Agency: IV League
Photo: Shannon Bright
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Agency: IV League
Photo: Shannon Bright
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photo: Jacqueline Saragoza McGilvray
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photo: Jacqueline Saragoza McGilvray
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I originally committed to using cardboard as a primary making material during graduate school, which was at a predominantly white, middle-class, institution located in Boston, MA– a stark difference from the brown, Spanish-speaking city of El Paso TX which I am from. I used this material because it was available,practical, and I was aware that it could be used for more than just packaging. My family in Cuidad Juárez used it as the principal building material for their homes. As I used it for object making, people overly questioned its presence, they encouraged me to cover its brownness, or they were simply offended by it. My identity underwent a similar amount of scrutiny— my American citizenship was questioned, I was encouraged to diminish my brownness, and people felt uncomfortable discussing my socio-economic background.
This forced me to evaluate myself in spaces that were not originally aimed at people with my socioeconomic background or race. I used cardboard more adamantly because its identity is charged with "negative" perceptions and physical traits similar to mine. This led to the creation of "Cartone x J.ESC" , a fictitious fashion line with accompanying catalog descriptions. With each satirical description, I offered alternatives to expensive clothes, but warned the viewer of the social implications that arise from wearing a garment that is charged with "undesirable" socioeconomic and racial characteristics. Through humor, I intended to make the audience complicit in normalized negative perceptions of "lowbrow" materials and brownness.
As I continued working something changed. I introduced landscapes and miniature homes made out of white materials. These new spaces are replicas of movie and t.v. homes I YEARNED to inhabit as a kid. They were spaces that were aspirational to my young self and which allowed a brief escape from my reality. People really responded to the new change in the J.ESC series. The miniature white spaces began to validate the haphazard brown landscapes and homes I had made previously... and so, a new parallel between these objects and myself appeared.
I realized that I am no longer just a brown individual with features like the brown cardboard, but that through my education, I acquired a code of whiteness that validated my brown identity. This white code allows me to maneuver through professional and academic spaces that my previous self was not privy to. This is similar to the perception of the "valid" structure of the white homes. They exist, unquestioned and admired, but the only difference between them and the brown homes is 90 degree angles and color. The funny thing is that all white paper starts off as brown and is merely bleached of its original color. In the pursuit of these aspirational white spaces, my identity has undergone some whitewashing and deracialization, and I foolishly shed central aspects of my brown identity.
Now I am in constant negotiation with these selves. These clothes are a physical manifestation of what has been described as "the gentrification of a brown body" where the resentment and tension between these identities is palpable.
This forced me to evaluate myself in spaces that were not originally aimed at people with my socioeconomic background or race. I used cardboard more adamantly because its identity is charged with "negative" perceptions and physical traits similar to mine. This led to the creation of "Cartone x J.ESC" , a fictitious fashion line with accompanying catalog descriptions. With each satirical description, I offered alternatives to expensive clothes, but warned the viewer of the social implications that arise from wearing a garment that is charged with "undesirable" socioeconomic and racial characteristics. Through humor, I intended to make the audience complicit in normalized negative perceptions of "lowbrow" materials and brownness.
As I continued working something changed. I introduced landscapes and miniature homes made out of white materials. These new spaces are replicas of movie and t.v. homes I YEARNED to inhabit as a kid. They were spaces that were aspirational to my young self and which allowed a brief escape from my reality. People really responded to the new change in the J.ESC series. The miniature white spaces began to validate the haphazard brown landscapes and homes I had made previously... and so, a new parallel between these objects and myself appeared.
I realized that I am no longer just a brown individual with features like the brown cardboard, but that through my education, I acquired a code of whiteness that validated my brown identity. This white code allows me to maneuver through professional and academic spaces that my previous self was not privy to. This is similar to the perception of the "valid" structure of the white homes. They exist, unquestioned and admired, but the only difference between them and the brown homes is 90 degree angles and color. The funny thing is that all white paper starts off as brown and is merely bleached of its original color. In the pursuit of these aspirational white spaces, my identity has undergone some whitewashing and deracialization, and I foolishly shed central aspects of my brown identity.
Now I am in constant negotiation with these selves. These clothes are a physical manifestation of what has been described as "the gentrification of a brown body" where the resentment and tension between these identities is palpable.
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Need something to keep you warm this winter? Leave the merino wool for those who can afford it! the new Papier Cartone Trench by J.ESC is for you! seriously though... you cant afford that wool. Available in: Indigent Taupe, Underprivileged Tan, and Classic Poor Brown
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The Bummer Bomber is being released for a limited time this Fall! Make sure to grab one. Available in Boorish Brown, Wicked Walnut, and just plain Lazy Beige
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Feeling down? Boyfriend Dumped you? Systematic racial oppression making you blue? These new Jeans by J.ESC are here to help! At such a low price, They're sure to make your life easier with socioeconomic and cultural identifying appliques that let you, and anyone else, know exactly who you are. Available in White-washed Bronze, Not-pale-enough Pale Brown, and Deracialized Umber
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Cartone Button-up (minus the buttons) by J.ESC exclusively for @juanescobedoart. Available in all shades of poverty.
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Feeling athletic but your neighborhood is too "diverse" for you to jog? These new trainers by J.ESC-eSpor will give you enough bravado and "street cred" to face any sticky situations. Available in Hyphenated-American Brown, Not-Mexican-enough Khaki, and White Flight Eggshell!
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Getting Ready for a job interview? Going to meet your girlfriend's parents? But wait... you can't afford those $200 dress shoes which will make an impression. Derelict Dress Shoes by J.ESC. are just for you! they are sure to let everyone know your income bracket. Available in: Underprivileged Chestnut, Low-Class Khaki, Deprived Russet
It's hot outside! and you need protection from the sun. Looking for a cap? Look no further! The Crappy Cap from J.ESC-eSpor will protect you from the sun and shield you from judgmental looks when you have to ride the bus, or bike to work AND school. Available in: Dirty/Drab, Arid/Auburn, and Exhausted/Ecru
On the go? Want to make a fashion statement, but rent is due and can't spend the cold hard cash? The Fayuca Fanny Pack by J.ESC-eSpor is perfect for you. It boldy states "i'm living paycheck-to-paycheck, but i can be cutie too!" It comes with built-in racializing technology which lets people quietly know who you are so they can categorize you, yet subtle enough so no one is uncomfortable. Available in: Don't-be-too-brown Brown, Not-enough-rent-money Russet, and Class-it-up Khaki