Jose Luis Cabrera

Through my creative practice, fashion design, I seek to give a voice to domestically abused children and underdeveloped communities.

This collection reflects on the machismo culture that has dominated the Dominican Republic since the country's existence and raises public awareness of domestic violence as a social cancer.

The uniform and regime of Dominican dictator Rafael Leonidas Trujillo inspired me to represent subtle hints of the violence experienced by children throughout my collection. The innocence that characterizes the victims (children) is expressed through sugar flower motifs, which I used as military insignias and hats and I associate with my childhood and innocence. The sugar flowers feature tears of melted aluminum to symbolize the children's suffering and the act of being ripped away from one’s childhood. The connotation of innocence is informed not only through the use of sugar but also by the “playful” silhouettes used throughout the collection and inspired by the way children dress in the Dominican Republic.

When I left everything behind in the Dominican Republic, I had the goal of finding better educational opportunities to improve my life and the lives of my family members. Studying at Parsons has opened an endless world of opportunities, and I want to give other young people like me the opportunity to have access to art and education.

With these objectives in mind, I created the W Sons of Violence Organization, which seeks to educate abused children and provide them with art therapy to aid them in becoming future leaders through a circular system with my brand ROA. I believe the future of fashion lies in our healthy and responsible interaction with the natural environment and vulnerable communities. My career as a designer is devoted to challenging our current system and finding ways in which fashion can positively contribute to the world.