Ginew, the Native American-owned denim brand founded by Dr. Amanda Bruegl, who is of Oneida, Stockbridge-Munsee descent and Dr. Erik Brodt of the Ojibwe tribe, is on a new journey: women’s wear.
Founded in 2010 as a small-batch men’s brand focused on heirloom-quality garments and storytelling, Portland, Ore.-based Ginew has steadily gained a following with denim heads for its contemporary vision of Native American style with Ojibwe, Oneida and Stockbridge-Munsee design elements and love for selvedge denim.
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The brand’s focus remains the same for its new women’s collection. “We designed for the eco-conscious and purpose-driven woman who advocates for and appreciates Native culture, story, and style,” Bruegl and Brodt told Rivet.
Ginew stepped into women’s wear last fall with “true Americana cuts” like the Ozelda, a high-rise, straight jean made with deadstock stretch selvedge denim, and the Niizhoo coat. Modeled after a contemporary Type II style, the denim coat is lined with Native American artist Addie Roanhorse’s colorful Gently Strikes design woven by Pendleton Woolen Mills.
Roanhorse is a multidisciplinary artist residing on the Osage Nation Reservation. In 2023, she was appointed by Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear as the Osage Nation Ambassador for the movie “Killers of the Flower Moon” directed by Martin Scorsese.
This spring, Ginew expanded the line by adding cropped carpenter jeans, ruffle tops and a strawberry print tee—a nod to the fruit being the first medicine in the Oneida community.
The collection is available in sizes XS-XXL for tops and 24-32 for most bottoms. Prices range from $50-$550.
In 2022, the brand received $500,000 from Raven Indigenous Capital Partners, a Canadian Indigenous-led and -owned impact investment firm out of Vancouver that supports Native entrepreneurship.
Bruegl and Brodt said it was only a matter of time Ginew added a permanent women’s collection. With Bruegl as president, the founders said they’ve been supported by “inspiring and thought-leading women” since the earliest days of the brand, including Kathie Sever, the founder of Fort Lonesome; Logan Caldbeck, the co-founder of Cobra Rock Boot Company; Susie Shaughnessy, owner of Crawford Denim; and Maura Ambrose, founder of Folk Fibers.
“As our audience has grown and expanded, especially with more women joining the Ginew community through jewelry and accessories offerings, the moment arrived to expand the brand with the women’s collection and honor the matriarchs that have gotten us to this point and who will take us further on the journey ahead,” Brody and Bruegl said.
From the symbolic Skydome pattern on the rivets to the deliberate choices of colorways, floral patterns, and deerskin patches, the founders have taken special care to carry the brand’s heritage into the women’s collection.
“Being able to include our tribal symbols authentically and tastefully on something as everyday and essential as a pair of jeans is beautiful to us,” they said. “These subtle details and touches are intended to be enjoyed and appreciated by everyone as part of their everyday attire dressed up or dressed casually.”
Launching a women’s collection is both challenging and motivating, Bruegl and Brodt added. They’re meticulous about fit, function and the feel of fabric, while being mindful of meaningful colorways, patterns, tribal designs and customary textiles.
“Women are exceptionally astute about their wardrobes. To design specifically for the Ginew woman and to honor and respect the pasts of our family matriarchs—present and emerging—was a real journey,” they said.
