Albuquerque Public Schools
Walk in Beauty: Native Fashion Show Returns for 17th Year
Beloved event highlights Native pride, artistry and student leadership through fashion.
If you’re up for a one-of-a-kind celebration of culture and creativity, the 17th annual Albuquerque Public Schools Native American Fashion Show is for you.
The event highlights the artistry and innovation of Indigenous fashion, featuring renowned Native designers and ensembles put together by talented students. It will be from 6 to 8 p.m. on April 10 at the UNM Continuing Education Auditorium, 1635 University Blvd. NE. The fashion show, which runs about 90 minutes, is free and open to the public.
The beloved event traces its roots back to Highland High School.
“I was always looking for things for my students to do to give them a chance to speak in public and demonstrate their Native pride in front of the whole school,” said John Williams, who taught at Highland at the time. “My students would randomly dress traditional; that’s how proud they were. And one day, I said, ‘Why don’t you guys show your outfits during lunch on the patio?’”
Ever the teacher, Williams built in an educational component, telling students they couldn’t just put people on a stage without an explanation.
“There was the literacy element right there, not only having to write it but share it in public,” he said. “That happened just sort of informally, and it worked.”
The rest is history.
“I saw how much it gave our students additional confidence and pride and also the impact that the Natives had on the community, the school as a whole,” Williams said. “We were a part of the whole, not something separate and hidden.”
Within a few years, the fashion show became an APS-wide event, drawing students from throughout the city. And nearly two decades after it began, it’s still going strong.
The show helps students develop leadership, organizational and public speaking skills and builds their confidence, said Williams, who teaches Native American studies and Native American economics and government at the Career Enrichment Center,
“I’m always looking for things that challenge my students and have them interact with the community,” he said.
Williams beams with pride when he talks about the dozen or so student leaders on the committee who are organizing the fashion show. They range from seventh graders to high school seniors and recently ran a rehearsal meeting that drew about 80 community members.
The show will feature contemporary, traditional, professional and entertainment categories. Designs from professional Native designers Penny Singer, New Sun Sage, Helena Tsosie and Jasmyne Lee-Largo will be showcased. Williams estimates that 35 to 45 students will model outfits. The Career Enrichment Center’s cosmetology program will handle hair and makeup.
“One of the Navajo sayings is ‘Walk in Beauty,’ and it doesn’t mean stand there in front of the mirror. It just means the way you carry yourself,” said Williams, who grew up on the Navajo Nation and who is Dakota Sioux and Chippewa. “The Native values are infused in this activity from top to bottom.”