Feliz Cinco De Mayo This campaign for @1800Tequila was a very proud moment for me & my heritage. It was an honor to work alongside fellow Colombianos & other Latin people to share a moment of celebration for Latin culture. As a form of my celebration, I’m showcasing the rest of the shoot alongside my stylistic vision for the looks. As always, to get to know my work further, check out “Behind the Frame” in my bio. When I was hired for this job my initiative was to bring an editorialized & authentic depiction of Mexican culture in a festive, modern way while blending the brand sentiments of 1800. As a Latina I felt empowered to have stylistic control in a narrative that represents Latin culture in order to offer authenticity that has history and purpose behind it. I felt it was my duty to counteract prior commercialized rhetoric which tends to take ideas of culture in order to stereotype & gamify it for sheer profit. Ultimately I wanted people to be reminded of the antiquated reasoning for each piece in and of itself. Prior to sourcing my materials, I was doing research by deriving inspiration from Indigenous and Pop Mexican culture to present looks that had modern flair with loving attributes to the indigenous peoples which these styles & celebrations are derived from. I started my basis looking at traditional Mexican wardrobe which represented the rich pride & culture which I was attempting to portray. I took inspiration from Charro & Ezcaramuza outfits amongst much else & utilized the silhouettes, details, & textiles to inform the flow of my creation. The color pallete was a subtle nod to the Mexican flag while simultaneously being considerate of the color story already present within 1800 & nightlife itself. This same idea is why you will see beading & glitter throughout the pieces as a 1800/nightlife rendition of fine, colorful embroidery which would be present on most traditional garb. The entire basis was built upon providing a sense of elegance & modernity to a traditional & antiquated concept in a brief set of frames. One where the stories and narratives have been told for generations but today told in a new way.