This weekend, the 2023 Santa Fe Indian Market kicks off in New Mexico. The annual market—which is held in and around Santa Fe’s historic main plaza—serves as one of the city’s biggest attractions of the year; it’s where Indigenous artists of all backgrounds across North America come to sell their innovative works, including jewelry, textiles, pottery, and more. Even better yet, it’s also where the Indigenous Fashion Show is held, where leading contemporary Native designers such as Jamie Okuma and Orlando Dugi come to showcase their newest ready-to-wear and couture collections—all of which are built around the idea of modernizing their cultural design motifs and carrying them forward in new, exciting ways.
This year’s artist lineup at the market, which now celebrates its 101st anniversary, is certainly more diverse and plentiful than ever. In the booths, jewelry designers such as Keri Ataumbi, Robin Waynee, and Pat Pruitt will sell their striking new earrings, necklaces, and rings; On the catwalk, Indigenous streetwear brand Mobilize will debut its new unisex pieces, as will rising design talent Jontay Kahm, who specializes in sculptural, avant-garde couture. While taking in all of the design newness, be sure to take notice of the vibrant street style scene happening amongst the plaza. All of this sound too overwhelming to take in? Fret not: Vogue is rounding up the 21 thrilling artists to watch out for this year, below.
Jontay Kahm
The Plains Cree designer specializes in sculptural, avant-garde creations made out of traditional materials such as goose feathers and turkey quills.
Photo: Courtesy of @jontay_kahm
Ayimach Horizons
With his contemporary line, Ayimach Horizons, Cree-Métis designer Jason Baerg—who also does paintings and large-scale art installations—embraces colorful and print-heavy designs.