Luisa is from Bogotá, Colombia, and is a final year student on BA Fashion Communication: Histories and Theories at Central Saint Martins (CSM).
Why did you choose to study your course and why CSM?
I chose to study Fashion Histories and Theories because I have always loved to learn. This course offers interdisciplinary learning and constantly pushes you to think critically and expand your view of the world, introducing theories and concepts that can be applied to multiple fields. It has encouraged me to think creatively through the foundations it has provided and to engage with fashion through a new set of eyes.
What’s the most interesting project you’ve worked on so far? What made it so interesting to work on?
I think working on my dissertation really confirmed that this was the right course for me. Writing about how fashion can become a decolonial tool, through the case studies of Colombian Indigenous fashion designers reviving Indigenous textile traditions, has allowed me to explore and find my own place within the practice of fashion history. I've allowed myself to really delve into it and become truly passionate, while also having the opportunity to collaborate with amazing designers from where I’m from. It is also exciting because I am working on something that hasn't had much written about it – as fashion historians, there is always something new and interesting to contribute to the field.
Have you completed any work placements/internships whilst being on the course?
I am doing an internship alongside third year with FATE (Fashion and Textiles Education archive). This internship has helped me understand how what I have learnt on the course can be applied in the fashion field. I have worked alongside the FATE team in preparation for a collaboration with MoMu museum in Antwerp. During this collaboration, I had the opportunity to assist in curation, support teaching engagement sessions about the collection, and produce and screen two films in the museum.
What important piece of advice would you give to students thinking of studying this course?
You can have fun throughout all the stages, even when you are learning about something that doesn’t seem particularly interesting at first – you can always find a way to play with it, flip it on its head, and make it your own. Find what about it can be interesting to you and create your own little niche.
What has been the highlight of your CSM experience so far?
I have loved being in a creative environment where I’ve been able to meet people from so many different backgrounds. Everyone I have met throughout my three years at CSM has been completely different, each with their own set of perspectives, upbringings, forms of expression, and more.
What are your career aspirations? Where would you like to be in five years’ time?
I have no idea! I love how this course doesn’t force you into one path – it gives you transferable skills and the freedom to choose what to do with them. There are so many parts of the cultural and fashion sectors that I would love to engage with and work in – I’m excited to see where I end up!
What is the most important thing you’ve learnt on the course so far?
Learning how to communicate and support my ideas has been an invaluable lesson on this course. I am much more confident in my ideas and have a better understanding of how to sustain them and translate them into a well-formulated and thought-through outcome.