The event and collection was forged in promotion of Indigenous Enterprise’s upcoming performances at The Joyce Theater.
On a usual day, Ludlow Street in New York City is a hub for bustling shoppers, eager to step into the area’s 30+ eclectic retail establishments. But, on Sept. 13, Assembly NYC was the only place to be, as the store opened its doors to New York Fashion Week guests in celebration of Indigenous Enterprise’s new collection designed by Greg Armas of Assembly New York and Indigenous Enterprise’s Founder and CEO Kenneth Shirley. The store itself also boasted jewelry handcrafted by Navajo silversmith Lionel Thundercloud while the sidewalks in front acted as a stage for a remarkable performance put on by Indigenous Enterprise‘s powwow dance troupe.
The display was a treat for the event’s guests as well as passerbys and residents living in the adjacent apartment building who couldn’t help but join in the fun; But the performance was only a sneak peek of the exciting work to come.
Indigenous Enterprise, the indigenous dance troupe who has performed at high-profile events from the MET gala to the Superbowl halftime show will be sharing their incredible talent, captivating chemistry and electric energy at The Joyce Theater from Sept. 16 to Sept. 21.
“I just want people to feel good. I want people to feel uplifted from watching our dancing,” Kenneth Shirley, Founder and CEO of Indigenous Enterprise said. “We already know what’s going on in this country…and I think us as Native Americans, we have seen the worst of it. We have seen everything that has come before and we’re still here.”
“I just want people to feel good. I want people to feel uplifted from watching our dancing.”
Kenneth Shirley, Founder, CEO Indigenous Enterprise
“Still here” was the phrase on everyone’s tongue at Indigenous Enterprise’s event. Functioning as both a message and the production’s name, the words are indicative of Indigenous Enterprise‘s overarching mission–to share the love and joy that comes from the talents and traditions of Indigenous people and call attention to the community’s impactful presence in the contemporary world.
The colorful costumes, awe-inspiring dancing and passionate participants are enough to draw viewers to Indigenous Enterprise‘s performance, but the company’s allure has deeper origins. The members of the troupe have loved and supported each other throughout their entire lives, forging an undeniable chemistry that spreads from the stage to the crowd, leaving a joyous and upbeat aura that viewers will carry with them long after the curtains close. Their artistic mediums have been passed down for generations and each dancer began their craft as a young child, connecting with their ancestry and the community’s history.
“Dancing has been in my family for generations. My grandma did it and her mom and her grandmother, same on my dad’s side,” Jamal Isaac-Jones, dancer and founding member of Indigenous Enterprise said. “As soon as I could walk and talk, I was learning how to dance and sing. My elders taught me the right way to carry myself in the powwow circle and outside of the powwow circles.”
Like many other members of Indigenous Enterprise, Isaac-Jones began his life on the Navajo Nation in Arizona. He met Shirley as a young child and was immersed in competitive dancing, leading to the company’s creation.
Since Indigenous Enterprise’s inception, the company has grown and evolved. While the dance troupe is an important component, Indigenous Enterprise’s work spans beyond this medium. The company also integrates filmmaking, which Shirley himself studied at Arizona State University and has made its way into the fashion world with the launch of the new collection. Made up of hats, t-shirts and jewelry, the collaboration with Assembly NYC contains meaningful pieces from Thundercloud.
“These pieces take between 20 and 100 hours to make…and I truly believe that the pieces make themselves.”
Lionel Thundercloud
“These pieces take between 20 and 100 hours to make…and I truly believe that the pieces make themselves,” Thundercloud said. “They have their own story to tell, their own voice and their own journey and I’m just a person that is grateful to be able to tell their story to the best of my ability.”
In addition to being a silversmith, Thundercloud is also a writer and a storyteller. He met Shirley in 2020 on the Navajo Nation and crafted the collection’s pieces using a traditional casting method. His jewelry is featured both on its own and on the collection’s hats which bear pendants and dust from Thundercloud’s casting, and each piece contains an important message.
“I think people just need to be acknowledged. We natives have been here. We’re still here. Even though there’s craziness going on in the world.”
Shirley
“We live in the center between the past and the future and we have decisions…both that we’ve made and that we have yet to make,” Thundercloud said. “That is really the inspiration for the design of the hat.”
Thundercloud’s collection as well as the fashion week event was formulated in promotion of the troupe’s upcoming performance. The Joyce Theater show seeks to leave its viewers uplifted, an easy feat given Indigenous Enterprise’s immense talent and inspiring spirit.
“I think people just need to be acknowledged,” Shirley said. “We natives have been here. We’re still here. Even though there’s craziness going on in the world, we’re going to be alright. We’re going to be alright.”
All imagery courtesy of Indigenous Enterprise. Home page image: Kenneth Shirley, Founder and CEO Indigenous Enterprise. Inside above image: Collection by Indigenous Enterprise x Assembly.
