Paul G

RAPID CITY — It's a combination of something old and something new at the 19th annual He Sapa Wacipi Black Hills Pow Wow Style Show.

Fashionistas interested in haute couture won't have to jet to Paris for new designs. A group of American Indian designers will send their most recent creations down the catwalk Friday and Saturday in Rapid City.

A featured designer of the powwow's style show, Bunny Yellow Robe-Robertson of Rapid City has put together a collection of contemporary casual wear along with jingle-dress regalia.

"I use a lot of conchos, fringe and bone on my jackets," she said.

Another featured artist, Roxanne Two Bulls of Red Shirt Table, said she is resurrecting designs from her Oglala ancestors. The beadwork artist is bringing a half-dozen pieces of accessories and purses for the Saturday show.

"I don't mass produce," she said.

Collette Keith, style-show host, said the shows are going to be a blast.

"I was just blown away by the modeling, the catwalk, and we had fun," Keith said.

She will give an overview of the designs and introduce the artists who are showing their contemporary Northern Plains collections. Sophia Yellow Robe will talk about the traditional fashions that will be modeled at the show.

Two free shows run from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Oct. 7 and 8, at LaCroix Hall in Rushmore Plaza Civic Center.

Last week at rehearsals, Keith said, the models and organizers worked on the show's fashion nuances that included pacing, walking and the models' cool, impassive faces.

"The models have to look above the heads of the crowd," she said.

She said it looked like a professional show from New York or London.

But the clothing designs will definitely have a local flair as Yellow Robe-Robertson's collection showcases a swirl of color and fabric textures.

"I always try to make two or three new items for a show," Yellow Robe-Robertson said.

Her fashion collection will include new ribbon shirts, jackets, a skirt and vest combination and a jingle dress.

The labor-intensive jingle dance regalia involves constructing a ribbon dress, which is a shirt decorated with ribbon, and an added cape. Yellow Robe-Robertson uses a pattern passed down from her mother, Mary Yellow Robe, to create the sturdy dress.

The Rosebud Sioux Tribal member will hand-roll hundreds of chewing-tobacco-can lids to create the jingle cones. Depending upon the dress size, the garment is accented with about 500 jingles for a woman or about 200 jingles for a girl. She said a girl's dress weighs about 6 or 7 pounds; a woman's dress would be about double that.

"Then, I hand sew each jingle to the cape," she said.

She reinforces each ribbon that attaches a jingle cone to the dress, because the cones are heavy. She also wants to keep every cone in place because if a cone falls off the dress during a contest, the dancer is disqualified.

Above all else, it has to be beautiful, she said.

For the entire powwow season, the dress will become the dancer's signature color and style when she steps onto the bowery or arena floor.

"When I sew something, I'm choosy," Yellow-Robe Robertson said.

Contact Jomay Steen at 394-8418 or jomay.steen@rapidcityjournal.com

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