Logan to fulfill childhood dream in New York fashion show

By Nicole Montesano

Smoke Signals staff writer

Modeling Native-designed clothing in one of the fashion shows making up the New York Fashion Week in New York City is a childhood dream of Tribal member Auburn Logan – and this month it is coming true.

Logan teared up as she thought about what it would have meant to her as a child to see a Native woman showcasing fashion, rather than an endless parade of people who did not look like her.

“It’s very healing for me,” she said. “I loved watching movies and TV when I was a kid. … I never saw anyone, especially a woman, who looked like me. It made me confused about my identity. It led to an identity crisis and I was really struggling to figure out who I was, because I didn’t see anyone who looked like me in movies, television, entertainment and fashion.”

Now, not only will she be modeling, she said, but she won’t be the only one there: Several Native artists and models will be represented.

“It just shows you how far we’ve gotten in the media in the last 10 years,” she said.

Fashion has always been important to Logan.

“I expressed myself through fashion,” she said. “It made me feel confident, beautiful.”

Part of the appeal was that she could simply change her clothing and makeup when she didn’t like something or wanted a new look. “It’s a way of expressing yourself, of seeing what fits you best,” she said.

As a young adult, she began exploring the world of clothing and makeup, finding and following Native designers on Instagram and then setting out to join that world.

Last summer, she traveled to Santa Fe, New Mexico, to model in the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts Native Fashion Show.

 She said she was shocked when she saw that a favorite designer had chosen her for New York Fashion Week, which will run from Wednesday, Feb. 5 to Tuesday, Feb. 11. Logan said she has received numerous custom-made items of clothing and jewelry to wear while she is in New York and looks forward to providing exposure for the Indigenous artists who presented them to her.

“This is a very big fashion event, so having Indigenous representatives in one of these big events around the world is a very big deal,” she said.

Logan will be modeling for Shoshoni Hostler, an enrolled member of the Yurok Tribe, who runs a small business, Nar Rew Ekar, designing clothing that mixes contemporary style with traditional clothing. Her show will be presented at 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 8, in Sony Hall at Times Square.

“She’s a powerhouse, and I’m just grateful I was selected to represent her and her clothes for Fashion Week,” Logan said.

The lineup will also include Native model Skylar Evans.

“It’s really cool, because all the models she selected are Native,” Logan said.

She said she’s particularly drawn to Hostler’s clothing line because in addition to the style of contemporary blended with traditional, “She works with bear grass, abalone and dentalia, which I’m drawn to,” Logan said. “She creates couture pieces that take hours to make.”

Hostler is from a coastal Tribe, Logan noted, saying, “I just gravitate to it. It’s beautiful, intricate work.”

She said she hopes to inspire young Native people growing up today by allowing them to see someone who does look like them and who reflects their culture and values.