Founder & Creative Director, PMWaterlily Designs

Patricia Michaels (Taos Pueblo) is an internationally celebrated fashion and textile designer, acclaimed for her visionary approach to haute couture that honors Indigenous artistry while redefining contemporary elegance. As Founder and CEO of PMWaterlily Designs, and a professor at Parsons School of Design, Michaels brings a distinctive aesthetic rooted in the rhythms of nature, cultural storytelling, and impeccable craftsmanship.

Educated at the Institute of American Indian Arts and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Michaels further refined her artistry through an apprenticeship with a master tailor in Italy and design work with the Santa Fe Opera and the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

Her artistry has graced international stages and publications—from New York Fashion Week and Santa Fe Indian Market to exhibitions and runway shows in Johannesburg, Wellington, Geneva, and Toronto, with features in Vogue and The New York Times.

Michaels first captivated a global audience as the First Runner-Up on Project Runway Season 11, later returning for All Stars. Her creations are renowned for their fusion of tradition and innovation, embodying both strength and grace through hand-painted textiles and bespoke silhouettes.

Her accolades include the Taos Citizen of the Year Award (2013), the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian Arts and Design Award (2014), the New Mexico Governor’s Award for Excellence in Art (2023), and the Living Treasures Award (2024) presented by the New Mexico Museums.

Beyond fashion, Michaels is a passionate advocate and activist, collaborating with organizations that address Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives, Community Against Violence, the Indigenous Fashion Initiative, and the Preservation of Native Culture and Natural Resources.

Most recently, Michaels designed a breathtaking red-carpet gown featuring her signature eagle feather motif for acclaimed actress Tantoo Cardinal (Cree and Métis), worn at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival for the premiere of Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon. She has also dressed U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland for the SWAIA Fashion Show Finale, reaffirming her place among the world’s most inspiring and authentic voices in modern couture.