Sometimes you have to travel back home to find your true calling. This was the case for Wendell Cochran, Cherokee National Treasure for Traditional Clothing. After costuming in the San Francisco theatre scene, Wendell brought his talents home to the Cherokee Nation. His invention of the “tear dress” has left an everlasting mark on Cherokee history and culture, being named as the official dress of the Cherokee Nation. Many years and thousands of garments later, the name Wendell Cochran remains synonymous with traditional Cherokee clothing.