Ximor
As a final evaluation project, my colleagues Fátima Maldonado, Stacey Mejía, and I created a collection and brand proposal based on Mexican artisanal textile work, advised by fashion designer Francisco Cancino.
Starting from the research question: "What is the contemporary identity of Mexico?", we explored creative concepts that could be translated into textile and fashion design, culminating in a brand proposal.
We recognize that identity is a fluid concept, constantly changing due to internal and external factors, though Mexican culture has certain constants, such as the "fear of emptiness," a trait emphasized by anthropologist Carlos Verdura.
This characteristic has been present since pre-Hispanic times, with colorful and maximalist artistic expressions in architecture, fashion, and gastronomy, further reinforced during colonial times.
Today, this "fear of emptiness" is evident in aspects of daily life, such as abundant gastronomy, regional music rich with instruments, and celebrations like the Day of the Dead, which are filled with intricate visual details. We decided to call this trait the new Mexican baroque.
Design process
To narrow the focus of the project, voices from various generations of artists across different disciplines were used to extract seven concepts that describe characteristics of Mexican identity. These concepts were: market and color from Pablo Neruda's México Florido y Espinudo, Mexican muse from Natalia Lafourcade's song Mexicana Hermosa, saturation from Salvador Novo's poem A la Ciudad de México, maximalism from Huapango de Moncayo, sporting passion from Jazzamoart's painting series Pasión por el Arte del Fútbol, origins from Elena Garro's story La Culpa es de los Tlaxcaltecas, and ephemeral from Nezahualcóyotl's poem Yo Pregunto.
A series of collages and illustrations were created to represent the vibe of the collection and the inspiration behind each design and concept.
For this project, more than a hundred design options were developed to choose the final twenty that shaped the collection. Ultimately, only eight looks were manufactured due to the cost of the artisanal work required to achieve the desired results.
Textile design
These concepts were used in designing the collection, incorporating the idea of the New Mexican Baroque. For textile development, the concepts of market, origins, and maximalism were chosen, playing with color and texture.
Iconic Mexican flowers like dahlia, sunflower, and bougainvillea were used to represent the Mexican flower market. These were integrated with the image of the Mexica god Xochipilli, who is associated with flowers like the turbine, cacao, heimia, and tobacco. The floral elements were merged to represent the evolving identity, using them in embroidery with thread and beadwork that was made in collaboration with artisans of the state of Mexico.
%2000_52_34.png)
Final designs
Brand design
Finally we created the brand image for this project, we chose the name Ximor, that comes from the syllable "Xi" from Mexico, whose etymological root comes from Nahuatl and means navel or center, alluding to the heart or origin of Mexico, and "Mor" from love in Spanish.
The graphic identity proposal was developed, as well as a series of brand mockups, including social media, an online store, packaging, and business cards. Additionally, illustrations, technical drawings, sample photos, and campaign images for the project were created.
Shall we collaborate? say hi!