Catherine Rodriguez – Senior Thesis Project 2021

I got exposed to fashion through my aunt. I realized I wanted to pursue fashion after she designed my outfit for my 8th grade graduation. I’m deeply inspired by the process and researching in-depth to find those gems to bring into the designs. Now, I’m trying to get into the digital side of fashion. It is the true future of fashion and I’m so fascinated by this world.

Libertad is the Spanish word for freedom. Not only is this a heritage collection but this collection is breaking the chains of limitations that I allowed for so long to control me. I’m using a dance that is native to my mother’s birthplace in Mexico as inspiration which is called “La Danza de los viejitos”. I’ve sadly endured racism growing up that made me dilute my “brownness”. Through this collection, I’m reclaiming my culture.

The dancer’s outfits are quite colorful since the origins of the dance lie in it being a spiritual dance. In which the dancers honor the four elements. To bring in edge, I’m using Alejandra Guzman (the queen of Mexican rock) and Joan Jett as my style goddesses.

I started half of the garments in Clo3D and then finished them in person to reduce the amount of toiling. I tried to not buy supplies excessively like I use to, it’s all about control. I’m using a leather that is made 50% made out of recycled leather – they essentially melt down scraps to form a new leather. For the ponchos and sandals, I was able to find a vendor from Mexico to find repurposed materials.

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