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Jamie Okuma, More Than a Native Designer

This weekend, more than 1,000 people will attend the Southwestern Association for American Indian Arts Fashion Shows, which have become hot tickets at the juried, 101-year-old Santa Fe Indian Market.

Many guests will be wearing clothing by Jamie Okuma, one of the show’s biggest draws, whose colorful kimono jackets, sheath dresses and blouses in parfleche, basket, shell and beadwork prints are collectors items that can sell out within 15 minutes of dropping on her website.

“No wallflowers allowed, only wild ones. Big color, bold graphics using digital imagery of native vegetation photographed from home on the La Jolla Indian Reservation.” That’s how the Luiseno, Shoshone-Bannock, Wailaki, and Okinawan artist/fashion designer describes her new collection, including a chic dark denim shirtdress and Italian viscose blazer inspired by traditional animal hide silhouettes, and a cozy bamboo knit hoodie dress with elk teeth shaped zipper pulls symbolizing wealth and fertility.

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