American Indian fashion show with a traditional twist
"Fresh, relevant and a little bit sexy" is how Karen Kramer, the Peabody Essex Museum's curator of Native American and Oceanic art and culture, describes its latest exhibit, "Native Fashion Now." The museum's collection of Native American artifacts is the oldest in this hemisphere and is one of the most important of its kind. Going beyond the present collection, this new full scale exhibition chronicles contemporary Native American fashions prompting reflection on cultural identity, politics and commerce.
The nearly 100 vibrant pieces reflect the history of Native Sovereignties in the U.S. and Canada in addition to the uniquely progressive ideations of each contributor. Atypical of Native American exhibits, 85 percent of the work represented is from living artists. As Kramer says, these artists are pioneering Native style-makers going beyond buckskin, fringe and feathers. Their work expands on tradition with the confidence to interpret culture in a cutting edge, sometimes provocative way.
