During New York Fashion Week, there was one breakout model in particular ruling the runways at Gabriela Hearst, Prabal Gurung, and Jonathan Simkhai: Quannah Chasinghorse. The 19-year-old Indigenous model—who is Hän Gwich’in and Oglala Lakota—is taking the fashion world by storm and providing much-needed representation for Indigenous people in the process. To cap off her week, Chasinghorse attended the Met gala for the first time and documented her experience exclusively for Vogue. “It was amazing to be able to be there and represent Indigenous people,” says Chasinghorse. “Before I got to the Met, I was listening to Native music and artists to help me feel more empowered, and I was extremely excited to show the world the beauty of native indigenity.”
Peter Dundas dressed Chasinghorse for the glitzy evening, a thrilling experience for the designer, who had taken notice of her in various magazine editorials. “I love how she makes her heritage such a strong part of her visual identity, which I realize we are missing in fashion,” says Dundas. He selected a gold lamé dress with chain accents from the recently debuted Dundas x Revolve American Dream collection. The billowing cape also gave the illusion that the model had wings. “It’s almost as if she has just flown down from the heavens,” says Tabitha Simmons, who styled her in the red carpet look.
