Quannah Chasinghorse Combined Vintage Style With Indigenous Pride at the Green Carpet Fashion Awards

This past Thursday, Indigenous model Quannah Chasinghorse served as one of the honorary cochairs of the 2023 Green Carpet Fashion Awards in New York City—an annual event meant to celebrate and highlight those in fashion who are innovating with sustainable practices. As a fierce environmental activist and vocal advocate for Indigenous rights, Chasinghorse was certainly the perfect choice for the event, where she was joined by cohosts Cate Blanchett, Viola Davis, Simu Liu, and Tom Ford. “It was an amazing experience,” Chasinghorse tells Vogue. “I normally feel like my work as a model and my work as an advocate are two completely different worlds, and it can be challenging to find a balance—but the Green Carpet Fashion Awards found a way to celebrate both, by uplifting changemakers all over the world in both realms. This proves that it is possible to do both and find a way to be sustainable.”

Inside the event, Chasinghorse was joined by boyfriend D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai for the night—who you may know as the breakout actor from Reservation Dogs. The model says her favorite moment at the ceremony was meeting fellow Indigenous activists who are making a positive change (before breaking into modeling, Chasinghorse was recognized for her own activism work, specifically around how she’s defended Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge). “Some of my favorite moments were being in community with other activists and land protectors,” says Chasinghorse. “My work can feel isolating, and nights like this give me hope because I’m reminded that I’m not alone in this fight to protect Mother Earth. That there are other people that also dedicated their lives to be in solidarity and find sovereignty within one another.”

On the red carpet, meanwhile, Chasinghorse’s look for the evening—styled by Ali Mullin—combined her love of vintage fashion with Indigenous flair. For a sustainable twist, she sported a vintage black Donna Karen dress from Paumé Los Angeles, and then finished it with special Indigenous-made accessories such as floral earrings with crystals and dentalium shells by Ame Manon, a beaded bracelet by Kaylyn Baker with porcupine quills and caribou-tufted fur, and handmade moccasins made by Chasinghorse’s grandmother Adeline Juneby Potts. “I wanted to show the world that it’s possible to rewear an outfit, whether it be vintage or something that you’ve had for a long time—there’s many ways to preserve and style a look differently,” says Chasinghorse. “My favorite details about the look were the cutouts and the open chest, the pockets, and tying it together with my moccasins my grandma made me.”

Given Indigenous design has always been rooted in sustainability—often using elements from the earth in intentional, non-wasteful ways—Chasinghorse says representing her cultural fashion was the perfect choice for the spirit of the night, which celebrated eco-minded practices. “Indigenous designers are champions at making sure nothing is wasted, and finding a way to incorporate sustainability and beauty in an elegant way by working with earth elements,” says Chasinghorse. She also wanted to spotlight just how beautiful and special the works are that contemporary Indigenous artists are creating today. “Indigenous art, jewelry, and designs are just as luxury as a high fashion designer,” says Chasinghorse. “The only difference is we get our inspiration from our own authentic selves and culture. There’s no need to appropriate or steal designs from others—we have our own unique styles, which are always meaningful.”

Below, a closer look into Chasinghorse’s Green Carpet Fashion Awards.