Meet the Indigenous Women Transforming Fashion and Representation
Fashion has long borrowed from Indigenous cultures, but this Native American Heritage Month, we are honoring the women who are reclaiming the narrative.
Meet the designers — Jamie Okuma, Bethany Yellowtail, and Lesley Hampton — blending legacy with modern design, matriarchal power with bold expression, tradition with unapologetic trendsetting. From beadwork to runways, from storytelling to silhouettes, these creators are reminding the world: heritage isn’t a trend. It’s the original thread.
From Okuma’s stunning hand-beaded statement pieces to Hampton’s Indigenous-influenced fashionable runway looks, here are three outstanding designers who are leaving their culture’s mark in the fashion industry.
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Jamie Okuma
Okuma, a member of the Luiseño and Shoshone-Bannock, is known for hand-beaded statement pieces, custom shoes, and high-end ready-to-wear that blend contemporary fashion with Indigenous symbolism. Her pieces have appeared in major museums, proving fashion can be fine art. At the same time, Okuma’s work honors heritage through craftsmanship and unapologetic excellence, giving couture artistry meets Native luxury.
In September, she became the first Native American designer to showcase her designs on the main CFDA New York Fashion Week calendar. How’s that for making history?
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Bethany Yellowtail
Yellowtail, a member of the Crow & Northern Cheyenne Nation, is all about expressing activism as fashion. Through her brand B.Yellowtail and the B.Yellowtail Collective, she centers Indigenous identity and community. Her designs honor matriarchal power and storytelling — with each collection connecting back to women who lead and protect.
An example of this is on a recent post, where she praised the Apsaalooke Nation Lady Warriors for wearing her fabric and scarves, calling them “such powerful women.”
Lesley Hampton
Hampton, a member of the Anishinaabe and Temagami First Nation, is all about inclusivity and empowerment. She’s a leader in representation – and you can tell by her runway looks that merge Indigenous influences with modern all-body silhouettes. To date, her pieces have appeared at Toronto Fashion Week and on red carpets — proof that Indigenous women belong everywhere fashion is made.
Overall, Hampton redefines beauty as strength, identity, and inclusion. And we’re absolutely here for it!
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