Kevin Aspaas: Honoring the Long Tradition of Navajo Weaving

Based in Shiprock, New Mexico, on the Navajo Nation, Kevin Aspaas descends from a long line of Native American weavers, craftspeople, and storytellers. The Diné fiber artist, shepherd, and farmer learned to weave at age ten and still works on his mother’s loom (it’s older than he is), following a true “sheep to loom” trajectory. Aspaas raises his own flock of Navajo-Churro sheep and handles every step of the fiber-making process himself: shearing, carding, spinning, and coloring the sheep’s wool with natural dyes (he even grows his own indigo). His mother, grandmothers, the generations of weavers before him, and the artistic legacy they created continue to guide his hand. “Everything on the loom has a story,” he says. “There’s meaning and intention behind it.”

That sense of meaning is deeply integrated into Aspaas’s debut collaboration with Schumacher. Each fabric and trim channels the beauty, originality, and integrity of his artisanal weavings, infused with Native American symbols and motifs, borne from ancient Navajo techniques, and honoring the tradition, craft, and cultural heritage at the heart of his work. When asked to describe the collection in a single word, Aspaas says, “authentic.”

At first glance, the collection’s beauty is undeniable, featuring dazzling geometries, rich hues, and extraordinary tactility. But linger longer and a more telling story emerges: Each pattern is rooted in symbolism, tradition, and centuries of cultural meaning. For Pathway, a medium-scale wool-and-cotton weave exuding texture and warmth, Aspaas drew inspiration from a textile originally used to make garments. Its zigzag stripe comes to life with dynamic detail and dimension. Born for Water features the Navajo Nation’s symbolic Spider Woman Cross motif, rendered in terra-cotta, sky blue, and creamy neutrals that echo the four seasons. Subtle tonal variations and a soft yet structured hand give this fabric a presence that feels both breathtaking and blanketlike, sophisticated and soulful.

Eye-catching and exceptional, Wedge Weave showcases one of the most iconic Diné techniques. In this ancient method, weft yarns are woven diagonally across the warp, creating scalloped edges and distinctive zigzag patterns. Aspaas looked to the landscape around him for the palette: the surrounding mountains, the soil underfoot, the subtle variations in the desert terrain. The result is a mesmerizing medium-scale wool textile, alive with vibrant color and unmistakably artisanal.

Monsoon, too, brings Aspaas’s surroundings to life, from dramatic rock formations to the dry atmospherics of the desert. Woven from a rich cotton-wool blend, this rustic yet sophisticated horizontal stripe incorporates traditional Native American symbols of mountains and clouds, representing a prayer for rain. Its mirrored-stripe detailing—each motif paired with its woven twin—is nothing short of spectacular.

Storm Pattern Tape weaves another thread of Aspaas’s family heritage into the collection. Inspired by his uncle, a silversmith, and by traditional woven saddle cinches, this trim translates Navajo mythology into a bold geometric design. It’s a handsome embellishment and a testament to Aspaas’s ability to infuse even the smallest details with depth and meaning.

“Everything on the loom has a story. There’s meaning and intention behind it.”

When Aspaas weaves, generations of family history and culture move through the yarn he spins from his own sheep. Reflecting on these richly layered new fabrics and trim, he says, “My hope is that they bring happiness, blessings, and joy to the individuals who have them in their homes, and that they serve as a reminder of the people these designs belong to.” The sentiment is warm, sincere, and filled with possibility, encouraging generations of designers and homeowners to weave new narratives of their own.

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