In 2004, Fashion Designer Charm Logan attempted to gather a lineup of all-indigenous models for her fashion show, Fashion Nation. After discovering that there were simply not enough Indigenous models signed to talent agencies, she had to scout aspiring actors and models in First Nations communities. In 2019, fifteen years later, another fashion designer named Leslie Hampton attempted the same thing for her Toronto Fashion Week debut, only to find that, once again, agencies just did not have enough Indigenous models, so she also had to scout for models in native communities. Though both these cases took place in Canada, the same rings true in America. The unfortunate truth is that there is a notable lack of Native American representation in the fashion industry, especially modeling, which means someone like Denali White Elk being featured on the cover of Vogue Italia is a surprising headline.

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