Native Love, a cultural preservation group for youth in Ignacio, hosted a fashion show and fundraiser for the second year in a row at the Southern Ute Cultural Center & Museum. Kristen Velasquez, an organizer with Native Love, emceed as about 20 kids and adults walked the runway in colorful dresses, fashionable streetwear, and sports uniforms.  

Traditional Indigenous fashion is tied to a sense of identity, family, and storytelling. Native Love’s fashion show goes beyond that. It allowed kids to express themselves freely, with traditional regalia, beadwork, or clothing with a modern flair. 

“Just giving the kids an outlet to express themselves in any type of way and giving them that space to do it without any judgment. I love it,” Velasquez said. 

O’olcu Buckskin organized the fashion show. She said this event gives kids a special way to express themselves. 

“Not everybody can do the powwow. Not everybody can do the beadwork. Some of us like fashion. Some of us maybe want to be a model. You don’t really have to say much. You just say it with your body language,” Buckskin said. 

Liana Daniels is an Indigenous fashion designer from Farmington, N.M. Young people showcased her skirts and dresses on the runway. 

“I never usually get to see people who purchase my things wear them. I don’t get to see it. I don’t see pictures. I got to see that today with my own eyes, and it almost made me tear up a little bit,” Daniels said. 

Native Love’s fashion show ended with an awards ceremony for the participants. Native Love plans to continue hosting its fashion show in the coming years. 

This story is part of Voices From the Edge of the Colorado Plateau, a reporting collaboration between KSUT Public Radio and KSJD Community Radio. It seeks to cover underrepresented communities in the Four Corners. The multi-year project covers Native, Indigenous, Latino/Latina, and other communities across southwest Colorado.