Walking in Beauty: Designs by Orlando Dugi
Walking in Beauty is the first solo show of designer Orlando Dugi. The exhibition of loaned pieces helped fundraise for the Avenir to acquire one of Dugi’s pieces for the permanent collection.
Yá’át’ééh shí éí Orlando Dugi yínshyé’. Kinyaa’áanii nishłį. Tódich’ii’nii ‘éí bá shish chíín. Tł’ízíłání ‘éí dashicheii. Tsé deeshgizhnii ‘éí dashinálí.
I am Kinyaa’áanii (Towering House clan), born for Tódich’ii’nii (Bitter Water clan). My maternal grandparents are Tł’ízíłání (Many Goats clan) and my paternal grandparents are Tsé deeshgizhnii (Rock Gap clan).
I am Diné (Navajo).
Orlando Dugi was born in Grey Mountain, Arizona, on the Navajo Nation. As a young boy at his grandmother’s feet, he dreamed of traveling the world attending operas, balls, and elegant parties. He began to recognize the similarity between the photos he saw of the jet set and the members of his own community in their best ceremonial dress. During the summers his family attended traditional ceremonies, which Orlando considers his first fashion shows. He distinctly remembers being captivated by the colorful, embellished clothing and jewelry worn by his fellow Diné people. Because of these experiences, from a young age, Orlando has believed in the Navajo cultural value of “dressing for the Holy Ones.”
Many of his early memories include spending time with the women in his family, watching their hands, repeating their motions, and listening to their stories. Orlando’s father was also a bead artist. As a young child, he began to emulate the artistry of his family, making small pieces for loved ones and for himself. He continues to draw on these memories to inspire his work.
He loved watching his grandmothers sew clothing by hand or with a foot-powered treadle sewing machine. This time with his family was his first introduction to fashion. His great-grandmother Záhni lived in a hogan, a traditional log and mud dwelling, west of Shadow Mountain on the Western Navajo Nation. As a child, Orlando often played outside. Záhni would call for him when she needed assistance threading her needle, a skill he eventually mastered.
His grandmother Lorraine noticed his fascination with beading and would always give him something small to work on. Under her watch, Orlando learned to take the craft seriously. If she was not satisfied with his work, she would make him start over. This challenged and pushed Orlando to produce high quality work that he continues to insist on in everything he produces.
Orlando traces his aesthetic relationship to beading to the memories of nights spent with family near his home in Arizona, sleeping outside in the open air. His grandparents taught him about specific stars and constellations while sharing the traditional Navajo creation stories. Because of these early experiences, Orlando has remained fascinated with the cosmos and the night sky. In his work, each hand-stitched bead reflects light, sparkling like a distant star.
In 2009 Orlando began to enter some of his beadwork in state fairs and art markets. With the success of his beaded clutches, he gained the confidence to explore designing not only small beaded elements, but also the complex and larger-scale construction of evening gowns. Orlando strives to incorporate his culture and his own modern graceful aesthetic into everything he creates.
In the span of a few years, Orlando has made a name for himself in the fashion world. He has participated in fashion shows in Santa Fe, Oklahoma, Phoenix, and New York, and has won numerous awards at Native art markets.
