Relative Arts is a brick-and-mortar community space, open studio, and shop that showcases contemporary Indigenous fashion and design in NYC’s East Village at 367 E 10th St.

Our mission is to provide a peer-run space that fosters the advancement of Indigenous futurism through collaboration, celebration, and education. We are Indigenous owned and operated by Korina Emmerich (Puyallup) and Liana Shewey (Mvskoke).

The inaugural Indigenous New York Fashion Week is taking place September 11-15, 2025, with runways at The Grace Exhibition Space in Lenapehoking (NYC).

We’re excited to celebrate Indigenous design, style, and storytelling. We have carefully curated a diverse line up of designers from North, South, Central America, and beyond for INYFW 2025. 

The Jewelry runway showcase, directed by Omar Monroy, will be held on September 12. Designer Runways will be September 13 & 14 (times tbd). Ticket Sales will be announced SOON! Follow @relativeartsnyc on instagram to stay up-to-date.

Sept 11-15 The week will be filled with phenomenal programming including pop-ups, concerts, panels, and parties spotlighting Indigenous excellence across all disciplines.

Relative Arts Team Bios

Korina Emmerich (Puyallup descent)

is a celebrated fashion designer and artist, known for her sustainable brand, EMME Studio, founded in 2015. Emmerich’s designs blend textile with social justice, emphasizing ethical production, minimal waste, and the reclamation of cultural heritage. Her work has been featured in major exhibitions, including In America: A Lexicon of Fashion at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and at the Museum of Modern Art’s Weaving Together / Woven Histories : Textiles and Modern Abstraction.

Emmerich has showcased her collections at SWAIA Santa Fe Indian Market, Santa Fe Native Fashion Week, Fashion and Arts Toronto, NYFW and Vancouver Indigenous Fashion Week.

Co-founder of Relative Arts, a community space in New York City's East Village, Emmerich fosters Indigenous creativity and education. She has collaborated with institutions like the Hudson River Museum, RISD, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Boston Museum of Fine Arts, ICA Boston and the Denver Art Museum. She has contributed to the development of multidisciplinary programs highlighting sustainability, ethical fashion and cultural reinvigoration helping shape the future of art and fashion.

Liana Shewey (Mvskoke)

is a cultural worker, educator, and community organizer, as well as Co-Founder of Relative Arts NYC. Dedicated to social justice, she has led teach-ins and speak-outs on missing and murdered Indigenous relatives (MMIR), the harmful impacts of fossil fuels, and Indigenous liberation. She brings her expertise and networks to Relative Arts, curating events that highlight artists across disciplines and fostering progressive educational programming. Shewey has presented at institutions such as The New York Historical, William Paterson University, RISD, The American Indian Community House, Cornell University, The Children's Museum of Manhattan, and more.

Nishina Shapwaykeesic-Loft (Kanien’kehá:ka from Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory)

She is a 2S queer, multi-disciplinary artist in a wide spectrum of mediums. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts with Honours from York University in Theatre Production and Design.

Nishina is a beadwork artist based in Brooklyn, focusing on modern designs with traditional materials. She is most known for tufted earrings with statements such as Land Back and Awas. She is an emerging fashion designer with a focus in upcycling and traditional motifs from Haudenosaunee patterns. She is the Artist in Residence at Relative Arts NYC.