Disney employees handpicked a designer from the Acoma Pueblo to design a one-of-a-kind dress that is now on display at a Walt Disney World resort. 

“To be able to represent the southwest and Acoma Pueblo, all of that is just awesome,” said Loren Aragon, owner of Aconav.

Aragon, who now lives in Phoenix, was approached by designers months ago. They asked him to design a dress inspired by his Native American culture for their new exhibit highlighting Native American cultures throughout history. 

“The Acoma Pueblo is more widely known for their pottery, but is now making its mark in fashion,” said Aragon. 

Using inspiration from a traditional Olla pot, Aragon created a white gown with dramatic black designs and a rust-colored undertone. 

“When I actually got it onto a model and to see it in full motion and actually being modeled and worn was probably the biggest sense of accomplishment,” said Aragon. 

Aragon then flew the dress he spent a total of 180 hours working on, across the country to Walt Disney World’s Epcot theme park. 

“When I brought it to them, they were floored. The response to it was just so overwhelming and so great and people loved it and really wanted to know more about what I had created,” said Aragon.

The dress will likely be seen by the millions of people who visit the park every year. Aragon hopes the dress inspires them to learn more about his culture and other Native American cultures as well. 

“The overall goal was really just to inspire others from our community and let them know that we have every right to represent ourselves in the greater community outside of the native community,” said Aragon. 

Aragon says the dress has started some conversations about the possibility of creating a new Disney princess inspired by indigenous culture. 

For more information on the exhibit, click here.