“Armor For The Targeted”
Concept | Andrea’s collection centers around the Zoot Suit Riots/ WWII experiences for Mexican Americans and/or those with skin of color. However, her topic has taken her to various stages on how to respond to political and humanitarian issues of today and from seventy-five years ago. Andrea believes that if she and her people are refused equal protection in corrupted systems, then she will help build a world where she and people of color are of value and an equal priority. In her Spring collection, Andrea strives to combine the extravagance of the Zoot Suit and its functionality to conceal, reveal, and protect who’s wearing the garment. Fortunately, Andrea has rare access to poetic words and illustrations from her grandfather, José Montoya. Her grandfather was a painter, poet, educator, and civil rights activist that founded The Royal Chicano Air Force; a union that pushed to create basic human rights for United Farm Workers. Despite his recent passing, Andrea is able to be guided by her grandfather’s diary-like archive that documents his firsthand experiences of discrimination and hatred during the 1940s. With the use of images in her garments, Andrea wants bring attention to the attacks on Mexican-Americans and the events that should never take place again. Andrea and her grandfather may be several generations away from one another, yet the same fight for to be recognized and respected continues.
Bio | As a Mexican-American fashion designer, Andrea Montoya feels a sense of urgency to use the clothing she creates as a tool to teach; first herself then those who view her work. Currently a junior in the fashion program at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Andrea is inspired by unacknowledged subjects and history within her Mexican infused culture.