Meet our Creative Director: Michelle Brown (Diné)

New Year, new role! While Eighth Generation works with dozens of incredible Native artists and has a talented product development team, we've never had an official Creative Director—someone whose primary focus is maintaining the cutting-edge brand standards of Eighth Generation's products while maintaining the unique and authentic touch of each artist we work with. We are thrilled to start the New Year with wonderful news: Eighth Generation welcomes Michelle Brown (Diné/Navajo), a talented artist and designer in her own right, to become our first official Creative Director! 

"We are thrilled to have Michelle join us as our new Creative Director. Her experience in guiding a brand through all stages of product development, from concept to implementation and beyond, is invaluable to Eighth Generation as we continue to lead the Indigenous retail marketspace,” says Robert de los Angeles, Chairman for the Snoqualmie Tribe, which owns Eighth Generation. "Michelle's expertise in developing and maintaining a strong brand design style while also supporting the authentic voice of each artist is key to an artist-centric brand like Eighth Generation. Through Michelle, each artist's product will maintain their stories, their voice, and their passion, while also aligning with Eighth Generation's design ethos."  

Eighth Generation's new Creative Director 

Michelle Brown (Diné) will lead our team in maintaining both a strong visual brand while authentically representing our artists' individual styles, stories, and voices

Michelle graduated from the prestigious Parsons School of Design in 2014 and has worked for fashion icons including Polo Ralph Lauren and Lane Bryant. Most recently, Brown was the Director of Product Design for Nena & Co., a handbag retailer dedicated to fair artist/producer relationships and sharing authentic cultural designs from across the globe. 

"As a designer and creative, my mission has always been to craft intentionally-designed products that tell meaningful stories,” said Brown. “I am thrilled by the opportunity to apply my design expertise while collaborating with accomplished artists to champion Indigenous entrepreneurship and design. My goal at Eighth Generation is to innovate and elevate this already inspiring brand to new heights." Eighth Generation’s 2025 new product launches include several new blanket designs, refreshed home goods offerings, and new products such as baby swaddles and ceramic coasters.

Meet Michelle 

We asked Michelle five questions to help you get to know her better! Read below to learn more about our new Creative Director. 

What's your first memory connected to art or design?

I can’t say there was a single, definitive first memory tied to either. Both felt incredibly organic, woven into my everyday life. My father was always creating—whether through woodworking, oil painting, or jewelry-making, his passion for creation was always evident.

I was that curious child who eventually caused a lock to be put on his studio door because I couldn’t resist sneaking in! I couldn’t resist playing with paints, touching canvases to see if they were dry, or simply observing him at work. Through those moments of quiet observation, I discovered that I could draw too, and soon realized I had a natural gift for creating and constructing.

What inspires your personal work, whether fashion design, graphic design, or other forms of art you practice?

Memories inspire me deeply and play a significant role in shaping my personal work. However, anyone who knows me well is fully aware that much of my early inspiration was heavily influenced by the manga Dragon Ball Z. To say I was obsessed would be an understatement!

Some of my favorite memories are of my siblings and me challenging one another to create and sketch manga stories inspired by DBZ. We’d fill notebooks with our ideas, present our concepts, and vote on whose storyline was the most popular or funny. Those moments were filled with laughter, especially as we poked fun at our awkward character depictions.

Looking back, I realize that we were storytelling through art as a form of entertainment, all while unknowingly exercising and exploring our own unique creativity. I know that sounds like a world away from fashion design, but it’s something that inspired me taking my creativity to a 2-dimensional form and eventually 3-dimensional forms of creation.

Is there a story, teaching, or celebration from your culture or community that you really connect with?

In my Diné culture, one of the teachings that resonates deeply with me is the belief that when an object is created, the spirit of its maker becomes embedded within it. I’ve always found this teaching incredibly powerful, though also a bit haunting in a fascinating way as well. It naturally ties an object to memory, which is a central part of my creative process.

As a consumer, this teaching holds great meaning for me too. When I purchase a piece of jewelry or clothing made by a friend, I find it awe-inspiring to think that someone took an idea from their mind and transformed it into a tangible object. To me, that’s a superpower, and it’s likely why I obsess over design details. There’s so much that can be understood and appreciated through a well-designed piece.

What's one of your favorite current Eighth Generation products?

I absolutely adore the Never Say Goodbye Wool Blanket. The butterfly design beautifully symbolizes transformation and metamorphosis, and the mission behind it that supports formerly incarcerated Indigenous peoples is deeply meaningful to me. I strongly believe in every individual’s ability to create meaningful change in their lives, and I love that this product gives back to a community that is so often overlooked. If you haven’t seen the design or learned more about the project, I highly encourage you to take a moment to check it out! (Read the description for our Never Say Goodbye Wool Blanket, designed by Louie Gong (Nooksack), here.)

What's something you're excited to do in your first year with Eighth Generation?

A lot can happen in a year, and I’m truly excited to connect with our incredible team whose work gives visibility to the creative and entrepreneurial talents of tribal peoples. I’m equally eager to connect with Eighth Generation artists and collaborate in bringing their visions to life through thoughtfully designed, beautiful products. I’m excited for all the unknowns as well, it’s a very special time!

Join Us in Welcoming Michelle

Please join us by welcoming Michelle in the comments, and thank you for supporting Inspired Natives®, not "Native-inspired"!