Here's a story posted in ASU's State Press Magazine about the upcoming fashion show to be held this Thursday:
Woven Together By Noemi Gonzalez
As far back as history shows us, the manner of decorating oneself has served a greater purpose. The style a person chooses, like the adage says about images, paints a thousand words.
In Arizona, Native Americans of distinct tribal groups have provided a rich tapestry of art and culture in fashion, which enriches and embellishes the state’s history.
At Arizona State University, Native American fashion is giving rise to a new brand of historical and contemporary art intended to break preconceived stereotypes about Native people.
On April 19, the American Indian Graduate Student Association (AIGSA), which has been around since the early 1990s, will be presenting their second fashion show featuring Native American student designers and models, taking place on Hayden Lawn on ASU’s Tempe campus.
This year’s theme is “Our Past, Our Present Woven Together: Honoring Our Native Women in Fashion,” and its purpose is to showcase how Native women derive their strength from tribal culture, values and traditions.
“These artists are not creating their designs to appeal to the mass, tourist market. They are trying to appeal to an unknowledgeable public who might still view Native Americans in a stereotypical perspective,” says Gerard Begay — an ASU alum, current member of AIGSA at ASU and head of the Fashion Committee within AIGSA — when asked about the difference between tourist art and their art via email.
The show is one of AIGSA’s signature events and is open to both women and men alike. There will be special appearances by Miss Indian ASU Mykhal Mendoza and Miss Navajo Nation Crystalyne Curley along with Miss Phoenix and Miss Indian Arizona.
Click here to read the full article.