Research Proposal

I have chosen to do my project based off La Isla de Munecas (Island of the Dolls). I have chosen this setting because I believe the story of Don Julian finding the dead little girl and memorializing her in the form of dolls is similar to other forms of healing and memorialization . It is believed that Don Julian was possessed by the dolls and he felt that the dolls were a form of protection to the island. In my grandmothers home, she would collect very strange dolls. I asked her why she had so many and she said as a young girl she was never able to afford such luxuries therefore as an adult she decided to fulfill her childhood desires. I would like my project to encapsulate how we as humans are attached to items. I think that this topic will be gratifying towards my design process and will pair well with my future in the Fashion Design Development course because I can go into depth about my knowledge and personal experience with superstitions in the Mexican culture. In the Mexican culture we view death as an extension of our life. An example would be the holiday we have called “Dia de Los Muertos” Day of the dead, when we create an alter dedicated lost ones and ancestors. On this day we place food, flowers, and items that remind us of our loved ones on this alter because we believe that they visit us on this day. This to me is a great experience and something that allows us to believe in almost this eternal love. In my research I will visit the library, read documentaries, and interview others on their experience. I’d like to approach the project in a conceptual sense and almost solve this mystery as to why Don Julian dedicated his life to this strange act. I believe this project topic will be a great transition into the Fashion Design Development course because the course is very broad in design so it will allow me to try different aspects of sketching, textiles, and research. I also believe this topic is interesting because of its historical angle, which I will be talking about is Mexico pre-colonization. My target market will be young women who enjoy couture statement pieces, but also a fusion of casual wear.

NIH (2020) Embracing Death: Mexican Parent and Child Perspectives on Death Available at:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6883122/ (Accessed: 10 April 2023)

The Guardian (2010) Why Mexicans Celebrate Day of the Dead Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/belief/2010/nov/02/mexican-celebrate-day-of-dead (Accessed: 10 April 2023)

Harding, R. (No date) Day of the Dead Mexico Available at: High Quality Stock Photos of “day of the dead mexico” (robertharding.com) (Accessed: 10 April 2023)

Guzman, S. (2019) A Tour to the Island of the Dolls Available at: A tour to the Island of the Dolls to celebrate Day of the Dead (eluniversal.com.mx) (Accessed: 10 April 2023)