^{Santiago Útima (1992) is a Colombian fashion designer and educator. He holds an MFA from Universidad de Antioquia and lectures in the Fashion Design Program at Universidad de Monterrey (MX), where he teaches through a practice-based research methodology. His classes integrate introspection, critical reflection, and material transformation to explore fashion as a site of symbolic meaning.}

Fashion design is a creative discipline profoundly influenced by the cultural and social context of its designers, alongside global trends and aesthetic references. For students at the Universidad de Monterrey, this influence is deeply embedded in an environment defined by Monterrey’s industrial heritage and its proximity to the U.S. border.

This paper examines how aspiring fashion designers can recontextualize their creative processes by recognizing their region’s collective memory and integrating their personal experiences. The notion of Recontextualizing aligns with broader contemporary discussions in fashion education, particularly with the concepts of Reframing Fashion (which expands the perception of fashion beyond industry and consumption), Decentering Fashion (which challenges dominant narratives and promotes localized approaches), and Cultural Sustainability (which emphasizes identity, belonging, and the validation of diverse material cultures). [1]

At the same time, this perspective is deeply connected to the decolonial approach described by Covington, which involves deconstructing colonial ideologies that have historically dictated the parameters of fashion and design. [2] Decolonization in this context requires dismantling structures that perpetuate the colonialist status quo, allowing for the emergence of new narratives that foreground diverse, locally grounded creative processes and challenge Eurocentric paradigms, particularly in aesthetics and the creative process itself.

Additionally, the pedagogical approach I propose resonates with structured methodologies that position fashion as a medium for cultural exploration and self-understanding, such as the Fashion & Cultures Method. [3] This approach emphasizes the role of storytelling in fashion, encouraging designers to engage in the amplification of voices and cultures from around the world, critically reflecting on whose stories and histories are heard and recognized. It promotes empathy, reflection, ideation, and prototyping as fundamental steps in developing meaningful creative practices.

This analysis is exemplified through the case of Annette Soto, a student in the Conceptual Design course at Universidad de Monterrey. Her project explores the interplay between collective and personal memory, demonstrating how an introspective approach can shape a unique design narrative. By examining her process, we can better understand the challenges students face when navigating between external influences and their local cultural identity.

Context

Students at Universidad de Monterrey primarily hail from the Northeast region of Mexico, encompassing the states of Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas. Monterrey, the capital of Nuevo León, stands as the region’s most significant city and a role model, attracting youth who seek high academic quality and future career opportunities. Many students are raised near the U.S. border, with short trips to McAllen, Austin, and Houston, which influence their perspectives. Beyond their access to digital media, their proximity to these cities and firsthand experiences have significantly shaped their points of reference and notions of success (Figure 1).

“We must emphasize the role of storytelling in fashion, encouraging designers to engage in the amplification of voices and cultures from around the world, critically reflecting on whose stories and histories are heard and recognized.”

The identity and idiosyncrasy of Monterrey are shaped by its proximity to the United States and the historical loss of Texas to Mexico. This backdrop creates a cultural tension between the ideals of Monterrey as an Americanized city and those of other Mexican cities such as Mexico City and Guadalajara. Consequently, the sense of belonging among Monterrey’s residents is a complex interplay between cultural identity—how Mexico is perceived globally—and the industrial aspect that has positioned Monterrey as Mexico’s industrial heartland (Figure 2).

Unlike cities such as Mexico City or Guadalajara, where cultural heritage and artistic movements play a more dominant role in shaping local identity, Monterrey’s character is deeply tied to its industrial and economic progress. Historically, the city has been a center of manufacturing and business, fostering a pragmatic, efficiency-driven mindset that contrasts with the artisanal and craft-based traditions prevalent in other regions of Mexico. Additionally, Monterrey’s close relationship with the United States—economically, culturally, and geographically—has influenced how its residents navigate the tension between Mexican and American identities, between cultural expression and industrial productivity, and between tradition and modernity. These dynamics shape not only everyday life but also the aspirations and aesthetic values of young creatives, including fashion students (Figure 3).

^{Fig 3: Untitled (Hernández Sada, 2025). Note: The bridges of Monterrey reflect an interpretation of North American progress, spanning the Santa Catarina River and echoing the freeway infrastructure of the United States.}

Identified Issue

With this understanding of their origins and the landscape of Monterrey, we can now delve into the specific challenges that students encounter in their creative processes. Within this context, students in the fashion design program at Universidad de Monterrey grapple with an internalized ambiguity regarding the relationship between the Mexican cultural paradigm and the American industrial paradigm.

The strong ties between Monterrey and the United States further shape the perspectives of its residents, particularly students. The proximity to Texas and the influence of American consumer culture have fostered a preference for global fashion trends, often overshadowing local cultural narratives. Many students grow up surrounded by U.S.

brands, media, and aesthetics, which shape their aspirations and influence their creative work. As Monterrey’s fashion industry is still emerging and lacks the structure of more established fashion hubs, students often rely on global fashion references, which are perceived as more aspirational than local aesthetics. Consequently, they tend to overlook their immediate environment as a potential source of inspiration, relying instead on digital media to shape their creative outlook. However, these online representations are often idealized and unrealistic, leading them to disregard the authentic richness that the Monterrey region offers to their creative processes.

This lack of awareness of their immediate environment results in a dependence on fashion design references that encourage imitation rather than original exploration. The student's research often manifests as an assembly of internet images, which hampers genuine engagement with the objects, subjects, or situations under study, ultimately stifling the development of original concepts and narratives. For example, they curate their creative references based on social media platforms where fashion aesthetics are dominated by international trends. These references often prioritize sleek, polished visuals that contrast starkly with the industrial, rugged landscape of Monterrey. This disconnect can create a tension where students feel compelled to replicate these global aesthetics rather than embrace the raw, unique characteristics of their own surroundings.

By recognizing this gap, the pedagogical approach proposed in this paper aims to guide students in integrating their immediate environment into their creative narratives. This shift not only fosters originality but also strengthens their ability to engage critically with their region, moving beyond imitation to a more meaningful and context-driven creative process. 

Recontextualization

To address these challenges, this pedagogical approach encourages students to engage with their city through their personal interests. This method shifts the focus from external references to an introspective analysis of their immediate context, enabling them to recontextualize both their identity and their creative process.

Step 1: Recognizing Collective Memory
To initiate the recognition process, students should visit significant cultural sites:

• Museo del Noreste : Understanding history in its appropriate context and timeline, regarding the connection between northeastern Mexico and the United States, as well as the evolution of Monterrey into an industrial city.
  
• Fototeca de Nuevo León : Exploring Monterrey's visual memory through diverse collections that provide various perspectives, influenced by the time and context in which the photographs were captured and the identities of their creators.
• Museo Marco : Discovering artworks through the personal interpretations of local artists regarding their own region.

While visiting these sites might seem obvious in a creative process, such engagements are often disregarded in a context where industrial progress prevails and overshadows the past and the cultural heritage. Students, regardless of their location, should explore places that help them understand their background, adding depth to their inquiries on any subject. The recognition of collective memory not only enriches students' perspectives but also facilitates a more personal and authentic reinterpretation of their local context.

To illustrate this pedagogical approach in practice, we examine the creative process of Annette Soto, a student in the Conceptual Design course. Through her project, she explored the relationship between collective and personal memory, using her family’s industrial background as a lens to reinterpret her connection with Monterrey’s industrial landscape. She explored the relationship between workers and industrial workspaces, reflecting on the contrasts between large factories like the former Fundidora de Monterrey and her father’s small propeller manufacturing workshop.

Through her creative process, Annette transformed the perceived coldness of factories into a humanized and reflective narrative. By acknowledging the humanism present in her father's workshop, she reframed her discomfort with Monterrey's industrial landscape. This shift allowed her to move from a generalized understanding to an intimate narrative of her experiences and those of her family. Having established the importance of collective memory, we can now examine how it interweaves with personal experiences in shaping design narratives.

Step 2: Connecting Collective Memory with Personal Experience
Annette's initial concern revolves around the lack of safety measures at Fundidora, Monterrey’s former steel foundry, leading to hazardous conditions for workers. She juxtaposed this with the idealized notion of the "steel giant," which has represented industrial pride for many years in Monterrey. Through her personal and familial memories, she rediscovered a more humane aspect of industrial work within her father's propeller manufacturing workshop, potentially reconciling with her city's historical and contemporary realities. Her exploration sets the stage for understanding the broader implications of collective memory in design (Figure 4).

The following text, written by Annette to articulate her project's concept, captures her intention:

"In the soul of an industrialised city ruled by chaos and noise, factories and workshops rise imposingly, overshadowing Monterrey's mountains behind curtains of smoke. Traces of those operating their machinery are perceived in the movements, in the murmuring of the hundreds of machines operating day by day, in the tactile traces engraved on the tools, in the smell of chemicals that destroy and corrode, and the deafening sound of heavy machines transforming matter. Within this dystopia, the black waters of industry flow like rivers in the memory of people who depend on metallurgy."

"Since I can remember, I have seen my father being the main driver of an interest that did not exist on my part but undoubtedly was part of my life. Criticism and self-exploration will be that same engine installed in me to explore the concept of this project, where the ties that bind humans with the industrial are questioned."

"Hands work, touch, get dirty, and leave their mark on. They also transform and workers come into contact with the material. It is in various gestures with the hands that the presence of the human reveals."

These texts should be crafted by students, grounded in their introspection, recognizing their immersion in a context that shapes their experiences and perspectives. The writing

should reflect their stances on objects, subjects, or situations studied, revealing aesthetic insights rather than merely describing preconceived notions of their designs (Figure 5).

Building on Annette’s reflections, we can further explore the importance of direct observation in grounding design research in personal and collective contexts.

^{Fig 5: Conceptual image (Soto, 2024).}

Step 3: Engaging with Direct Observation
At this stage, research focuses on personal documentation of places that hold significance for Annette. Images of propeller factories sourced from the internet become impersonal and thus lose relevance. Additionally, there is often a lack of inquiry into fashion design references that resonate with the essence of the project, as it is this personal documentation that will enable her to create by categorizing images into design elements (Figure 6).