A Native American designer has become a viral fashion sensation after creating traditional pow wow wear for her son out of a pair of Vans. Artist Charlene Holy Bear, a member of the Standing Rock Lakota Sioux Tribe, was heading to a pan-tribal festival called the “Gathering of Nations” in Albuquerque, New Mexico when the idea struck her. “I hadn’t had any time to prepare outfits for us but I wanted my 4-year-old son Justus to look really cool," she told Vogue. "He had a new pair of slip-on Vans and I suddenly had an idea, looking at the checkerboard design.” After that, she started hand-beading the shoes to make them look like traditional moccasins. “Once they were beaded they had this sort of urban Indian vibe so I braided my son’s hair, put on those shoes and he was the coolest little guy at the pow wow.” she continued, “People were stopping us to take photos, he made such a splash.”

And the shoes didn't just wow others — they gave Charlene's son a chance to "express his tribal identity" and partake in the usual kid antics (like running around), and he was proud to show them off. "It wasn't entirely traditional but a modern adaptation in helping him expressing his culture," she tells Teen Vogue.

After the photos from the festival were posted on social media, Charlene started getting contacted by people wanting her to make them shoes as well, and that’s when it took off. On her website, Charlene shows examples of already-completed custom orders, each with their own unique spin, alongside stunning hand beaded jewelry that's also available for purchase. Her current pieces stem from Charlene's original work as a Native artist creating dolls and figures with a historic background, in which she used traditional Lakota beadwork. "I feel that I am continuing the process while establishing a Native unique aesthetic, as well as communicating Native survival and commitment to showing that," she says. "In this case, I expressed it in beading a pair of slip-ons. There is a historical tradition design that I used specifically for the Vans based off Lakota moccasins."

In recent years, we’ve seen traditional Native American culture and designs appropriated by big retail brands like Victoria's Secret and during festivals like Coachella. In these cases, not only are companies and people using designs without permission from the tribes that originated them, but they're also taking opportunity away from the incredible artisans who are keeping their communities's traditions alive with their work. Charlene's craftsmanship and creativity perfectly exemplify how to appropriately blend traditional Native American design with modern fashion. "I hope that [people] understand that tribal people are here," Charlene says. "We are surviving, thriving, [and] adapting while claiming our identity, while honoring the traditional aesthetic[s] that were passed down from our grandmothers."

If you love Native American looks, learn about their origins, and use your wallet to support the tribes and the traditions that it come from. Luckily, Charlene told Vogue that she plans to expand her business in 2018. We can’t wait to see more.

Related: This Coachella Attendee Was Called Out for Cultural Appropriation, and Her Response Is Going Viral

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