Native/American Fashion: Inspiration, Appropriation and Cultural Identity - Creative Collaborations

Summary: Native/American Fashion: Inspiration, Appropriation, and Cultural Identity explores fashion as a creative endeavor and an expression of cultural identity, the history of Native fashion, issues of problematic cultural appropriation in the field, and examples of creative collaborations and best practices between Native designers and fashion brands. In this segment, we hear from the second panelist to speak on the topic Creative Collaborations, artist and designer Douglas Miles. Douglas Miles (San Carlos Apache/Akimel O’odham) fuses bold, graffiti-inspired graphics with Apache iconography and language. Years ago he painted his first skateboard, for his son. His brand, Apache Skateboards—the first Native-owned skateboard company—grew from that deck, and soon it included a line of streetwear. In 2009–10, Miles collaborated with the internationally popular sportswear brand Volcom. His designs for Volcom’s Stone-Age line of clothing and accessories brought Apache design to contemporary skate culture. His mission is to empower Native youth and highlight social issues that confront their communities today.