The Native Star Light Fashion Show at Fashion Week Minnesotawill feature couture and streetwear designs from the fashion houses of I Am Anishinaabe, of the Leech Lake Band in Onigum, Minnesota, Osamuskwasis, of the Cree Nation in Alberta, Canada and Lauren Good Day of the Mandan, Hidasta/Arikara Nations of Fort Berthold, North Dakota. Dalina White, organizer of the event and designer behind I Am Anishinaabe, spoke with KAXE's Katie Carter and shared the details about what makes this an important and unprecedented event.
Part of White's mission for planning this event is to create opportunities for Native people in the fashion world. Native culture will be threaded through every detail of the event, and that starts with the models showcasing the night's couture. "It's exclusively Native models because there is not any opportunity for us to show ourselves," White said.
But it takes more than just models to put on a fashion show, and White sought to bring in Native people for all the production and artistic elements as well. "The hair, the makeup, the styling, the staging, the lights and music, the table arrangements, the food. Everything that goes into it, if I can find a Native person in that area I will put them in there."
Catering for the event will be provided by Wild Bearies, a catering and community outreach group out of Wisconsin Dells. Executive Chef and Founder of Wild Bearies is Elena Terry of the Ho-Chunk Nation, and the group's mission is to bring ancestral foods to communities in a nurturing and nourishing way. "Elena Terry works with indigenous foods and culinary arts," White said. "I love her mission and I'm so glad she can be a part of a project like this."
The music for the evening will be provided by Corey Medina and Brothers. Corey Medina from the Great Deserts of the Dine' Nation in Shiprock, NM and his band out of Bemidji, MN will play their blues/rock sound as they set out to spread light to dark, and hope to the hopeless with their raw, soulful, intimate music and stage presence.
White is especially proud to offer a real glimpse into the world of fashion for the models and others who will make this event possible. "I took a couple of my models down to Minneapolis for a photo shoot sponsored by Fashion Week Minnesota so we could be a part of the 'Look Book'. It's a book that gives a look or two of what each designer will be showing. Last year I sent in photos, but this year I want it to be an experience, so I took my models down there so they could experience it all."
What's it like behind the scenes? Carter asked White. "It's crazy fun and highly stressful. I said to someone at the photo shoot 'I'm tired, I barely slept.' and someone said 'Nobody slept! It's fashion week!' But with all that stress you will come alive and you will blossom. Here we go!"
For information about the "Native Star Light" event, including how to get tickets, click here.
