T-shirt by Hosh called “Dark Indigo” a naturally dyed t-shirt
hosh
Take a break from buying t-shirts on Amazon for a second. What if there was a platform that showcased designs created by Native American artists, which allowed them to not only share their creative vision, but pay them directly for their work?
That’s the concept behind Hosh, a platform created by artist DY Begay and fashion industry veteran Tom Tarica.
It came about in 2022, when Tarica visited Moab, Utah, and went looking for t-shirts to bring home for his children. “Many of the t-shirts had Native American iconography, but the imagery wasn’t created by Native American artists,” he said.
With their combined background in art and footwear, the duo set out to imagine a new way to honor Native artists in fashion. “I started to imagine a business model that put the artists’ work and their stories at the center of everything,” said Tarica, “creating a platform that would allow the artists to maintain their intellectual property, control their story and benefit financially.”
Tarica connected with DY Begay, a Santa Fe-based Diné (Navajo) tapestry artist. “Native American art is a large industry, but it’s often very regional and collected mostly by an older demographic,” said Begay. “Fashion, on the other hand, reaches a much broader audience.”
That’s how Hosh was born. Each t-shirt and sweater sold on their website was designed by Native American artists, like Tony Abeyta, a Diné (Navajo) contemporary artist, Berdina Y. Charley, a fifth-generation Diné (Navajo) tapestry artist from Tselani, Arizona, and Jared Tso, a fourth-generation Diné (Navajo) potter, among others. The designs are pretty cool, from oversized bikers on t-shirts to paint-smeared bingo cards and fragmented bird portraits.
“We’re working to reach people who may not realize Native artists aren’t only figures of the past,” explains Begay. “They are contemporary people living contemporary lives. Our partnerships provide new distribution channels and new audiences, helping their work travel further than traditional markets.”
“Star People” crewneck sweatshirt by Mike Bird for Hosh
hosh
Hosh has also worked with Canadian artist, Marcel Dzama on a t-shirt called Sin Fronteras, and a poster that will have its proceeds go to NDN Girls Book Club, a literary nonprofit that hosts free literary workshops for Native people.
Why t-shirts, though? “T-shirts are utilitarian, which reminded us of the original purpose of most Native art; whether weaving or ceramics, these were functional items,” said Begay. “One of our goals was to create high-quality garments made in America from best-in-class natural materials.”
She adds: “The T-shirts and sweatshirts become a canvas for the art, and we believe both the artists and their work deserve this respect.”
“Biker” t-shirt design by Craig George for Hosh
hosh
Their first nine collaborations were with artists from the Southwest but are expanding. Some of their most recent collaborations are with Lehuauakea, a Hawaiian interdisciplinary artist and kapa-maker (barkcloth), and George Alexander (Ofuskie), a painter who grew up in Oklahoma.
This fall, Hosh will expand into home goods. Begay will introduce a blanket, too, based on one of her weavings, “Black Mesa.” They will also release a collection of baseball jerseys and hats created in collaboration with artist, Craig George.
“Craig grew up as a graffiti artist in south central Los Angeles, paying tribute to Native American actors from the past who were given tiny roles, that often caricatured them, in Hollywood productions,” said Tarica.
“Craig is also a big Dodgers fan, so we decided to honor Native actors by creating a fictitious baseball team called the ‘Hollywood Extras’ and collaborated with Ebbets Field Flannels to make jerseys and hats,” he said. “The collection is launching at HOSH’s LA launch party this October during the MLB playoffs.”
