Indigenous fashion designer struts designs at Paris Fashion Week
By Stephanie Muñiz
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ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico (KOAT) — One indigenous fashion designer is taking her designs to the world stage at Paris Fashion Week.
Sage Mountainflower has been making traditional pueblo outfits for more than 20 years. The designer hopes her styles, help highlight indigenous culture.
She says she started because of her kids “to participate in the Pueblo traditions and our ceremonies there, as well as in powwows.”
Slowly she learned sewing and beadwork. Now, her designs are making their way around the world.
Mountainflower said, “We’ve been doing this for generations, you know, and we all have unique styles.”
Earlier this month, Mountainflower took her own models to experience fashion week firsthand.
“I was very much in disbelief because I never thought I would be going to Paris, like not even on a trip, but to go model there,” model Kaylynn Gallegos said.
One of the collections represents a specific New Mexico pueblo.
Mountainflower said, “Phendi in our language, in the table language means black. So everything I did was black, but that’s like who I come from in Ohkay Owingeh and Tewa people in northern New Mexico.”
The collections are a way of keeping pueblo culture alive.
“Who I am as a Tewa woman, as a Pueblo woman,” Mountainflower.
Model Anistacia Aragon said, “I felt like people really loved it because Sage’s clothing is really traditional, but it’s also not traditional at the same time. And she has things ranging from rags to beautiful dresses that are beaded.”
The models say they are proud to be a representation of the culture.
Gallegos said, “I’m so proud to be where I’m from and proud to be from New Mexico.”
Aragon added, “It’s such an honor to be able to represent New Mexico and the indigenous people of New Mexico.”
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