In a moment that merged politics, fashion, and Indigenous sovereignty, former U.S. Secretary of the Interior and current New Mexico gubernatorial candidate Deb Haaland walked the runway today during Native Fashion Week Santa Fe (NFWSF). Her appearance, wearing Michelle Luna in the Native Max Magazine Mini Fashion Show, was both a statement and a celebration—a visual assertion that Indigenous creativity is not only beautiful, but powerful, political, and foundational to the American story.
Haaland, a member of the Pueblo of Laguna and the highest-ranking Native official in U.S. history, walked in a look by Michelle Luna who is a proud Dine’ (Navajo) from Northern New Mexico, specifically from the Bitterwater (Todich’i’nil) and Redhouse (Kinlichiini) Clans, during the Native Max Magazine runway show, co-hosted by Founder, Kelly Holmes a Cheyenne River Sioux and Amber-Dawn Bear Robe, founder and director of Native Fashion Week Santa Fe.
Native Fashion Week Santa Fe is in its inaugural year. It showcases over 30+ Indigenous designers from 25 different Nations across North America, with talent traveling as far as Japan and London to celebrate the momentous week. With 20 fashion shows over the course of two days, the celebration of Indigenous American fashion has never been more prominent and important.
With the current climate around import and export, including conversations focused on American Fashion, it’s important to recognize their influence across popular American fashion and that Indigenous peoples are the original couturiers. Traditional Indigenous Regalia is not only bespoke and beautiful but purposeful, with the meaning of one’s individual identity tied to each detail, including colors, use of fabrics, patterns, and more. This can be seen in the clothing worn by former Secretary Haaland by Michelle Luna.
“That wasn’t representation—it was power, by design,” said Amber-Dawn Bear Robe, Founder and Curator of Native Fashion Week Santa Fe. “This is how we build a fashion eco-system that reflects who we are and who decides what matters.”
Native Fashion Week Santa Fe is fashion at its most intentional. The vision turned into structure, with Indigenous designers leading global conversations through couture, streetwear, and textile innovation. It is cultural brilliance made material—precise, provocative, and rooted in generations of design, land, and leadership. NFWSF is where fashion moves with purpose and where power is designed, worn, and seen.
“Walking today was a celebration,” said Deb Haaland. “From the designs to the movement to the crowd—every detail spoke to the brilliance of our people. Native Fashion Week isn’t a trend. It’s a force. And being part of it—among artists who carry so much vision and fire—was unforgettable.”
Designers like Apache Skateboards, led by artist Douglas Miles, brought graphic streetwear rooted in resistance and skate culture. Dorothy Grant showed refined minimalism shaped by Haida traditions. Ayimach_Horizons blended color and futurism into the wearable story. ASEP Designs turned geometry into movement, while Nonamey offered edge and elegance through tightly curated capsule collections. Rising voices like The Son of Picasso and Ocean Kiana pushed streetwear into new territory, while Rebecca Baker anchored the week’s closing day with a multi-generational vision. Together, these designers reshaped what fashion can carry—and who it’s built for.
ABOUT NATIVE FASHION WEEK SANTA FE
Native Fashion Week Santa Fe is the premier showcase for Indigenous design, uniting over 30 visionary designers and 100+ models from across North America. Founded by Amber-Dawn Bear Robe, the event transforms the historic Santa Fe Railyard Arts District into an international stage where couture, innovation, and visionary design collide.
Instagram: @nativefashionweeksantafe Founder: @amberdawngold
