RYAN BREEZY (HE/HIM)
(Navajo/Paiute)
Indigenous makeup artist and plus-size model
Shonto, Arizona

Representation matters. I never thought just being me and being in this space would inspire so many. I have been involved in the world of fashion for over a decade — working specifically in the Indigenous fashion and beauty world — beginning with makeup. The industry can be intense; if you don’t fit within the universal standards of beauty, you are not given a second look. But the standards in fashion and beauty are finally changing. Inclusivity is important. I view fashion and beauty as art, and there are no rules when it comes to art. It’s a way to express ourselves without words and to be comfortable in our own skin. I am grateful for all the opportunities presented to me, and I hope to see more Indigenous people in the world of fashion and beauty.

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This article appeared in the August 2024 print edition of the magazine with the headline “#IAMTHEWEST.”

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‘There are no rules when it comes to art’

by Nate Lemuel, High Country News
August 1, 2024

<h1>‘There are no rules when it comes to art’</h1> <p class="byline">by Nate Lemuel, High Country News <br />August 1, 2024</p> <br /> <figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full is-resized"><img src="https://www.hcn.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/iatw-56-08_1-scaled.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-326840" style="width:600px" /></figure> <p><strong>RYAN BREEZY (HE/HIM)</strong><br /><em>(Navajo/Paiute)<br />Indigenous makeup artist and plus-size model<br />Shonto, Arizona</em></p> <p>Representation matters. I never thought just being me and being in this space would inspire so many. I have been involved in the world of fashion for over a decade — working specifically in the Indigenous fashion and beauty world — beginning with makeup. The industry can be intense; if you don’t fit within the universal standards of beauty, you are not given a second look. But the standards in fashion and beauty are finally changing. Inclusivity is important. I view fashion and beauty as art, and there are no rules when it comes to art. It’s a way to express ourselves without words and to be comfortable in our own skin. I am grateful for all the opportunities presented to me, and I hope to see more Indigenous people in the world of fashion and beauty.</p> <p><em>We welcome reader letters.&nbsp;Email&nbsp;</em>High Country News<em>&nbsp;at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:editor@hcn.org">editor@hcn.org</a>&nbsp;or submit a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hcn.org/feedback/contact-us">letter to the editor</a>. See our&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hcn.org/policies/lte">letters to the editor policy</a>.</em></p> <p><em>This article appeared in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hcn.org/issues/56-8/">August 2024&nbsp;print edition of the magazine</a>&nbsp;with the headline&nbsp;“#IAMTHEWEST.”</em></p> <p>This &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://www.hcn.org/issues/there-are-no-rules-when-it-comes-to-art/&quot;&gt;article&lt;/a&gt; first appeared on &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://www.hcn.org&quot;&gt;High Country News&lt;/a&gt; and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.&lt;img src=&quot;https://i0.wp.com/www.hcn.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/cropped-HCN_Logo-Monogram_White_Sq-2.png?resize=150%2C150&amp;amp;quality=100&amp;amp;ssl=1&quot; style=&quot;width:1em;height:1em;margin-left:10px;&quot;&gt;&lt;img id=&quot;republication-tracker-tool-source&quot; src=&quot;https://www.hcn.org/?republication-pixel=true&amp;post=326838&amp;amp;ga4=G-0NS3WVPPTN&quot; style=&quot;width:1px;height:1px;&quot;&gt;&lt;script&gt; PARSELY = { autotrack: false, onload: function() { PARSELY.beacon.trackPageView({ url: &quot;https://www.hcn.org/issues/there-are-no-rules-when-it-comes-to-art/&quot;, urlref: window.location.href }); } } &lt;/script&gt; &lt;script id=&quot;parsely-cfg&quot; src=&quot;//cdn.parsely.com/keys/hcn.org/p.js&quot;&gt;&lt;/script&gt;</p> Copy to Clipboard

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