Review of Native Fashion Now: North American Indian Style, Reviewed May 2016 by Amy De Simone, Research Associate, College of Human Ecology, Kansas State University, amydesimone@gmail.com

Amy De Simone

Humanities Commons

ARLIS/NA Reviews ISSN 2374-4723 | arlisna.org/arlisna-reviews The latest in art publishing, reviewed by art information professionals and published on a bimonthly basis.   This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, PO Box 1866, Mountain View, CA 94042, USA. Native Fashion Now: North American Indian Style by Karen Kramer. Peabody Essex Museum; DelMonico, November 2015. 144 p. ill. ISBN 9783791354699 (cl.), $49.95.  Reviewed May 2016 Amy De Simone, Research Associate, College of Human Ecology, Kansas State University, amydesimone@gmail.com  Accompanying the exhibition Native Fashion Now, the first extensive traveling exhibition of modern fashion representing indigenous North American designers, this book honors contemporary Native American fashion throughout the past sixty-five years. As Curator of Native American Art and Culture at the Peabody Essex Museum for over twenty years, Kramer is clearly well versed in her field. This text fills a gap present in the formal literature about contemporary Native American fashion since the publication of Native American Fashions: Modern Adaptations of Traditional Designs by Margaret Wood in 1981.  By showcasing the works and backgrounds of dozens of Native American artists, Kramer reveals the ongoing evolution of Native artists choosing to use fashion as a vehicle for individual, social, and cultural expression while respecting cultural tradition and values. She stresses the diversity that exists among Native Americans of different tribal and mixed backgrounds and their collective efforts to break down stereotypes surrounding American Indian apparel.  In accordance with the exhibit, the book categorizes artists into four defined groups: Pathbreakers, Revisitors, Activators, and Provacateurs. Textual contributions from three field experts provide astute details about selected exhibit pieces. Brief insights into the work of most artists are given, and quotes from a handful are also included.  Full page, high quality, color photographs comprise the majority of this book. Reproductions are visually stunning and the captions are thoroughly informative. Dust jacket photos are eye-ARLIS/NA Reviews ISSN 2374-4723 | arlisna.org/arlisna-reviews The latest in art publishing, reviewed by art information professionals and published on a bimonthly basis.   This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, PO Box 1866, Mountain View, CA 94042, USA. catching, and the book's coffee table size is fitting. The thick, glossy pages and a solidly stitched binding result in a durable, high-quality volume. In addition to photography credits, Kramer has included a selected bibliography for additional research leads and a comprehensive index that allows the reader to access information from a variety of angles.  Appropriate for all audiences, the text is well written and logically organized. It would be an excellent reference piece for anyone researching Native American fashion, fashion collaborations, the use of cultural symbols in fashion, or stylistic evolution in Native arts. Moreover, this book belongs in all academic libraries providing resources for students in Native American studies or art and design.   

Native Fashion Now: North American Indian Style

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Native Fashion Now: North American Indian Style

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