with traditional materials,” Brown said, drawing inspiration from Potlatch regalia and her ancestors’ ingenuity.

A design by Emme Studio

Playful Luxury: The Beaded Birkin

A highlight of the week was the runway debut of Adrian Stevens and Sean Snyder, who paired sleek black looks with “Birkin bags” beaded on traditional hides. These playful, luxurious pieces-modeled after the iconic Hermès silhouette-sparked conversations about cultural adaptation, luxury, and the power of reclaiming fashion narratives.

A design by Lesley Hampton

Community and Upliftment

Santa Fe Native Fashion Week is about more than fashion-it’s about community, empowerment, and celebration. The event’s spirit was perhaps best captured when former U.S. Secretary of the Interior and current New Mexico gubernatorial candidate Deb Haaland made a surprise runway appearance for designer Patricia Michaels, to the delight of the crowd.

A design by Pacha Indigenous Art Collection

The Future of Indigenous Fashion

With only two years under its belt, Santa Fe Native Fashion Week is already shaping the future of Indigenous fashion. As more designers, artists, and storytellers join the movement, the event promises to grow in scale and influence, offering the world a front-row seat to Indigenous creativity and excellence.

 

Santa Fe’s runways are more than just stages-they are sacred spaces where memory, artistry, and cultural pride converge. If this year’s event is any indication, the future of Indigenous fashion is not just bright-it’s brilliant.

A design by Penny Singer