Dressed to Kilt – Haudenosaunee Contingent Rocks the Runway

By Faith Thomas and Kaniehtonkie

New York, NY. Dressed to Kilt's return to New York on Friday night was a hit with a celebrity fashion show featuring kilts and kitsch and cool Native American designers to celebrate diversity. The fashion show featured designers from Scotland and Native American designers and models along with the runway debut of a LGBTQ tartan worn by Scottish TV personality Phil MacHugh. The show featured fun spectacles and delights to keep the crowd entertained ranging from Native American dance numbers to famed rugby player brothers strutting shirtless down the runway, and even live Falcons making a catwalk appearance. The fashion show was followed by a cocktail party and buffet along and beats spun by DJ Johnny that had guests dancing the night away.

This year's notable lineup included: Master Chief Edward Byers (active Navy Seal), Tom and Max Evans (Famous Scottish Rugby Players), Phil MacHugh (Scottish media personality and columnist), Adam Beach ("Law and Order SVU", "Hawaii Five-O" and "Juanita" on Netflix), Francesca Curran ("Orange is the New Black"), Jessica Matten (star of "Frontier' on Netflix), Buddy Valastro ("Cake Boss"), Janelle Evans ("Teen Mom"), Kelli Barrett ("Fosse/Verdon" on FX), Marvin Cortes ("America's Next Top Model") and Genevieve Gorder (Former star of "Trading Spaces" and new Bravo series "Stay Here").

Tisha Thompson and Babes Cosmetics was approached by the Dressed to Kilt group to showcase Native American designers and models. This was the first time a Native group has presented this idea in such a fashion show. The designers, models, and hair and make-up team were all native and from the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. It was an amazing opportunity to show the world just how talented our Indigenous people are.

Guests were greeted at the entrance of the Church of the Holy Apostles by a traditional Scottish bagpiper and treated to delectable nibbles before the show started.

The crowd was treated to incredible designs from Native American designers Shyanne Brant (Mohawk), Stacey Mitchell (Mohawk), Sparkling Spur (Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation) , Red Berry Women (Hidatsa (Mandan Hidatsa and Arikara Nation) and Wabigonikwe Tenasco (Mohawk) reminding guests of our incredible rich history and talent of Native Americans that is often ignored by the fashion community.

Designers from across the pond such as Lucan Fashion, Ediburgh based label Totty Rocks, Calzeat and Walker Slater reminded the crowd what true craftsmanship and heritage looks like. A nod was made to the outdoor lifestyle arena with designs from Horse Country Saddlery. In addition to these special designs were kilts and the Navy SEAL Foundation Tartan highland dress. A very special LGBTQ Tartan kilt made its debut on American runways last night really ringing in the message of inclusivity for the evening.

The Akwesasne hair and make-up team consisted of; Tisha Thompson, Lauren Cree, and Jacy Boots-Francis. The coordinator was Shari Adams. The designers from Akwesasne were Stacey Mitchell, and Wabigonikwe Tenasco. The Akwesasne models were Kiannah Thomas, Babes Thompson, Steven Thompson Oakes, Logan Booth, Karley Cree, Steevi King, Chloe Doctor, and Kendall Horn.

DTK was held in Houston last year, taking a break from a long run in New York City, but returned to its roots in New York City on Tartan Day, April 5, 2019. Dressed to Kilt has developed a cult like following for those seeking some good Scottish fun and many celebrities with Scottish roots have strutted the catwalk from Andie MacDowell to Gerard Butler.

From its genesis in 2003, DTK is now the largest and most prestigious Scottish fashion event in the world, and one of the highest profile fashion shows in the United States. DTK believes that fashion without the enrichment of diverse cultures become hollow.

The show is produced by the Friends of Scotland charity which was co-founded by Sir Sean Connery in 2002. This show highlights very accomplished men and women on the runway and it is also filled with A-List celebrities and athletes from both sides of the Atlantic. In recent shows Sir Sean Connery, Kiefer Sutherland, Kyle MacLachlan, Chris "Mr. Big" Noth, Mike Myers and Craig Ferguson have all walked the runway. The charity has raised significant sums for the families of wounded veterans through the Navy SEAL Foundation that provides immediate and ongoing support and assistance to the Naval Special Warfare community and its families.

The Akwesasne Dress to Kilt group would like to thank all of the people who donated to their auction, the people who supported the auction, and to the Akwesasne Convenience Store Association who helped out the models. The DTK group has been invited back to the Dressed to Kilt Fashion show for April 2020.

For the online edition:

For more information On Dressed to Kilt, please visit HYPERLINK "http://www.dressedtokilt.com/"

For more information on Navy Seals Foundation, please visit HYPERLINK "https://www.navysealfoundation.org/"