Niio Perkins in finding a place for traditional Indigenous aesthetics in pop culture through her use of brilliant colours and delicate raised beadwork.
When Niio Perkins opens a blue velvet case, she reveals a stunning necklace, constructed with traditional raised beadwork. It is her handiwork, and she is proud to watch people run their fingers admiringly over her pieces.
The infusion of colour on her beaded bow ties, showstopping necklaces, and embellished dresses have an effortless vibe and vibrancy to them, reminiscent of beauty found in the natural world. The 36-year-old Akwesasne resident and owner of Niio Perkins Designs explains her palettes aren’t calculated, but rather the product of an intuitive understanding of what is pleasing to the eye. She is also known for skillfully blending different bead finishes—matte and shiny, sparkly and dull— with more organic materials that give each piece texture and depth.
“Before beads, our elders used natural elements: bone, shell, stone, wood, and leather,” she says. “I always try to incorporate these into my work.”
All images by Jason McNamara/Framed Photography.
Niio learned to bead on the lap of her beloved ishta (mother), Elizabeth Perkins, a master seamstress and traditional clothing designer. But she really took to the craft at age 25, when she started carving out her personal design aesthetic and taking her talent seriously. She has been on a continued quest to hone the look of her pieces, which she calls a mix of contemporary and traditional. Her designs feel fresh and fascinating, yet are still rooted in Haudenosaunee design. Her Emma dress recently toured with the Native Fashion Now! exhibit, the largest-scale traveling exhibition of contemporary Canadian and American First Nations fashion.
The show culminated this September with a showing at the Smithsonian in New York City. Emma went on to the Autry Museum of the American West in Los Angeles after they purchased it for their permanent collection.
Another one of her pieces, a complete Wampum dress, now lives at the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art in Indianapolis, Indiana. She also had the pleasure of dressing 23-year-old Raven Swamp of Kahnawake, crowned 2017 Miss Indian World in April of this year.
“Some of our elders say that there is no place for traditional aesthetics in the contemporary world,” says Niio. “My culture is not for sale but I do think there is a place for traditional indigenous aesthetics in pop culture.”Niio’s full Mohawk name is Niioieren, meaning “Look What She Did” and the significance cannot be overlooked. She is decidedly one of the region’s rising stars in the fashion world as she brings a Native aesthetic to the contemporary world. Look for her new clothing line, set to launch in 2018, and check out the pop-up shops she has planned for downtown Cornwall.
