Louie Gong, an educational-resource coordinator at Muckleshoot Tribal College in Washington, is finding newfound fame as a fashion shoe designer. Gong, who is of Nooksack, Squamish, Chinese, French and Scottish heritage, started putting traditional Salish designs on pairs of Vans about a year ago. The Eighth Generation quickly became popular and now he's one of eight Native designers who will show their works at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics. "What I'm doing is being true to the cultural influences that I have in my life," Gong told The Seattle Times. Gong is part of the Aboriginal Fashion Showcase, which began Friday and runs through Tuesday. Get the Story:
Fashion footwear grounded in Coast Salish art (The Seattle Times 2/15)