Fashion Designers

Mandy Brown continues to weave cedar-root baskets, and gather and prepare traditional Nlha7kápmx foods. Trained as a seamstress at the residential school, she married and helped her husband run their ranch, was active in Native political organizations, raised a family, and became one of her community's first social and child care workers. She continues to sew for her family, and especially for her grandchildren, who proudly model her clothes at local fashion shows. Her work is featured in the Ranching section of this exhibit.

Jackie Colombe was born and raised in New Town, North Dakota. She now makes her home in Mission, South Dakota, where she ranches with her husband, designs clothing for men and women, and organizes western-clothing fashion shows. 1994 Indian National Finals Rodeo princess modelling one of Jackie's creations at the fashion show held in conjunction with the 1995 Indian National Finals Rodeo, Rapid City, South Dakota.

Patricia Piche at her booth at the Indian National Finals Rodeo in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, 1996.

Carol Healy Mason has been designing clothes since the early 1970s. Her award-winning beadwork designs have been displayed at the Calgary Stampede since 1974. Following her studies at the Form and Function School of Design, she made the transition from Native-style clothes to current market designs. In 1987, when the organizers of the Calgary Olympics invited her to do pre-Olympic shows in Calgary to promote her fashions, she began combining Native and current designs. She was subsequently hired by the Calgary Stampede Board to organize fashion shows, booths and displays of Native clothing. In 1994, Carol moved to Phoenix, Arizona, where she worked for Navajo Textiles, and in 1997 she returned to specialty work.

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Introduction | Fashion Designers | Leatherworkers and Saddlemakers | Silversmiths and Bit and Spur Makers | Photographers | Livelihood

SACRED BEINGS | RANCHING | ENTERTAINMENT | RODEO | ARTS AND INDUSTRIES