The Ute Mountain Ute Tribe is hosting a Ute Youth Fashion Project Jan. 2-6 in Towaoc.

Kelly Holmes, founder and editor of Native Max Magazine, will teach kids how to design and sew ribbon skirts and shirts. She will also provide modeling instruction.

The free workshop takes place at the Towaoc Community Center and wraps up with a fashion show where youths show off their creations.

“We’re excited. It gives students a chance to do something different and learn from a Native American professional,” said Juanita Plentyholes, Tiwahe program director for the Ute Mountain Tribe. “Students will be creating their own fashion styles.”

Fabric and sewing machines are provided for the workshop. It is open to youths in sixth grade and up.

The schedule is:

To register, call the Tiwahe department at (970) 564-5405 or go to the community center.

Holmes, a Cheyenne River Lakota, started Native Max Magazine in 2012. The Denver-based company has gained praise for its focus on Native American fashions and stories and has evolved into a digital company with events and print and digital platforms.

This fall, Ute Mountain Ute youths participated in a fashion show and traditional dance demonstration during Indigenous Days in Boulder with Native Max, Plentyholes said. The event may be featured in an upcoming edition of the magazine.

The fashion workshop is part of the tribe’s Project Peak series, a student-centered program offering after-school events for Towaoc and White Mesa youths.

A Ute Shawl and Skirt Making workshop will by Jan. 17-20 and Jan. 23-26.

Project Peak stands for Pisichu Enrichment Academy for Knowledge.

“Pisichu” means “children” or “young ones” in the Ute language. Project Peak events were designed with input from 60 Ute Mountain Ute Tribe students during feedback sessions, and from 14 Ute Mountain Ute Tribe educational, community, parents, tribal members, and tribal elders.

For more information, visit the Ute Mountain Project Peak website.