SHE WAS THE FIRST NATIVE AMERICAN DESIGNER on Project Runway, where, she says, there was some education to pass on: “I encountered the constant battle of the fellow competitors not understanding who I was or where I came from. Even to the point of not knowing that Native Americans still existed.”
But Patricia is a force to be reckoned with, as the competitors (and judges) learned quickly. Her designs are infused with the traditions of the Taos Pueblo, where many of her family, including her grandparents, lived. Project Runway host Tim Gunn even visited the Pueblo and reportedly had a second helping of her family’s home-cooked meal. Patricia’s company PM Waterlily (after her native name) creates limited-edition apparel and casual lines for men and women. Sounds fancy, but every garment has undeniable roots in the Pueblo.
Tom Ford
Recently, a male friend asked me for advice on what to wear. He says his wife doesn’t like his clothes. I say, Wear whatever you want! It’s New Mexico! What, are you supposed to wear Tom Ford because he’s a New Mexico native, because he has the look down? No, we’re here to live our lives to a different beat.
Not that I don’t like Tom Ford. I had a crush on him in junior high. He was at Santa Fe Prep, and I was at Cristo Rey on Canyon Road; our schools used to play soccer against each other. I was on the team, and he would come and watch the match, always with a couple of beautiful girls. I was like, Why doesn’t he notice me, why isn’t he asking me for my number? I started to get a complex. The one guy that I am absolutely head over heels for is not paying attention to me! I even practiced my goals because I knew where he would always sit; I positioned myself so I could make a goal right in front of him, like a slow-motion Bo Derek move. But he never noticed.
Years later, I saw Tom with Richard Buckley and realized, Hello! I play for the wrong team here! I don’t have the right equipment!
Richard Buckley was great. Years ago, I was asked to do a fashion show for Indian Market. We did a show there – with no money. Totally guerrilla. But then Richard appears and sponsors the whole thing. (So Tom Ford is back in my life!) And a couple years later, Richard steps up and gives real money for a real show, what has become the SWAIA Fashion Show. And now Tom, in honor of his late husband, is sponsoring the 100th anniversary show this year.
My first runway
I came from a family of championship dancers. I was one of the youngest grandchildren, and the adults would always give me things. Once, my aunt, a great dancer, said, Oh, I don’t need this necklace anymore; here, you have it. Well, I was thrilled. It was like I was wearing part of her, more than just a thing. It was like a trophy from this championship performance artist.
But that became a problem. Because I was all about the look. I’d be in dancing competitions, out there moving around just thinking about how the clothes and jewelry looked, and I was missing the beats and doing these crazy dance moves because I was picturing how the light was hitting me, how the garment was flowing. Everybody was looking at me and thinking, What the fuck is she doing? Well, I was using the drumbeat as my runway.
This has been my passion my whole life. Since I could hold a piece of fabric.
Project Runway
I was struggling. The industry kept telling me I should just be a native fashion designer, and the native side said I wasn’t native enough because I used non-native fabrics.
I was barely hanging on. I had $40 left in my pocket, I go to the library to check my email like always, and there it is: Project Runway wants you to audition. We saw your website and are interested in having you on the show.
So they send me to a site where I go through hundreds of psychological questions, like, If you walk into a dark room, are you scared? Yes/no? Sort of? Very scared? I don’t know?
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Photo Mary Moon
