Erick Magaña Santiago
Profession
Graduate Diploma in Fashion alum
College
Central Saint Martins
Person Type
Alumni
Biography
Erick Magaña Santiago is a Mexico City–born designer currently studying MA Fashion at Central Saint Martins, after graduating from the Graduate Diploma in Fashion.
Interview
Please can you tell me a little bit about yourself?
My name is Erick Magaña Santiago, born and raised in Mexico City. After completing my undergraduate studies, I moved to Paris, where I interned at Lanvin as an assistant for the Women’s RTW team and later at Louis Vuitton as a Maquettiste within the Women’s RTW show division. These experiences gave me a strong foundation in both creative development and technical construction within established luxury systems.
In 2024–2025, I completed the Graduate Diploma, which marked a decisive shift toward defining my own design voice. I am currently continuing my studies at Central Saint Martins (MA Fashion 2026–2027), where I am further developing my practice.
Why did you choose to study Graduate Diploma in Fashion and why CSM?
I chose to study at Central Saint Martins because I knew it was the only place that could offer both radical creative freedom and uncompromising critical intensity. I wasn’t looking for reassurance or a polished continuation of what I was already capable of doing—I was looking for friction. CSM is known for pushing students to articulate a clear point of view, to defend their decisions, and to take risks that feel uncomfortable. That environment, where experimentation is encouraged but rigor is demanded, felt essential for me. I wanted to be somewhere that would constantly question me, so I could question myself.
The Graduate Diploma Fashion was a fundamental step in that journey. I wasn’t ready for a Master’s degree yet; I still needed time to squeeze my own potential, to strip away external expectations and discover what I am really about as a designer. This course gave me the space to experiment without the pressure of arriving with a fully formed identity. It helped me understand that Fashion is far more than product or commercial outcome—it is a language, a critical tool, a way of constructing narratives and challenging perception. That realisation transformed the way I approach design.
CSM continues to be the ideal place to dismantle what you think you know, analyse it, and rebuild it into something entirely unexpected. The process can feel destabilising, even frightening. But that fear signals growth. It’s a good scary—the kind that proves you are expanding.
What’s the most interesting project you’ve worked on so far? What made it so interesting to work on?
The most significant project I developed was my final collection "El Cuerpo del Mestizaje"., It was complex both conceptually and technically, requiring the compilation of tens—perhaps hundreds—of references in order to distill what I truly wanted to say. I came to understand that fashion is no longer about selecting a theme, but about defining a genuine purpose for your practice through the ideas you choose to explore. For the first time, I immersed myself deeply in the richness of my own cultural background, revisiting my roots and reinterpreting them as authentically and critically as I could.
The process was demanding and, at times, confusing: endless sketches, maquettes, prototypes, half-scale trials, structural developments, material manipulations, and rigorous consideration of colour and proportion. Yet what fascinated me most was the construction of meaning. It is not about explaining a project through thousands of words, but about making its intention undeniable through the precise orchestration and transformation of every element—research, silhouette, material, colour, and gesture. I was doing last-minute fittings before the final critique because I learned that you should never stop questioning yourself—not doubting, but questioning. Is this truly me? Is it as powerful as it needs to be? Is it intentional or accidental? Is it resolved, or merely decorated? Being honest with yourself is the most beautiful—and at the same time, the most painful—part of the process.
What important piece of advice would you give to students thinking of studying this course?
An important piece of advice I would give to anyone applying to this course is to always think beyond the obvious. Experiment relentlessly and push yourself past what you’ve already done. The Graduate Diploma in Fashion at Central Saint Martins is a space where your practice could even extend into video, sculpture, installation, or performance—where fashion is not confined to garments on a rack or commercial success measured in sales figures. If you want to go conceptual, go for it. If you want to make something out of shoes, do it. If you want to fill the entire studio with oversized, impossible-to-move pieces, do it—right now, because in fashion, time is always slipping away.
What has been the highlight of your CSM experience so far?
CSM teaches you to embrace both the freedom and the discomfort of creation. It is a space where curiosity, courage, and persistence are just as important as skill. If you approach it with an open mind and a willingness to explore without boundaries, you can discover ideas—and yourself—in ways you never imagined possible.
What are your career aspirations? Where would you like to be in five years time?
I don’t necessarily see myself creating a traditional brand or running a conventional studio. What I envision is a “project” or a way of working that allows me to exist in multiple contexts—art galleries, museums, or experimental spaces —where fashion is treated as an artistic discipline in its own right. I want to explore how scale, proportion, colour, texture, shape, and form can be orchestrated to give meaning to something entirely unexpected, while still maintaining a dialogue with the human body.
My ambition is to create work that challenges the boundaries of what fashion can be, pushing it beyond commerce or mere display. At the same time, I hope to eventually collaborate with a brand or collective that shares this vision: one that is unafraid to experiment, to question, and to explore how clothing and design can communicate ideas in ways that are both surprising and deeply resonant. For me, fashion is not just about dressing people—it’s a medium for thinking, feeling, and provoking, and I want my practice to reflect that fully.
What is the most important thing you've learnt on the course so far?
This course is the perfect environment for fearless experimentation. You are not expected to apologize for your ideas or ask for permission; instead, you are challenged to interrogate your own thinking. Be prepared for your assumptions to be twisted, your brain to feel scrambled, and your limits to be tested constantly. But never discard an idea—even the smallest, silliest thought can carry immense potential. What seems absurd or impossible at first can become the spark that transforms your work entirely.
Links
View Erick's website to see her work
Follow Erick on Instagram