The Heritage Coat - We Walk Together

In designing the Ginew Heritage Coat, we recreated a meaningful garment as it was worn by our grandfathers and great-grandfathers in daily life. By exploring our Anishinaabe and Oneida heritages, we came to appreciate the rich history of work and dedication. When we wrap ourselves in this coat, we wrap ourselves in the ways of our ancestors.

The premium, American-made materials of our Heritage Coat are not just wool, cotton and brass; they are oral histories, old photographs, and traditional lore. Coats such as these were more than mere garments: they were work tools, worn in the machine shops, forests, and fields by relatives who dedicated themselves to the hard labor of providing for their families.

New this season is the addition of the Ginew® “WE WALK TOGETHER” wool blanket fabric lining - exclusively woven for Ginew by PENDLETON®. It is customary in our communities to wrap a newly joined couple in a blanket to symbolize their union.

The WE WALK TOGETHER blanket colors represent the sacred day (sunrise to sunset) and wampum belt (purples), teachings which impart values to guide us in our life together. The lodges are in the shape of traditional Ojibwe and Oneida dwellings. The crest fuses timeless symbols from each of our tribes, the dwelling (Ojibwe) and Skydome (Oneida). Together, the colors and symbols represent how we value our traditional beliefs in our home as we walk this journey of life together.

The Heritage Coat was included in Crystal Bridges’ first exhibition dedicated to fashion. Fashioning America: Grit to Glamour, an exhibition offering a dynamic integration between video, imagery and over 100 garment and accessories from across two centuries of fashion.