M.F.A. Jewelry and Metal Arts
Ruffles Gone Rebellious
Flamenco dance is a form of art based on southern Spain’s various folkloric music traditions. A traditional flamenco dress consists of three main things: ruffles, draping, and color. Rock music is often more cutting-edge, with performers wearing corsetry, fishnets, and itty-bitty skirts. B.F.A. Fashion Design student Haydée Quesedo decided to merge the two styles of musical expression in her thesis concept.
“My collection includes upcycled denim and showcases bespoke textiles and jewelry as a result of collaboration with talented jewelry and textile designers Mercede [Sheybani] and Jen [Chu],” shared Quesedo. The use of denim for the ruffles and eccentrically manipulated textiles convey an edgy vibe while keeping the sexy dancer in play. Some of Quesedo’s designs feature metals and jewelry hanging off the bodice, providing a beautiful contrast against the fabrics.
The chosen looks for this collection are influenced by the designer’s personal style. The merging of flamenco dance and rock music is vividly featured in Quesedo’s collection. “I was always thinking, ‘This is a flamenco element; how can I make it rock? This is a rock element; how can I make it flamenco?’” she shared about her creative process. The abundant chains and textiles and gender-fluid rebellious silhouettes of Quesedo’s collection will be sure to stun on the runway.
Chu, an M.F.A. Textile Design student, collaborated with Quesedo to create fabrics for their collection. Chu’s animal prints were inspired by her observations in San Francisco. “The first thing I tried to design was a cat,” shared Chu. “I watch various cat videos, and they are always giving very sexy, sassy poses. That right there was where I thought of incorporating the super high heels and other elements into the cat to give it that sensual look. Especially living here in San Francisco, I think the idea of ‘sex’ is very normal. Giving these animals that personality felt very natural to me. Other animals in this collection also portray other people I’ve seen in my everyday life. For example, the giraffe in this collection came to me when I saw these two gentlemen at a bar who had very tall statures; they were holding hands and wearing skirts. Haydée and I were working together a lot to incorporate this into her collection.”
Sheybani, an M.F.A. Jewelry and Metal Arts student, created jewelry pieces for Quesedo and Chu’s collection. “As an immigrant, I feel the plight of people leaving a known for an unknown journey. To show the transformation of the immigrant from one known environment to the unknown, I used materials to show the harshness of their experiences with different metals,” explained Sheybani about the inspiration behind her pieces. “Being an immigrant is almost like a one-night stand; we meet new people with excitement, but we are unsure of the eventual outcome. Through my work, I want to shed light on humanitarian concerns that impact immigrants.”
Words by Izel Morales, B.F.A. Fashion Communication and Styling
