De moda: Fashion, Ceremony, and Symbols of Resilience

De moda showcases dynamic representations of contemporary fashion and traditional regalia of Chicano, Latino, and Indigenous communities. Featuring works from the Gilberto Cárdenas and Dolores Garcia collection, artists explore how clothing and style reflect cultural affirmation, historical reclamation, political protest, and ceremonial practice.

The themes in this exhibition explore the urban cool of the pachuco and their stylish legacies throughout Chicano art. Latino and Chicano portraits honor the Western wear of Northern Mexico, as with musical entertainers such as the late Tejano musician Selena Quintanilla. Mexican and Mexican American musicians blend regional Mexican styles with American pop while challenging and queering fashion. Artists document political protest and social unrest, turning uniforms, like the beret, into revolutionary symbols. The exhibit also displays photographs highlighting traditional costumes and regalia that empower previously enslaved Indigenous communities, such as New Mexico’s Genízaros, to continue their ancestral ceremonies. De moda features artist reflections on the impact of fashion and cultural regalia as an expression and role in social transformation.

Curated by Claudia Zapata, Associate Curator, Latino Art, Blanton Museum of Art.