Women’s Wear Daily article covering
Women are the backbone of the fashion industry.
The vast majority of the sector’s garment workforce are women, and brands that bolster female artisan makers with dignified work and embrace responsible modes of production are paying it forward for the industry’s future.
As a global industry, with low barriers to entry — fashion’s impact is far-reaching. Where communities rely on informal economies — including income from markets, handicrafts, seasonal work and tourism (areas severely impacted by the pandemic), support is vital.
This support is being provided to indigenous communities in the Southwest by brands like Orenda Tribe. Everything the brand does, as dictated by founder Amy Denet Deal (Yeung) — whose last name is written as such to signify reclaiming her indigenous mother’s last name — is colorful.
Intricately woven designs and upcycled vintage in an array of tie-dye designs populate the shop, where Deal (Yeung) hand-dyes the pieces in the sun most weekends.
