Across the globe, the fashion industry has been reevaluating its commitment to diversity and representation, and designers from Indigenous backgrounds are using their voices and their designs as vehicles for social change—and economic power. Among them are Indigenous designers Bethany Yellowtail, Loren Aragon, and Patricia Michaels, who recently participated in a panel discussion at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian. Their conversation centered on how fashion can serve as a catalyst for creating new narratives, preserving tradition and culture, and building sustainable economic opportunities within Native communities..
**Bethany Yellowtail: Sustainability and Economic Empowerment**.
Bethany Yellowtail, an Apsáalooke fashion designer, is known for her vibrant, sustainable designs that celebrate her Native heritage. She has long been a proponent of using fashion as a tool for economic empowerment, and in 2020, she launched the B.Yellowtail brand, a sustainable luxury fashion line featuring ready-to-wear garments, accessories, and home goods that are ethically produced in Los Angeles, California..
