Where Culture Meets Couture: Native Fashion Week Santa Fe 2025 Sets the Stage for a New Era in Design
- New Mexico Entertainment
- 19 hours ago
- 3 min read
In the heart of Santa Fe's Railyard Arts District, a cultural movement is preparing to take center stage. From May 8 to 11, 2025, Native Fashion Week Santa Fe (NFWSF) will make its highly anticipated debut, bringing together more than 30 Indigenous designers and over 100 models in a four-day celebration of creativity, identity, and empowerment. But this isn't just a fashion event - it's a statement. This event a bold, unapologetic reclaiming of space in an industry long dominated by extractive systems and cultural appropriation.
At the forefront is Amber-Dawn Bear Robe, a curator, educator, and fierce advocate for Indigenous representation in the arts. A member of the Siksika Nation, Bear Robe has spent more than a decade building platforms that elevate Indigenous designers beyond token appearances. From curating the groundbreaking Fashioning Indigenous Futurism at the Getty Museum to earning the 2023 Canadian Arts and Fashion Changemaker Award, her work has shaped a global conversation. Now, she's shifting the spotlight to Santa Fe.
"We could have these designers go to New York or Paris," Bear Robe says, "but I want the industry to come here—on our territory, in our realm. Native Fashion Week is where Indigenous design claims its rightful place, grounded in heritage, and impossible to ignore."
NFWSF is more than a stage for runway shows. It's a national platform rooted in self-representation, cultural authority, and economic strategy. The event's mission is to transform visibility into value and presence into power. It aims to create a long-term impact by centering authenticity, supporting creative control, and building an ecosystem where Indigenous artists can thrive on their terms.
The lineup speaks to that power. Designers like Orlando Dugi, Lesley Hampton, Korina Emmerich, Lauren Good Day, and Apache Skateboards x Douglas Miles will showcase work ranging from intricate couture to revolutionary streetwear. Each collection brings not only aesthetic brilliance but also deep cultural storytelling—stories that have too often been borrowed without credit.
"Indigenous designers are not emerging—they are leading," Bear Robe emphasizes. "Their work isn't about fitting into existing molds. It's about breaking them and building new platforms entirely."
This leadership extends far beyond the runway. NFWSF includes industry panels with figures such as Steven Kolb, CEO of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, and fashion designer Jamie Okuma. Special appearances by Ashley Callingbull and actor Jessica Matten add star power, while championship hoop dancer ShanDien Sonwai LaRance will open the runway shows with dynamic cultural performances.
Complementing these events is a fashion film festival at Violet Crown Cinema and a VIP fashion kickoff aboard the Sky Railway, creating an immersive experience reflecting the depth and dynamism of Indigenous creativity.
Beyond the artistic scope, Native Fashion Week Santa Fe is designed to make a tangible economic impact. The event brings in the national press, buyers, and fashion media, generating revenue for local businesses and creating paid work for stylists, production crews, and logistics teams. By working with Indigenous-led partners and institutions like SWAIA, Blue Rain Gallery, and NDN Collective, the week supports a sustainable, community-driven model - scalable and collaborative.
"In a time when public support for inclusive programming is being scaled back, we're offering an alternative path," Bear Robe says. "This is not a representation that waits for permission. It's built from within."
Native Fashion Week Santa Fe isn't just rewriting the rules of fashion. It's asserting that Indigenous design has always been foundational. And now, it's leading the future.
For more information, visit www.nativefashionweeksantafe.com or follow @nativefashionweeksantafe on Instagram.