Bineshi Ikwewag

12/12/2025

Fire woven into form❤️‍🔥

Featuring designs by Bineshi Ikwewag

FPFS 01.17.26
Estes Park, CO

https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/first-peoples-fashion-show-tickets-1636710658639?aff=oddtdtcreator

12/12/2025

09/01/2025

Available now! 🌸🌷🌼⚡️🌩️

08/29/2025

Aadizookaan Nibii-Sacred Stories of Water
“Binesi Look” as seen at Native Nations Fashion Night.
In Anishinaabe belief, the Binesi or Thunderbird is a powerful, sometimes, benevolent being that is depicted as a giant bird. It’s often seen as a guardian, protector, and symbol of strength and power that is capable of creating thunder and lightning. Binesi holds a vital place in our cultural and spiritual identity of Anishinaabe people. Throughout generations, the Thunderbird has been a central character in numerous legends, shaping the beliefs and practices of our communities. It is responsible for bringing rain and nurturing the earth. It symbolizes the raw power of nature! Its ability to create storms and bring rain is a direct reflection of its role in the life cycle of the earth. The Thunderbird was also sent to protect our people from malevolent spirits that disrupted harmony in nature. It is believed that the presence of the Thunderbird can ward off threats, ensuring the safety and prosperity of the community. It is the one creature who can kill Mishi-Ginebig (the great underwater serpent). The Binesiwag also mediate between the spiritual and physical worlds, ensuring that both realms remain in balance.
Willow is the embodiment of our Thunderbird and resonates power, strength, & protection! We love how this look turned out and how the dress reflects the different colors! She wears those wings well, so watch out, she just may strike you down.⚡️🌩️⚡️

Model: Willow
MUAH:
📸: Moments Made Photography, Abbey Koenig, Clarissa Friday

08/28/2025

Aadizookaan Nibii-Sacred Stories of Water
“Mishi-Ginebig Look” as seen at Native Nations Fashion Night!
Mishi-Ginebig is a great horned underwater serpent who’s revered as a guardian of sacred knowledge, holding secrets of the universe that are accessible only to those who earn its trust. The duality of the Great Serpent is profound; it is both a creator and a destroyer. This duality reflects the natural cycles of life, where death leads to rebirth, and chaos can give way to order. The Serpent defines a position of great respect as it embodies the balance of power in nature, reminding us of our connection to the earth and the responsibilities that come with it. It is also the enemy of Binesiwag, who can kill them with their lightning bolts! Alex wears a red & black vinyl snake skin print coat with a peaked hood and sleeves. Peeking through is a sheer shirt with snakes paired with faux leather pants. His neck piece represents the beauty of Mishi Ginebig with its horns. It’s made of paper mache’ and adorned with recycled costume jewelry, sequins, and crystal flat backs. Alex is also wearing red & black floral earrings.
Model: Alex Alex Rivera
MUAH: Emily
📸: .made.photography, Abbey Koenig, Clarissa Friday
©️Bineshi Ikwewag 2025 All Rights Reserved

08/25/2025

Aadizookaan Nibii-Sacred Stories of Water
“Nibiinaabe Look 2” as seen at Native Nations Fashion Night.
In Annishinnabe culture Nibiinaabe are “mermaids” or water sprites that live in our water bodies. They are seen as ethereal beings that are connected and protectors of the water. They can be either nurturing or destructive, having a dual nature that embodies the essence of water. Warren’s look was made to resemble the colors of the fish that thrive in our native lakes. They wear a net they kept as a prize possession after an attempted capture! The pants were created from individually cut satin scales that were layered on top of fabric. Their look consists close to 400 different scales! The pants sport a paper bag waist and were lined with a cotton fabric. Their coat shows the reflectiveness of the scales of the fish in our lakes! It is inspired by a trench coat with our own special twist. Their makeup also includes scales to give more of a fishy, inhuman feel to the look while also embracing the beauty of these creatures. On their neck, are layered shell and colored glass necklaces. The earrings represent fins & have fire beads hanging from delicate chains.
Model: Warren
MUAH:
📸: .made.photography Abbey Koenig, Clarissa Friday

08/22/2025

Aadizookaan Nibii-Sacred Stories of Water
“Nibiinaabe Look 1” as seen at Native Nations Fashion Night.
In Annishinnabe culture, Nibiinaabe are mermaids or water sprites that live in our water bodies. They are seen as ethereal beings that are connected to and protectors of the water. They can be either nurturing or destructive, having a dual nature that embodies the essence of water. We feel Quill was an accurate representation of this and captured this look perfectly. The dress consists of over 400 individual satin fish scales ombréd to capture the colors of the water and water life. They are all individually sewed down on a shimmer finish fabric to give it more layers. The dress is lined with a satin turquoise green fabric to show the undertones of the deep lakes. The ruffles on the dress represent the fins of our water friends. The dress also consists of boning on the top. On the waist, we have a hand beaded waist chain to give it more of a contemporary element, as well as a hand sewn garter with various jewels to represent lost items in the water. Her jewelry consists of tiered fish scale-like earrings & a necklace, as well as a necklace and bracelet made of shells and glass fire beads. Our model, is adorned with fish scales and a water inspired makeup look.
Model: Quill
MUA: Quill
Hair:
📸: .made.photography_ Abbey Koenig & Clarissa Friday
©️Bineshi Ikwewag 2025 All Rights Reserved

08/16/2025

Aadizookaan Nibii-Sacred Stories of Water
“Nibii kwe Look” as seen at Native Nations Fashion Night.
This look is the embodiment of the power that Indigenous women carry. We are carriers and protectors of the water. We wanted the gown to represent the flowiness and fluidity of water but also to show a hint of how our flags are hung in thirsty dance ceremony. The skirt featured layers upon layers of different fabric to show that water is not just one color. It is multiple-it is clear, it is blue, it is green, it is turquoise, it is black. The corset is folded and layered over and over again as a way to represent the waves of water and how they overlap each other. The bottom of the corset is asymmetrical to show that water is also not perfect. It is beautiful yet dangerous. The top is held together with layers of ribbon overlapping each other and flowing. Her jewelry represents water bubbles of the lakes and oceans. Our model, Kat, embodies the water goddess aura perfectly.

Model: Kat
MUAH: Laya
📸: .made.photography, Abbey Koenig, Clarissa Friday
©️Bineshi Ikwewag All Rights Reserved

08/07/2025

Aadizookaan Nibii-Sacred Stories of Water
“Awan Look 2” as seen at Native Nations Fashion Night.
This look also captures the essence of awan (fog). Giiweden is wearing a mesh shirt that features sparkle gems throughout. Attached to the shirt are long sheer sleeves that represent the flow of fog. We wanted to add a matching aspect to the two awan looks. In addition to this, Giiweden is wearing an elephant pant inspired bottom that gives major flow. These bottoms feature the same fabric of the other awan look but were lined with a n**e fabric in order to see the dimension of the fabric. The tiered dangling earrings feature clear beads with AB crystals on top. Awan is beautiful and mystical 🌫️
Model:
MUAH:
📸: .made.photography_ and Clarissa Friday
©️Bineshi Ikwewag 2025 All Rights Reserved

08/01/2025

Aadizookaan Nibii-Sacred Stories of Water
“Awan Look 1” as seen at Native Nations Fashion Night.
This look is embodying awan (fog) or mist. The dress features beaded fabric along with shiny sheer fabric that replicates the shimmer of the mist and fog. The fabrics each sewn together along the dress to create a mesmerizing skirt which then connects to the corset with grommets and jump rings to add a little more edge to the delicate look. The corset is meant to look like her skin with mesh between the boning. On top of the corset is more of the shimmer fabric to make sure she shines as mist does. Her sleeves add a flowy aspect to the dress as she walks. Dentalium shells with different variations of beads were added across her chest. The choker also features beads, pearls and dentillium shells! Her blingy earrings feature crystals and glass fire beads.
Model: Snowy White
MUA & Hair: Snowy
📸: .made.photography_ & Clarissa Friday
©️Bineshi Ikwewag 2025 All Rights Reserved

07/25/2025

Aadizookaan Nibii-Sacred Stories of Water
“Mikwam Look 2” as seen at Native Nations Fashion Night.
This look represents the shininess and reflectiveness of the ice during the winter months. The top and bottom are handcrafted to be slinky and smooth as if it were still in the form of water. The earrings have frozen specs of glitter inside that individually shine different colors. The body chain, similar to the female Mikwan look, is made up of different forms of silver and resin icicles. These looks are meant to represent the characteristics of ice, then uncomfortableness of ice, the rigid ness of ice, the danger of ice, but also the beauty that ice holds.
Model: Issac Drees-hajicek
MUA & Hair: Valerie R Rodriguez
📸: Moments Made Photography Abbey Koenig
©️Bineshi Ikwewag 2025 All Rights Reserved

07/12/2025

Aadizookaan Nibii-Sacred Stories of Water
“Mikwam Look 1” seen at Native Nations Fashions Night.
This look represents the cold and frozen form of nibi, Mikwam or ice. We wanted to take a different approach from how the snow and ice make us feel. Instead, we chose to look at the characteristics of ice. Ice is dangerous. Ice is unpredictable. Ice is uncomfortable. Yet, ice is always beautiful, breathtaking and mesmerizing. We wanted all those characteristics to be shown in this look. The top is frozen, such as ice, with specs of “snowflakes” in it. The open chain back with icicles represents the frigidness of ice. The skirt is made from a reflective material with each ice crackle, sewn to perfection. On top of that is a silver shear fabric to represent the sheen of how ice looks during a sunny day in the winter time. Connecting the skirt is more chain and icicles, as if the water is dripping down her leg. The jewelry has frozen specs of glitter inside that individually shine different colors.
And, yes! We are showing the human form. Bineshi Ikwewag is about body positivity and embracing our own body type. The body only encapsulates the soul, we know there are times to be modest but not in art and fashion! We are tired of objectification and know that we should not take any blame or feel shame in other people’s thoughts, stereotypes, or perversions. The human body is beautiful and we need to be okay with it and love ourselves as a whole- body & soul! We will not apologize but will continue to lead the way in breaking stereotypes & barriers while embracing our culture. ✌🏽& 🤟🏽

Model: Maycie Marcellais
MUA & Hair: Valerie R Rodriguez
📸: .made.photography_
©️Bineshi Ikwewag 2025 All Rights Reserved