Martha of Taos: Broomstick Skirts, Concho Belts, and the History of Southwestern Fashion

May 31, 2016 - September 2, 2016 

Taos, New Mexico, is one of several cities in the United States that contributed to the popularization of a distinctly American style of clothing in the years following WWII.  Home of Taos Pueblo (an ancient community belonging to a Native American tribe of Puebloan people), the city had been an artists’ colony since the early 1900s because of its scenic location as well as its Native American and Hispanic heritage.

Martha Reed (1922-2010), an artist, fashion designer, and highly independent woman, made Taos her home in the early 1950s.  She established the  “Martha of Taos” label in 1955, working throughout her career with seamstresses from Taos Pueblo to create her signature broomstick skirts and Navajo-inspired velvet skirts and blouses. Martha was the only child of the well-known printmaker and painter Doel Reed, who would also move to Taos with his wife Jane in 1959. 

With her distinctive sense of style, Martha was a key figure in the creation and promotion of Southwestern fashion from the 1950s-1990s. This exhibition places Martha’s designs within the larger framework of American style and draws attention to the Native American roots of Southwestern fashion.