Fashion is not just about the aesthetics; it’s a form of storytelling and preserving culture.
– Palani Bearghost
How often do students from Northern Cheyenne and Crow Nation tribes engage in collaboration with a fashion designer to produce a remarkable piece of fabric that is deeply rooted in nature and Indigenous significance? The creative process not only allows them to express their cultural identity through textile art but also fosters a sense of community and shared heritage. Native American artist Palani Bearghost, an enrolled member of the Three Affiliated Tribes—Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara—from Fort Berthold, North Dakota, and also Oglala, Diné, and Northern Cheyenne, emphasizes the need for such initiatives.
Bearghost, who poignantly highlights that Native American youth have the highest suicide rate in the nation, spends time teaching and giving young people purpose, instilling in them the importance of their roots and encouraging them to find strength in their heritage through creativity and collaboration. By engaging in these artistic endeavors, students not only gain valuable skills and confidence, but also create a powerful narrative that honors their ancestors while inspiring future generations to thrive.
The design for the Starry Skies ensemble, which is in Sheehan Gallery’s FACT: fashion + art construct tomorrow, was a collaboration project with the Lame Deer High School students from Northern Cheyenne & Crow Nation. Bearghost conducted Art Therapy with the students for an entire school year, taught the students apparel design, and collaborated with them on the collection, Elements.
Video: From the Elements collection, Starry Skies fabric printing, courtesy of Palani Bearghost.
Born in Portland, Oregon, Bearghost, in 2013, pursued her aspirations and established No End Of (NEO), a contemporary traditional design streetwear clothing company. In tribute to her heritage, she creates Native-designed fashion intended for all, collaborating with Indigenous artisans both on “Turtle Island” and in Bali, Indonesia.
She refers to her work as “decolonizing fashion,” which involves shifting away from the Eurocentric emphasis on the small hourglass body type and gender-specific clothing, instead embracing all body shapes through androgynous design.
As original stewards of the land, the indigenous community regards the use and protection of the earth and its natural resources as a fundamental aspect of life. NEO means “there is a beginning, but no end, it’s infinite”, which speaks to her advocacy for sustainability in design by reimagining and upcycling deadstock materials sourced from the native culture of Bali, Indonesia.
For instance, Elements is designed to raise awareness of the significance and respect for the natural elements—air, water, earth, and fire—in maintaining a balanced and sustainable relationship with the environment, a principle deeply rooted in her indigenous heritage. Symbolic Indigenous icons, like “tipis under the moon and stars,” are prominently featured in the black and white paisley Starry Skies pattern, with statements such as “The floral mandala designs represent the spiritual significance of the interconnectedness of all living beings and cycles of nature” that underscore their environmental principles.
With strong connections to the community, Bearghost actively supports fellow artists. NEO has established a platform dedicated to empowering underrepresented communities by providing them with a voice and a creative outlet in fashion, music, art, and dance, thereby facilitating opportunities for future generations. The brand collaborates with emerging multi-medium and multi-dimensional artisans, including those from the BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities. She affirms, “By working from the grassroots and forming alliances with our relatives in all directions, we are stronger together.”
Prior to her position as CEO and fashion designer of NEO, Bearghost had worked for Nike World Headquarters and led the NAN (Native American Network) team as the Vice President on the board. She works with the Northwest Native Chamber and her designs have been seen on the runway at SWAIA 2024 Native Fashion Week.
Selected work from Palani Bearghost’s Elements, We are The Resilient, and Alchemy of Love collections are exhibited at Sheehan Gallery at Whitman College, along with designers, Alena Kalana, Fabiola Soavelo, and painter Erik ReeL.
Exhibition Details
- FACT: fashion + art construct tomorrow
- Featuring Erik ReeL painting, and three ecologically-minded designers, Palani Bearghost, Alena Kalana, Fabiola Soavelo, curated by Rhonda P. Hill
- Presented by Sheehan Gallery at Whitman College, Kynde Kiefel, Director
- On View 28 January – 4 April 2025
- 21 February 5:30 – 6:30, Creative Panel Event, Olin Hall Auditorium
- 21 February 6:30, Artists Reception, Sheehan Gallery
- Sheehan Gallery at Whitman College
- 345 Boyer Avenue, Olin Hall
- Walla Walla, WA 99362
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