| Betty David | |
|---|---|
 Betty David dressing a mannequin | |
| Born | 1938 Nespelem, Washington |
| Died | August 31, 2007 |
| Nationality | Spokane |
| Education | University of Oregon Marylhurst University |
| Occupation | fashion designer |
Betty David (1938 – August 31, 2007) was a Native American fashion designer renowned for her handmade coats and leather goods.
David was born in Nespelem, Washington; she attended the University of Oregon and Marylhurst College. She was enrolled as a member of the Spokane Tribe of Indians, Wellpinit, Washington.
In the 1970s, she received a shearling coat as a gift and decided she could design a better one. She first began selling her hand-sewn coats decorated with painted designs in, in David's own words, "Northwest Coast Indian style," at the Santa Fe Art Market. She had a loft studio in Seattle's Pioneer Square and had a traveling trunk show. She later sold her work at galleries in Spokane and New York City and received attention in major publications.
Her work was acquired by the Heard Museum in Phoenix, Arizona, the Mitchell Museum of the American Indian in Evanston, Illinois and the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian.
David described her designs as bridging the divide between nature and abstraction: "'I'm inspired by animals and parts of animals, but I'm not trying to make critters. They're abstract ... It's a new totem pole look.'"
References
- ^ "Betty David Obituary". The Seattle Times. September 23, 2007. Archived from the original on January 16, 2018. Retrieved 2020-08-15.
- ^ Phinney, Susan (January 19, 2005). "Designer streamlines a bulky wool coat with a sleek fit and stunning designs". Seattle PI. Archived from the original on 2018-01-13. Retrieved 2020-08-15.
- "Art of the West: Have You Heard About the Heard". HistoryNet. 2007-12-06. Retrieved 2020-08-15.
- "Go There". Los Angeles Times. 1996-12-12. Retrieved 2020-08-15.
- ^ Barger, Jennifer (October 20, 2006). "Styles: Totems to Tote Bags". Washington Post. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
- "The American Indian Influence in Fashion" (PDF). The Indian Craft Shop and the Interior Museum. 2006.
- "Photos: Mitchell Museum of the American Indian". Chicago Tribune. 4 February 2015. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
- 1938 births
- 2007 deaths
- Marylhurst University alumni
- American women fashion designers
- American fashion designers
- 20th-century American artists
- 20th-century American women artists
- 21st-century American artists
- 21st-century American women artists
- Native American fashion designers
- 20th-century Native American women
- 20th-century Native American artists
- 21st-century Native American women
- 21st-century Native American artists
- Spokane people
- Native American women artists