Clothing says a lot about a person. And for actress Lily Gladstone, that statement is she’s a proud Native American.
Lily starred in Martin Scorsese’s 2023 film Killers of the Flower Moon, which earned her several award nominations, including Best Actress at the Oscars. During awards season, she turned heads on the red carpets by wearing beautiful gowns often featuring Indigenous designs.
For the next year, you can see the two iconic Oscar gowns from Lily’s personal wardrobe on display at the Museum of the American Indian.
The Gowns
The dresses are half-hidden in a small display at the end of a hall on the museum’s third floor. But the obscure location doesn’t detract from the gowns. In fact, the dark exhibit and perfectly placed lights bring them to life.
Curator Anya Montiel worked with a team of thirty to create the exhibit. Their care and attention show in everything from the QR codes to hearing more about the dresses to the close-up shot of one of the gowns on the back wall that allows you to see the decorations in high definition.
The first gown, worn on the red carpet, is a velvet dress with a cape covered in 216 petals made for porcupine quills and silver-plated beads. The after-party dress is made from silk cady and a quillwork neckline. The beaded fringe adds subtle sparkle and is reminiscent of a jingle dress.
The Creation
These gowns represent a unique collaboration between Gucci and Indigenous artist Joe Big Mountain. After creating the gowns, Gucci handed them off to Joe and his small, mostly family team.
They only had 2 1/2 weeks to make all the decorations, but the results are stunning. Quillwork is a time-intensive process involving harvesting, washing, flatting, dying, and sorting quills before finally creating the design.
Both dresses are a beautiful example of modern haute couture combined with traditional techniques that we’re seeing more of in the high fashion space.
If you’re visiting the Indian Museum in the next few months, take a moment to walk through this exhibit and admire the gowns. Then, see if you can spot quill work on other clothes, shoes, or bags throughout the museum. (I found some across the hall in the Americans exhibit.)
The Museum of the American Indian is open daily from 10-5:30 pm. Check their website for information and to plan your visit.
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