After significant expansion in 2022, the Annual Kananesgi Fashion Show is returning to Harrah’s Cherokee Casino and Resort for two days of world-class Indigenous arts and fashion. All events will be held in the Harrah’s Casino & Resort Event Center.
This format will highlight the Kananesgi Art Market held from 1-6 p.m. on Saturday, November 4th, and the Legendary Creatures of Cherokee-themed Art Competition taking place from 1-7:30 p.m. The marketplace will feature 30+ EBCI artists and makers who will be selling and demoing their work. The competition highlights Eastern Band Cherokee artists and makers, awarding over $68,000 in prize money in over 29 art categories. The Art Market and Art Show are EBCI exclusive for participants but open to the public for viewing.
At 5:30 pm, a VIP reception will precede the marquee event Kananesgi Fashion Show (6:30 pm). Models will take to the runway, showcasing custom designs by both EBCI designers and special guest Cherokee Nation designer Kenny Glass. Designs feature original and traditional patterns for children and adults alike. They bring a Cherokee perspective to contemporary fashion for both day and evening wear. Day two (November 5th) will open with a VIPs Only Trunk Show from 10-11 a.m. that will then be open to the general public from 11 a.m. to noon. This will provide an opportunity for the public to purchase directly from designers many of the pieces and fabrics gracing the stage the evening before.
The Kananesgi Art Market and Fashion Show is a collaboration between the Sequoyah Fund and the Ray Kinsland Leadership Institute serves as a platform for artists and designers to express their creativity, receive professional and business development training, increase workforce development, and empower EBCI citizens to learn about and express their unique identity as Cherokee people. The November event is sponsored by the Cherokee Preservation Foundation, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, Harrah’s Scholarship Fund, Harrah’s Cherokee Casinos, Cherokee Central Schools, and The Center for Native Health.
