Gabriel Frey
Passamaquoddy
The Gabriel Frey Collection
This spring, we teamed up with Gabriel Frey — a celebrated Passamaquoddy artist and master of basketmaking — as our Spring 2025 Seasonal Artist. Gabriel's family has been weaving black ash baskets for generations, and now, his timeless craft takes on a fresh twist. Together, we've turned his signature weaving style into a unique collection of woven leather sandals that blend tradition with modern flair.
Step into a collection where tradition, innovation, and artistry move together as one.
Meet the Featured Artist
Gabriel Frey
Gabriel Frey is a Passamaquoddy artist known for his craftsmanship of highly original pack baskets, and his commitment to pedagogical models that promote wider knowledge of Indigenous worldviews. He specializes in uniquely decorative utility baskets and has received multiple national awards for traditional craft and design, including the United States artist fellowship in 2018 and the Maine artists fellowship in 2020.
Growing up in Sipayik and Motahkomikuk, Gabriel learned all aspects of black ash basket making tradition, from locating the black ash tree and processing the log into weaving material, to weaving the basket. Over the past 24 years, Gabriel has strived to honor his grandfather's style of basket making while incorporating his own modern aesthetic. He has also expanded into more traditional and non-traditional art forms to broaden Wabanaki storytelling through metalwork and birchbark basketmaking.
In 2020 Gabriel and his wife published their first children's book, with a goal of greater Indigenous representation in publishing. Gabriel currently resides with his wife and two children in Orono, Maine.
GabrielFrey.com
"For many years my main source of inspiration has been my wife, Suzanne. Whenever I question a design choice, she is my guiding star. So, when I was approached by Manitobah to design woven footwear for spring/summer 2025, I naturally asked my wife what kind of shoes she wished Manitobah made. The Gabriel Frey collection is the result of her answer. Footwear that is designed to be elegant while also being practical, to be comfortable while also expressing love of color and the natural world, to be an expression of Indigenous values while also looking fierce out on the town."
