Patricia Michaels (Bpah-oo Pbup-oo {WATERLILY} in Tewa language)
Patricia Michaels m, of Taos Pueblo, is a world renowned fashion and textile designer and the CEO of PMWATERLILY DESIGNS. She has studied at the Institute of American Indian Arts, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, apprenticeship in Italia with a Taylor and worked on costumes at the Santa Fe Opera and designed costumes for dance and Opera at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC. Numerous recognitions include Best of Textiles SWAIA (2009), Taos Citizen of the Year (2013), the Smithsonian’s Inaugural National Museum of American Indian in NYNY Arts and Design Award (2014) parentheses, NEW Mexico governors award excellence in the arts parentheses (2023), when living treasures award by and Living Treasures Award by MIAC Museum (2024).
Patricia is an activist working with Missing and Murdered Indigenous Woman and Relatives; Community Against Violence, Indigenous Fashion Collective, and Preservation of Native Culture and Natural Resources.
Patricia gained national recognition as a contestant on season eleven of Project Runway; she won First Runner Up title and was asked back for All Stars. Her Native inspired hood couture fashion have been featured at the prestigious, New York Fashion Week, Santa Fe, Indian Market, museums around the world and International Fashion Shows in Johannesburg, Africa, Wellington, New Zealand, Geneva, Switzerland, Toronto, Canada, and publications in Vogue, New York Times WWD to name a few.
Recently, Michaels dressed award-winning actress Tantoo Cardinal (Cree and Métis)in a gown with her signature hand painted eagle feathers design for Mrs. Tantoo Cardinal’s red carpet international premiere of Martin Scorsese’s new film Killer of the Flower Moon at the Cannes Film Festival. Tantoo stars with Lily Gladstone(Siksikaitsitapi and Nimíipuu), Leonardo DiCaprio, and Robert DiNero.
