INDIGENOUS FASHION

Christian Reid Miron

Dr. Quintero

Eng 304

April 16th, 2025

Deven Tso:

Hi Dev! Thank you so much for taking the time to do this. My plan for my presentation is to talk about Indigenous influence within art itself (music, culture, etc) before transitioning into fashion. I'm going to introduce you and show some of your work, talk about Forge, and then talk about some of the answers you gave. Answer the questions however you'd like, don't feel like you have to say certain things. Your work speaks for itself but a lot of the other students in my class are English majors and don’t have much exposure to fashion in the way that you do, so I just want to be able to share a broader experience and perspective of fashion. If you have any questions or concerns for me feel free to text me.

Introduction questions first:

Q: How do you identify and where are you from?

A: he/him - I am from Phoenix, Arizona born & raised. About 90% Navajo and a little bit Hopi & Mexican

Q: What would you like to do with your degree?

A:I would love to intern or work for a bigger design house to learn more about hands on industry knowledge to eventually start my own design house.

Q: Do you have a speciality or focus within fashion? What areas of study interest you the most?

A: I am most interested in using my heritage as the foundation for my clothing. Translating Navajo (diné) history into garments to tell different stories, teaching the world about my culture and making interesting design accessible. An area of fashion that interests me the most is wearable technology. For example the brand I want to send my senior portfolio to is Noir Kei Ninomiya, which is a Japanese brand who is at the forefront of wearable technology. I am intrigued by this because for the construction of one garment you will need to incorporate science, engineering, & design.

Q: What initially drew you to utilizing fashion as a way of expressing yourself and your identity?

A: my favorite artist & musicians made their own clothes so I wanted to do the same. 

Q: “Forge” is deeply rooted in authenticity, creativity, and sustainability. How do those themes resonate with you as a designer, and why did you feel they were so important to be emphasized within the brand?

A: forge is my personal embodiment of someone I look up to from past experience. This specific person molds themselves into who they want to be based on their personal experience. This stems from different Navajo values of sticking to tradition & connecting with nature, mind, & body.

Q: How does you as a designer relate to you as a person? What messages do you want to consistently  highlight in your work?

A: I want people to know they can do it too. Yes the journey is hard but some people get their calling in different ways. If I can inspire the next person to do great or feel confident enough to do great things then I’ve done my job.

Q: On the Forge website, you state that “fashion is nothing but a mess”. How do you navigate that mess? How do you find your professors and your peers responding to your voice within fashion?

A: I navigate my mess by reacting to what I care about the most. Of course there are hierarchies of what’s really important (grades, health, family,etc.) but focusing on one thing at a time and starting early help me finish my ideas. In this industry there will be 1000’s of opinions thrown at your face. It is your job to filter those opinions and keep what sticks, depending on who is giving said opinion and how you feel towards said opinion.

Q: Our generation has been one that is especially vocal about changing the way things have been. What is one thing you'd like to change in the fashion industry?

A: I’d like to change the amount of natives in the industry. I can’t change the world but if I can let a few of my own kin into the field and grow I will (native or not). I would also like to take the voice back of Navajos and start a movement of appreciation.