Description
A portrait of specific materials valued like diamonds to an Apsaalooké woman’s heart.
Materials
Tri-cut beads - size 9, red wool (8 band), bone carved elk tooth, abalone shell, crystal beads, chevron beads.
Category
Diverse Art Form
Della BigHair-Stump
Crow Nation
About the Artist
Della BigHair-Stump is an enrolled member of the Crow Tribe from Crow Agency, Montana. Her Apsáalooke (Crow) name is Latter Day Achiever. She comes from the Whistling Water Clan and is a Child of the Big Lodge. Della has been designing Native fashion & accessories since 2016.
Growing up, Della would watch her mother, grandmothers & grandfathers sit around the table beading, sewing, doing feather work & designing/drawing out Crow designs. From these teachings, she figured how to combine traditions & the modern world to make wearable fashion.
Her gowns & attire have been featured in Teen Vogue, INSIDER, USA New News, Vocally, INDEPENDENT from the UK, BUST Magazine, Xposer Magazine, Native American Art Magazine and many local Montana newspaper articles. She has been a Native American Made in Montana member since 2018. Designs by Della has traveled to many fashion and art shows, sharing her unique creations all over the U.S., Canada and Paris, France. Two museums have Designs by Della gowns in their collection.
Two gowns are displayed at their forever home in the American History Museum, Smithsonian - Washington, D.C. Exhibit, “GIRLHOOD (It’s Complicated).”One gown is in the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, Indiana. “Shield That Sings” is a couture gown forever representing Apsaalooke/Indigenous youth across the nation. Our youth of today are expressing themselves through Native fashion while attending prom, homecoming, graduation and all major school events. We are still here!
Aside from fashion, she is a wife, mother of three beautiful children, grandmother & dancer in the powwow circuit. Della has active readywear apparel such as leggings, tote bags, dresses, laptop sleeves, cell phone cases, T-shirts, backpacks, etc. Her wearable art can be purchased from her website: apsaalookedesignsbydella.com
