Brightstar refers to the English translation of Ek’ Balam, or the Black Jaguar deity of Mesoamerican folklore, a symbol of darkness, a god of rain, of earthly things, of life. A god of night, mystery, and strength.

This down-to-earth, unapologetic nature of what Ek’ Balam represented laid the conceptual groundwork for the collection. I set out to create something completely derived from my experiences and identity as a Latino American. This project predated Jíbaro by a year, but in many ways was very different visually and conceptually. I was thinking about regionality and symbolism, drawing inspiration from entire subcultures to create looks.

I wanted to establish a distinction between West Coast streetwear, rooted in Chicano culture, and the East Coast, where the birth of hip hop—and the intersectionality between Black Americans and Puerto Ricans—shaped the foundations of hip hop culture and fashion. Each garment and look was researched: the origins of patterns, textiles, silhouettes, and artwork were studied to create well-thought-out pieces, while still reinterpreting them through my own perspective.

I worked with factories and designed technical flats in order to achieve the desired fit, size, and feel of each garment. Programs such as Illustrator and CLO3D were used to construct garments, alongside DIY methods such as sewing, patchwork, and screen printing to develop additional materials.

The runway included lighting design and an original mix to accompany the walks, and it ended in a mosh pit.

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.