The Cheyenne River Youth Project’s 25th Annual Passion for Fashion event, also known as Wačhípí kta Iglúwiŋyeyapi (Youth Get Ready for the Dance), took place from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, Mar. 8, at CRYP’s Cokata Wiconi Teen Center. Twenty-eight youth in grades 7-12 attended, along with nearly 30 family members of all ages.
For a quarter century, this annual event has provided all the essentials young women and two-spirit youth need for their high school prom. Through the years, it also has become a vibrant celebration of Lakota culture and values, family relationships, friendships and simply being who you are. In 2025, the CRYP team took this idea a step further with the theme “Identity by Design.”
During this year’s Passion for Fashion, young people learned about Native fashion designers and the many ways indigenous identities inspire contemporary designs — and had opportunities to explore their own identities, discovering how they preferred to express themselves through fashion. Special guests included Eunice Straighthead, Miss He Sapa 2024-25, and the Igluhan Mani Fashion Collective, which showcased examples of indigenized prom dresses and offered to alter dresses on site.
For additional inspiration, the teens also had access to an impressive publication from the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. The museum created a catalog to accompany its exhibition “Identity by Design: Tradition, Change and Celebration in Native Women’s Dresses,” and it generously sent 80 copies to CRYP to share with Passion for Fashion guests.
After luncheon in the Keya Cafe and Miss He Sapa’s keynote speech, attendees spent the afternoon in the CRYP gymnasium, where they tried on formalwear and shoes, selected jewelry and accessories, and listened to music from DJ Tayzia Claymore-Knight, who also serves as the youth project’s teen internship manager. With the assistance of community ambassadors and volunteers, they also enjoyed self-care services such as hair styling, makeovers and manicures.
Thanks to the Native-led company Prados Beauty, attendees had a very special self-care treat this year. Prados sent $16,000 worth of beauty products to CRYP for Passion for Fashion attendees.
“I am so proud of everything your organization has done and will do for the kids at the Cheyenne River Youth Project,” writes Cece Meadows, Prados Beauty’s founder and chief executive officer. “I am honored and happy to support you in any way I can.”
A Yoeme (also known as Yaqui) entrepreneur and philanthropist, Meadows lives and works in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Prados Beauty is a reflection of her belief that beauty can be a force for good, and as a brand, it is committed to inclusivity, quality and giving back.
Passion for Fashion ended with a fashion show and swag bags filled with goodies to take home. Although this year’s event is over, it’s not too late to support Cheyenne River teens during the 2025 prom season; many teens who are unable to attend the event itself will book individual appointments with CRYP to look at dresses, shoes and accessories.
To ensure that all youth who plan to attend their high school proms will have what they need, CRYP will continue accepting both in-kind and financial contributions throughout the spring months. Donations that arrive after the reservation high schools’ final prom will be saved for Passion for Fashion 2026.
Needs include new and gently used dresses (especially sizes 16-26) and other formalwear, shoes (especially sizes 9-12), jewelry, hair accessories, makeup, bath sets, gift cards, and cash donations. Staff and volunteers will take any contributed funds and make additional purchases if necessary.
To learn more about CRYP’s Wačhípí kta Iglúwiŋyeyapi program, and to make a contribution, visit lakotayouth.org/passion-for-fashion.
To learn more about the Cheyenne River Youth Project and its programs, and for information about making donations and volunteering, call (605) 964-8200 or visit www.lakotayouth.org. And, to stay up to date on the latest CRYP news and events, follow the youth project on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
The Cheyenne River Youth Project, founded in 1988, is a grassroots, not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing the youth of the Cheyenne River reservation with access to a vibrant and secure future through a wide variety of culturally sensitive and enduring programs, projects and facilities that ensure strong, self-sufficient families and communities.