There were many things to look at in the collections and most of the major influences have been covered (some even before their incarnation on the runways) so you’d think there would be less to say. However, fashion is an evolutionary process and sometimes a trend buried amidst the others can actually be the seed of something to come. Other times it can be a glimmer that fails to capture future sentiment. Nevertheless, those minor (or seemingly so) elements are just as worthy at noticing.

The see-saw of cross-cultural influence takes place within our more recent fashion collections history, with some decades being more open to other cultures as inspiration versus other times where more domestic needs prevail. The exoticism of the 20s was not constant, especially as economic and global concerns overtook this adventurous spirit more reserved for times of prosperity and peace. During the post-Depression, War and early post-War years there was less interest in exotic external influence and fashion reflected this.

But the more prosperous times yielded those exoticisms. Art Deco was heavily influenced by all that is international, a mixture of modernism with references from Egypt, the Orient and to a lesser extent from Native American culture. Pueblo Deco streamlined the geometry from the Southwest, its geometry well within lines with the Deco aesthetic. With interest in seed beading to make jewelry, further Native American culture offered its contribution, although not as keenly noticed as the more exotic influences one typically associates with that period.

The exo-cultural influence that waned during the less prosperous 30s/ration-plagued and tension-filled 40s and suspicious early 50s would return along with prosperity, and it would come through pop culture. Films depicting classic good & evil battles from pioneer days filled theatres and televisions, inspiring wide eyed youth into inspiration. The suede fringed jacket of frontier days from Native American depictions gained popularity with young men and later amongst the youth as the hippie movement of the 60s emerged as curiosity later became fascination with everything natural. From innocence to awareness, this garment, a symbol of Native American fashion, had grown with one generation as meaning morphed along with them.

The 60s and 70s saw a renewed respect for and embrace of the source of a culture that respected and treasured Mother Earth. Again, seed beading came back into style and Pendleton blanket patterning long associated with Navaho culture. The naturalistic back-to- nature ethic harmonized with the values of indigenous cultures that this generation rediscovered as they rejected everything their parents and their generation stood for.

Pop culture got further support in propelling this influence into mainstream. In particular, Cher, alre4ady a mega-pop icon of the 70s incorporated native American fashion  into her style repertoire, something quickly embraced by the mainstream by designers such as Ralph Lauren who further capitalized on this look.

Time and again various aspects of Native American culture would find their way into the international runways. We saw the Southwest Pendleton blanket come back into fashion in the late 80s when it appeared on the heavily influential television show “Twin Peaks”, a program directed by David Lynch that catapulted to international acclaim. That the program was so influential that it affected fashion collections world-wide was testament to pop cultures’ appeal.

The 90s saw an embrace of indigenous influences as the 70s was revisited post-grunge, albeit to a lesser extent and more vague in reference, but couture saw native American influence in the later part of the 90sd when Galliano came on board with Dior, providing a collection rich in detail heavily referencing Iroquois tribal detail.

Now we have a return of the pioneering spirit and fortitude to look beyond despite the same influences that would have caused us to retreat, and we are not afraid to look for inspiration beyond the familiar. Our awareness of the fragility of the earth and the overwhelming pace of our technological evolution of recent brings us back to look towards simpler times. And indigenous cultures tend to be the source when we choose this direction.

For SS2011 Tom Ford featured fringed moccasins amidst his offerings. Recently we saw a reinvigorated interest last year with tribal influences and this fall winter we saw some designers referencing Native American culture in their collections; Dirk Bikkenbergs and Just Cavalli featured some Navajo pattering, while Jean-Charles de Castelbajac seemed to reference tribal patterns from West Coast Salish tribes (and at the far, far end of the spectrum, Isabel Marant incorporating southwest cowboy embroidery on some of her designs).

While Native Americans are this time not pleased with the Western commercialization of Native American influence, claiming it is exploited in a way that is far from the values embraced by their cultures, it has opened the door to younger designers with indigenous roots who are bringing aspects of their culture into the fashion limelight (such as Shona Tawhiao, Tammy Beauvais, Adi Koila Ganilau , Linda Lepou and to a lesser extent Disa Tootoosis).

There is a lot to derive from other cultures and other places and fashion has morphed to a degree that, as we seek out new inspiration that little is sacred. While the less spiritual materialistic aspect of fashion cannot be squelched, the pursuit of inspiration may at least open doors to exposure and discovery of other people in other places that we have overlooked in our cultural progress, and that this recognition and appreciation of technique and artistry can afford some compensation for the feeling of exploitation that this minor trend direction might have unwittingly inspired.