Xochitl Nuño 2026

Abstract

This Gothic-revival fashion collection seeks to answer the question “How can Gothic fashion engage with Mexican motifs, cosmology, myth, and folklore to expand upon the Gothic canons traditionally Eurocentric foundations?” This collection consists of four pieces. 1.) A beaded Mohair purse referencing the necklace of human remains worn by the Mexica deity Coatlicue. 2.) An embroidered pair of black velvet and rabbit fur gloves referential to the myth of Quetzalcoatl imposing a rabbit onto the moon. 3.) A corset-style beaded anatomical heart bodice speaking to the brutalistic mischaracterizations of the Indigenous Southwestern communities. 4.) A rosary-style necklace celebrating the fruits of the Chinampas as well as the critically endangered Axolotl. This fashion collection challenges ideas of aesthetic ownership by combining symbols and concepts that both predate and follow after European contact. Through these pieces I hope to bring attention to the innovation and resilience of Indigenous and Latino Americans. In making these pieces I seek to illustrate the importance of ornamentation as cultural resilience and as a rejection of mass production. In creating these pieces I aim to connect to Latino American audiences and share aspects of Mexican culture that I find to be underrepresented.