Katie Manzanares has always been interested in customer services and sales, and grew up with an entrepreneurial mindset of willing to try new things and work for herself. She has operated a firework stand (Krazy Katie’s) before she was allowed to use a lighter, Kool-Aid stands and done yard work for relatives.
With Salish Style, even though selling Coast Salish apparel and accessories has its struggles in regards to exposure and sales, with each piece she produces she feels closer to her ancestors and gains a deeper understanding of the arts and cultures of the Coast Salish territory.
Salish Style sells t-shirts, hoodies, pants, long sleeve shirts, hats, throw blankets, backpacks, pins and more!
She began to learn about Coast Salish Style in 2011, the year her father passed away. He had left her many pieces of Native American art, which sparked a new desire for her to understand the Puyallup art form. She noticed a lot of the pieces had Formline art, which led her to research more about Puyallup Tribe’s art form.
Her efforts with Salish Style have been to collaborate with local artists, along with First Nations artists, to represent the underrepresented art form to help revitalize it. Talking with Tribal citizens of other nations throughout the Coast Salish territory has expanded her knowledge of cultural differences.
One of her goals as a business owner is to combat cultural appropriation with cultural appreciation where not only can people appreciate the artwork and designs on each item, but they can also support the many Indigenous artists that she works with.
You can purchase her apparel and accessories on her website and stay up-to-date on her latest activities on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Tumblr.
Also, you can read a full Q&A article published by American Indian Republic here.
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