This campaign for 1800 Tequila was a very proud moment for me and my heritage. It was an honor to work alongside my fellow Colombianos and other Latin people to share a moment of celebration for Latin culture. As a form of my continued celebration, I’m showcasing the rest of the shoot alongside my stylistic vision for the looks. 

When I was hired for this job my initiative was to bring an editorialized & authentic depiction of Mexican culture in a festive, modernized way while still 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 tend to take concepts of culture in order to stereotype and gamify it for sheer profit. 

With that being said I wanted people, regardless if they understood or not, to be reminded of the antiquated reasoning for each piece in and of itself. Prior to sourcing my materials, I was doing my research by dragging inspiration from Indigenous as well as Pop Mexican culture to present looks that had modern flair but still gave loving attributes to the indigenous peoples which these styles and celebrations are derived from. 

I started my basis looking at traditional Mexican wardrobe such as Charro outfits, huipils and Escaramuzas amongst much else all which represent the rich Mexican pride and culture that I was looking to portray. From this, I utilized the silhouette, details, and textiles to inform the entire 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 and mood of nightlife itself. This same idea is why you will see beading and 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 and modernity to a traditional and antiquated concept in a brief set of frames. One where the stories and narratives have been told for generations upon generations. Today, I’m able to tell a new story.