Amber-Dawn Bear Robe was behind the moments when the show reached a crescendo, the lighted runway propelling a steady stream of models in Native fashion, with Navajo ribbon shirts and other bold looks holding audiences in awe.
Even then, the accomplished producer of such marvels was acutely aware of ticket costs for shows at the inaugural Native Fashion Week and what she calls censorship.
To hear her tell it, lingerie was forbidden on the runway by leaders of the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts, the organization that launched the nation’s first Indigenous fashion week in May 2024.
Dakota Beavers, a model for Penny Singer, walks the catwalk at the Santa Fe Community Convention Center in May during SWAIA Native Fashion Week, the nation’s first Indigenous fashion week. This year will include two simultaneous Native fashion weeks.
Amber-Dawn Bear Robe stands for a portrait with her dog Vegas at the Santa Fe Railyard on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025. She is kicking off her own Native Fashion Week in the Railyard in May — the same time SWAIA will hold its second annual event.
Cole Forrest, a model for House of Sutai, on the catwalk during a May show at the inaugural SWAIA Native Fashion Week at the Santa Fe Community Convention Center.