I am completely inspired by the Portland Art Museum‘s current exhibition, Native Fashion Now. It not only inspired me, but it captured the attention of my 11-year old son, whose idea of a good time normally does not include wandering through museums.

Native Fashion Now is the first large-scale traveling exhibition of contemporary Native American fashion. It runs the gamut from skate/street fashion to haute couture, including jewelry and other accessories. What struck me immediately was how many of the artists melded traditional materials and imagery with contemporary design.

Bethany Yellowtail’s (Crow/Northern Cheyenne) piece does just that. She used elk teeth to line the seam of this stunning dress. Her flying geese dress (above) was beautiful as well.

Orlando Dugi’s (Navajo) dress and head piece, which included black feathers and porcupine quills, reminded me of some of Alexander McQueen’s dramatic fashion I saw in London last year.

Lisa Telford’s (Haida) woven cedar bark dress with leather fringe was remarkable in its elegant simplicity and unexpected materials.

I loved the jewelry and accessories for their beautiful details. At first I thought Keri-Ataumbi’s (Kiowa) mussel necklace was cast from real mussel shells, but she actually made the beads using a hydraulic press, etching tools, and a soldering iron.

One of the show stoppers was this pair of beaded boots by Jamie Okuma (Luiseño and Shoshone-Bannock). She uses only antique beads in her work for their rich color and structural integrity.

Niio-Perkins’ (Akwesasne Mohawk) embroidered purse was a gem.

Winifred Nungak (Inuit) has fun with turning the traditional Inuit look on its head with her pink fur lined hood.

Jared Yazzie (Navajo) created some thought provoking graphic tees.

Donna Karan teamed up with Virgil Ortiz (Cochiti Pueblo) to create a Native-inspired collection.

Louie Gong (Nooksak and Squamish) took a Sharpie to decorate his own pair of Chuck Taylors one day. He calls these Wolf Chucks.

Tommy Joseph’s (Tlingit) printed suit is a remarkable re-interpretation of traditional Tlingit designs.

There is so much more to see in the exhibit, well worth the visit!