By HOY en Delaware
Tonight (Nov. 7) Del Art Museum visitors can embark on a captivating journey through time with Living in the Present: Indigenous / Native Fashion Art Show honoring Indigenous People’s Month.
This unique event will explore the vibrant tapestry of Indigenous nations across the Americas, showcasing designs and an exhibition that honors the past, while living in the present.
Honoring those who came before us and the ones Living in the Present through the drums, the event will open with a drumming ceremony by the Red Blanket Singers, hosted by Chief Urie of the Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape.
The fashion journey will begin by honoring the rich heritage of our local communities, featuring the Delaware Nanticoke Indian and New Jersey Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Tribal Nations, honoring the stories woven into their regalia and the spirit of the Fancy Shawl Dance.
Then, the event will celebrate designer Dayesla Ixtli’s Matlatzinca and Mexica-Nahuatl ancestral roots through her exquisite artistry that comes to life in our present. The show culminates in the stunning elegance of designs by Kehala Smith, of the Tuscarora Nation Turtle Clan lineage.
The museum invites all attendees to visit this events companion exhibition Living in the Present, featuring artwork by Indigenous and Native artist from across the Americas. The exhibition is on view from November 4-30, 2026.
Timeline
6:00 PM Doors Open & Reception
• Libations and appetizers served
• Living in the Present exhibition open for viewing (Jefferson Lobby)
6:45 PM Special Presentation
• by Itzel Aguilar (Jefferson Lobby)
7:00 PM Opening Ceremony
• Host Drum Performance: Red Blanket Singers
• Opening Remarks: Chief Urie Ridgeway
7:15 PM Cultural Presentation & Honor Dance
• Honoring the stories woven into the regalia of the Nanticoke Indian Tribe (DE) and Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Tribal Nation (NJ), featuring the spirit of the Fancy Shawl Dance
7:30 PM Runway Showcase I
• Collection by Dayesla Ixtil
7:50 PM Intermission
• 10-Minute Break
8:00 PM Runway Showcase II
• Collection by Kehala Smith
8:20 PM Final Runway Walk
• Grand Finale featuring designers Dayesla Ixtil & Kehala Smith alongside all models
8:30-9:00 PM Meet & Greet / Vendor Marketplace
• Model photo opportunities and designer vending booths open to guests
Featured Indigenous Designers
Kehala Smith
Founder & Designer | Kreations by Kehala Tuscarora Nation • Turtle Clan
Fashion is more than clothing; it’s storytelling.
Kehala Smith is an Indigenous fashion designer, artist, entrepreneur, and proud mother whose creations celebrate the beauty, resilience, and living traditions of the Haudenosaunee. Through Kreations by Kehala, she transforms beadwork, quillwork, leatherwork, and contemporary design into one-of-a-kind wearable art that empowers people of every shape, size, and background. Whether she’s creating a couture runway collection or a custom piece for a client, Kehala believes everyone deserves to feel confident, beautiful, and connected to something meaningful. When she’s not designing, you’ll find her teaching traditional arts to Indigenous youth, sharing Haudenosaunee culture through workshops and performances with Jordan Smith & Dancers of the Haudenosaunee, and inspiring the next generation to embrace who they are.
Her work has graced international runways including New York Fashion Week and SWAIA Native Fashion Week, been featured in Native Max Magazine and Catch the Fair One and earned First Place at the 2025 Santa Fe Indian Market.
“Every stitch, every bead, and every quill carries a story honoring those who came before while creating something unforgettable for those yet to come. I don’t just design clothing… I create confidence, tell our stories, and celebrate Indigenous beauty one piece at a time”, says Smith.
Dayesla Ixtli
Dayesla Ixti is multidisciplinary artist originally from Tenancingo de Degollado, State of Mexico.
Honoring the heritage of her homeland a historic point of convergence for the Matlatzinca and Náhuatl peoples Ixtli transforms the cultural richness of central Mexico into unique wearable art. Through the creation of handcraft headpieces, prop design and artistic makeup, her work celebrates the mysticism, botany and ancestral craftsmanship of indigenous traditions, reinterpreting native identity for the contemporary runway.
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