The final exhibition was the concluding component of my senior thesis. The installation was included in the Boston University BFA Senior Thesis Exhibition, held in Spring 2025. The deliverables included custom incense packaging, cigarette boxes, prints, 3D-printed models, the garments from the fashion show, and a physical copy of my publication.

The setup of my installation was modeled after my mother’s dresser, a messy table with jewelry, trinkets, and an altar of candles with religious imagery.

The Jíbaro Spring 2026 collection for Destroy Our Future is a runway project showcased at Bentley University, featuring 10 original looks, inspired by the research and visual identity created during my senior thesis. The collection explores patchwork, upcycling, cut-and-sew construction, and screen printing, paired with a fully developed visual identity for its accompanying marketing campaign.

Jíbaro is the Puerto Rican term for rural farm workers of the island, or what we would refer to as a hillbilly in the States. What was once used as a derogatory term to demean working-class people of Puerto Rico has been reclaimed as a title of hard work and virtue. It is often cited throughout music and media and stands as a symbol of cultural pride. D.O.F., as a platform, co-opts language understood by Latino and subcultures that exist within the Latinx community. While that community is very broad, doing so emphasizes the voice of the brand as one that understands what it means to be Latino.

The use of Jíbaro in this context refers to working-class people, immigrants, and everyday individuals of the Western world who are often undignified and underappreciated despite their importance in our society. The collection serves as an evolved, more realized version of a runway I created in 2025, where the idea of Jíbaro was explored across multiple showcases toward the end of that year.

The graphic language is meant to feel ambient, vaguely spiritual, but powerful. Bold colors were used throughout digital marketing, alongside typography associated with Latin designers and media. The Jíbaro logo is derived from ornate typography seen in early 2000s reggaeton and hip-hop media. The golden Jesus piece reinforces a strident commitment to spirituality and the need to defy the system. The photoshoot used to market the collection featured garments from the runway and was shot at a Virgin Mary shrine in East Boston.

The collection was showcased at the Bentley University Annual Fashion Show on March 29, 2026, as one presentation among other designers. The goal was to make this an experience, not simply a showcase. An original mix was created to complement the looks and choreography, consisting of reggaeton and hip hop.