Indigenous Fashion at NYFW

by Laura Niersbach

Image by Laura Niersbach, inspired by Jamie Okuma’s collection

The 2025 New York Fashion Week constituted a historic milestone for Indigenous designers. Jamie Okuma became the first Indigenous American included on the official CFDA calendar, while the inaugural Indigenous NYFW featured 25 creators from across the Americas (Allaire, 2025a; Nelson, 2025). These developments addressed longstanding patterns of underrepresentation and appropriation, foregrounded sustainable and community-driven practices, and positioned Indigenous voices as integral to contemporary fashion discourse (Allaire, 2025b; Khandwala, 2019). Collectively, they exemplify a broader movement toward the decolonization of design.

Jamie Okuma’s collection illustrated the potential of Indigenous designers to reclaim and reinterpret cultural motifs. Her prints, derived from personal photography of flowers and shells, translated natural elements into modern garments (Allaire, 2025b). Collaborations with Indigenous-owned companies such as Manitobah Mukluks further emphasized ethical and community-centered production (Allaire, 2025b). By asserting authorship and heritage, her work resisted the industry’s history of superficial appropriation of Indigenous aesthetics (Allaire, 2025a). Indigenous NYFW presented a wide spectrum of creative practices. These contributions demonstrated that Indigenous fashion is not monolithic but instead constitutes a diverse field where cultural expression intersects with aesthetic innovation and ethical production (Allaire, 2025a; Nelson, 2025).

Inclusivity emerged as a central principle in both casting and design decisions. Jontay Kahm’s all-Indigenous model lineup at Parsons MFA integrated Indigenous perspectives into the very structure of the presentation (Allaire, 2025a). Such practices extend beyond symbolic representation, aligning with decolonial frameworks that foreground systemic power relations and the lived experiences of marginalized communities (Khandwala, 2019).

In this context, decolonization within design must be understood as more than a commitment to diversity. It entails a fundamental critique of canonical notions of “good” design and of Western standards historically privileged in both education and industry (Khandwala, 2019). Indigenous designers operationalize these principles by redefining aesthetics, sustainability, and collaboration, while simultaneously addressing material sourcing, labour conditions, and the cultural significance of visual symbols (Allaire, 2025b; Nelson, 2025).

Ultimately, NYFW 2025 underscored that decolonizing fashion is an iterative and ongoing process. By centering heritage, ethical production, and representation, designers such as Okuma provided concrete models for structural transformation. These events demonstrate that visibility alone is insufficient; enduring change requires fundamental shifts in how the fashion industry credits, collaborates with, and recognizes Indigenous voices (Allaire, 2025a; Nelson, 2025; Khandwala, 2019). This moment therefore represents not only a celebration but also a call to action, demanding that inclusivity and sustainability be embedded at every level of design practice.

Image by Laura Niersbach

Bibliography:

Allaire, C. (2025a, September 16). At NYFW, Indigenous fashion stood out. Vogue. https://www.vogue.com/article/new-york-fashion-week-indigenous-designers

Allaire, C. (2025b, September 14). Native American designer Jamie Okuma makes a historic NYFW debut. Vogue. https://www.vogue.com/article/jamie-okuma-new-york-fashion-week-debut

Khandwala, A. (2019, June 5). What does it mean to decolonize design? AIGA Eye on Design. https://eyeondesign.aiga.org/what-does-it-mean-to-decolonize-design/

Nelson, K. (2025, September 12). Five designers to watch at the first-ever Indigenous New York Fashion Week. Elle. https://www.elle.com/runway/a66051604/designers-to-watch-indigenous-new-york-fashion-week-2025/

Bio:

Laura Niersbach is currently pursuing her Master of Arts in Fashion Management at AMD Akademie Mode & Design in Düsseldorf. She holds a BA in Linguistics from Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf and spent a semester abroad at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, gaining valuable international experience. During her internship at byMi GmbH & Co. KG, she gained hands-on experience in sales, project coordination, and customer relations, combining practical skills with her academic background.