For my culture inspired collection I chose to focus on the Spanish culture, specifically bullfighting and Torero’s(bullfighters). I was drawn to the intricate beading and embroidery of the traditional costume that the torero’s wear. The outfit is called traje de luces, which means “suit of lights”. Bullfighting is considered to not only be a sport, but a performance art. Historically, bullfighting had started with the higher class on horseback. Later on, the lower class gained enough status to be the main act. Being able to bullfight on foot opened doors for the lower class, and gave them opportunities to gain wealth and recognition.

I wanted my collection to display bullfighting as a performance art. I was inspired by the torero’s movements, and their ability to land in graceful poses. I wanted the movement of the capes to emphasize the movement of the model’s poses. Instead of having  a bloody bull pierced with lances, I chose to include a calm standing bull, unafraid of it’s opponent, that is peacefully coexisting with the models. I positioned the models as if they were dancing in a circle around the bull.

For the torero’s costumes, I chose to have some models wearing the traditional jacket and pants, but I also chose to alter some outfits into shorts and a skirt. I spent a long time including the motifs and designs onto the jackets because I wanted it to contrast the simple colors in the overall composition.