Early Saturday morning, just as the sun was rising and the 2024 Santa Fe Indian Market was kicking off in New Mexico, serious collectors were already stationed outside of their favorite artists' booths, hoping to score a piece of their work. Spanning over two days, the annual outdoor market features hundreds of booths, where patrons can peruse the new works of over 1,000 Indigenous artisans from across North America—including jewelry, textiles, fine art, pottery, and more. The annual event , now in its 102nd year, continues to be one of the city’s most popular attractions, drawing an international crowd of serious collectors to Santa Fe (with their wallets in tow).
This isn’t your average market, after all: It features some of the most renowned contemporary Indigenous artists in the world , all of whom are carrying forward their cultural craftwork and traditions in new, innovative ways. By noon, many artists were completely sold out. The excitement around this year’s market was certainly palpable.
On both Saturday and Sunday, the booths on Santa Fe Plaza were swarmed with a steady flow of foot traffic; You had to battle your way to some of Indian Country’s most popular showcasing artists. (Celebrities were even in the mix, too. Spotted in the crowds were stars like Zahn Mcclarnon, Wes Studi, and Jennifer Tilly, who walked away with a new beaded Sandra Okuma bag.
) Highlights included the striking turquoise jewelry from Nanibaa Beck ; The vibrant appliquéd shirts from Navajo designer Penny Singer; The “ beaded Birkin bag ” from the two-spirit couple Adrian Matthias Stevens and Sean Snyder ; The sleek silver and steel rings and cuffs from Cody Sanderson and Pat Pruitt ; The carved wood sculptures from Randy Brokeshoulder ; The colorful ribbon skirts from Natasha Brokeshoulder ; and the fur parkas and hats from Arctic Luxe . The mixture of artists beautifully showcased the diversity of traditions and customs within the Indigenous community, proving Native design doesn’t have to—nor should it—look one way. The art pieces in the booths were head-turning—and so were the street style looks that shoppers wore to browse them in.
It’s no secret that half the fun of Indian Market is dressing up and showcasing your personal style. Patrons dressed to impress by bringing forward their best ribbon skirts, beaded medallions, suede moccasins, turquoise squash blossom necklaces, and brimmed hats. It’s hard not to get inspired by the way Indigenous youth style themselves; Many chose to mix traditional pieces—like dentalium necklaces or elk ivory bracelets—with modern accents like ripped jeans or satin gym shorts.
The annual SWAIA Indigenous Fashion Show, meanwhile—a main attraction of Indian Market weekend—took place on Sunday afternoon. This year’s presentation was opened by a special performance from the Black Eyed Peas’s Taboo, and featured the new collections of five contemporary designers: Jamie Okuma , Lauren Good Day , Adrian Standing Elk Pinnecoose , Caroline Monnet , and Jontay Kahm . For the first time ever, a European luxury fashion house also hit the SWAIA catwalk: Balmain showed an edited assortment of looks from its fall 2024 collection , worn by Indigenous models such as Phillip Bread .
The collections ranged from graphic streetwear to ornate formal attire. Opening the show was a new assortment of cool, graphic pieces from Jamie Okuma, which were all about her signature print work. “This collection included everything thats been living in my head over the past six months,” says Okuma.
“The florals were drawn from the ones surrounding my studio, and I did some contemporary interpretations of Parfleche design.” Next up was Lauren Good Day, who enlisted a star-studded cast to model her new elk ivory-printed wrap dresses and bomber jackets (actor Amber Midthunder , singer Tia Woods , and artist Naiomi Glasses all made cameos). “I really wanted to represent our community,” says Good Day.
“I create first and foremost for our own people, and I wanted them to feel represented; I also wanted to highlight movers and shakers within Indian Country.” Adrian Standing Elk Pinnecoose, a notable jeweler at Asep Designs , debuted two statement gowns; Both featured 3-D printing that drew from the patterns of traditional Navajo textiles. Caroline Monnet created voluminous silhouettes made out of materials such as construction plastic, Tyvek, and pink wall insulation.
“All of the pieces are made with building materials, which I use in my visual arts practice,” says Monnet, who marked her first time doing a runway clothing collection. “This collection was all about building a future together for the next seven generations.” Closing the show was Jontay Kahm, who wowed the crowd with his theatrical evening looks made of beads and feathers.
“ Ethereal Realms was about war and the concept of the American silhouette, like jeans and a t-shirt,” says Kahm of the collection. “There was a lot of separates—I wanted it to be more wearable, but still Jontay.” As Indian Market grows and grows, the annual event continues to the bar of what Indigenous excellence can be—and it’s now not just an August-only affair, either.
In May of next year, SWAIA Native Fashion Week —now in its second year—will feature some of the market’s top artists on the runway. Meaning, the eclectic street style scene and groundbreaking designs will soon be making a return. Set those calendars.
Below, more looks from the fashion show..
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