Living in the Present: Indigenous / Native Fashion Art Show featuring Kehala Smith and Dayesla Ixtli
Living in the Present is an Indigenous and Native fashion presentation honoring Indigenous Peoples’ Month. The evening traces Indigenous artistic traditions across the Americas, connecting the history and cultural identity embedded in regalia, beadwork, quillwork, leatherwork, headpieces, makeup, and contemporary wearable art with the designers creating in the present.
The program opens with a drumming ceremony by the Red Blanket Singers, hosted by Chief Urie of the Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape. The fashion journey then highlights the Delaware Nanticoke and New Jersey Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Tribal Nations, including the stories carried through their regalia and the spirit of the Fancy Shawl Dance. Dayesla Ixtli’s work follows, reflecting her Matlatzinca and Mexica-Nahuatl ancestry, before the show concludes with designs by Kehala Smith of the Tuscarora Nation’s Turtle Clan.
When: November 6, 2026
Showtimes: 6:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m.
Venue: Delaware Art Museum, Fusco Hall and Jefferson Lobby
Tickets: Members: $40; non-members: $50; V.I.P. Pass: $75
V.I.P. Pass: Includes reserved seats closest to the runway, early access to purchase the designers’ clothing, and two drink tickets.
Opening Ceremony: The Red Blanket Singers will lead a drumming ceremony hosted by Chief Urie of the Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape.
Featured Designers: Kehala Smith and Dayesla Ixtli
Kehala Smith: Smith is the founder and designer of Kreations by Kehala and a member of the Tuscarora Nation, Turtle Clan. Her wearable art combines beadwork, quillwork, leatherwork, and modern fashion to celebrate Haudenosaunee traditions. She is also an artist, entrepreneur, mother, and teacher of traditional arts for Indigenous youth. Her work has appeared at New York Fashion Week and SWAIA Native Fashion Week, in Native Max Magazine and the film *Catch the Fair One*, and at the 2025 Santa Fe Indian Market, where she received first place.
Dayesla Ixtli: Ixtli is a multidisciplinary artist from Tenancingo de Degollado in the State of Mexico. Drawing on the Matlatzinca and Náhuatl heritage of her homeland, she creates handcrafted headpieces, props, and artistic makeup that reinterpret Indigenous identity for the contemporary runway. Her work incorporates ancestral craftsmanship, botanical elements, and the mysticism of Indigenous traditions.
Companion Exhibition: Attendees are invited to see *Living in the Present*, an exhibition of work by Indigenous and Native artists from across the Americas. It is on view at the museum from November 4–30, 2026.
Sponsors and Support: The event is sponsored by the Center for Interventional Pain & Spine, Arsht-Cannon Fund, TD Charitable Foundation, Wilmington City Council, Prime Beverage, and La Tolteca. Support also comes from the Delaware Division of the Arts, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.