Bethany Yellowtail Shows What Native American Fashion Looks Like

Crow/Northern Cheyenne designer Bethany Yellowtail was in February at the center of the cultural appropriation debate when the London-based label Kokon to Zai (KTZ), ripped off one of her designs for their Fall 2015 show at New York Fashion Week.

The ensuing controversy called to light the cultural kidnapping that goes on within the fashion industry. But the act did not hinder her process or slow her success, as B.Yellowtail continues to gain recognition for being a clothing brand that pays tributes to the legacy and memory of those who originally roamed this American countryside.

“That design I did comes from a bag that my great-grandmother made. I can’t even describe that feeling — here I am, trying to reclaim our voice and represent myself, and this designer acts as if [Native women] are not alive, like we can’t do this ourselves. It felt personal. It really lit a fire under me,” she told Mic.

After graduating from art school in Los Angeles, Yellowtail worked for various labels and designers before embarking on her first clothing line under her own brand – the Mighty Few, which is all about honoring the power of the supreme feminine.

Yellowtail took to her vision board before designing these pieces. By using old black-and-white photographs of her grandfather, Hawk with the Yellowtail Feather, and of her aunt performing a rare women’s warbonnet dance in the 1940s, she juxtaposed her family’s history and ceremonies with a unique style all her own. From intricate floral beadwork to Elk teeth lining the sleeves, B.Yellowtail is an attempt to pay honor to her Native upbringing while hipping the rest of the fashion industry to indigenous couture.

“For me this collection is my way of expressing the continuity of the people I come from, sharing an authentic indigenous perspective, and honoring the strength, beauty, and resilience of our women, in the best way I know how,” the designer told Indian Country.

And she doesn’t care if the fashion industry continues to mock and ignore the Native American fashion.

“I just want to do what’s inherent to me and do what my ancestors have always done: create beautiful, stunning, meaningful and purposeful wares. By utilizing authentic designs, traditional elements and combining them with my love for fashion, I simply want to create and express myself without anyone else defining who I am. I know who I am better than anyone else and what’s in mainstream fashion, specifically the “Native” inspired fashion, doesn’t reflect me or the people I come from. I want to be remembered for not being afraid to do that – and of course creating dope fashion!” she added.

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