It consists of more than 30 unique pieces that fuse fashion and art, designed by teachers and students of the Fashion Design and Management program.
The Fashion Design and Management program at the Universidad Privada de Santa Cruz de la Sierra – UPSA inaugurated the art and fashion exhibition called “Palabras Alma” on the second floor of the Manzana 1 art gallery, an exhibition made up of more than 30 unique pieces created by teachers and students of the program. The exhibition will be on display until November 10 of this year and celebrates the 20th anniversary of the creation of this program that has become a benchmark in the training of fashion professionals, standing out as the only one of its kind in Bolivia.
“This exhibition combines art, culture, knowledge, technique, but above all, the impressive creativity of our students who, together with their teachers, have achieved this international level exhibition,” said UPSA Rector Lauren Müller de Pacheco during the inauguration.
The conceptualization of the pieces developed by teachers and students of the course, is based on the essential and sacred value that the Guaraní give to the word, as a formative element of all things, that is to say the “soul”. One exists because one has a name, and this is the only vehicle of connection to read reality. Thus, words are fundamental tools weaving the narrative of the movement in the exhibition, connecting language with fashion.
In the “Urban Fragments” room, for example, she explores pieces rescued from the city, inviting interaction and intervention; in “Roots in Motion,” clothing becomes a vehicle to rescue the intangible; “Textile Metamorphosis,” takes garments beyond the everyday, into a realm of magic and fantasy; “Jewels in Ether,” uses hologram technology to present jewelry pieces in a different visual way; and “Scenic Eclosion,” which celebrates the explosion and expression of clothing as an art form that activates visual sensitivity and deep perception.
“I would like to congratulate these artists, our students, for their excellent work, who have invested hours of sleep in these works, to achieve something monumental and impressive with the guidance of their teachers,” said the Dean of the Faculty of Humanities, Communication and Arts of UPSA, Marion Schulmeyer; while Leyla Anas, manager of the Manzana 1 Art Space, said: “It revitalizes us to have young talent. It is very promising and encouraging for everyone that young university students are involved in this production.”
When taking the floor, the Head of the Fashion Design and Management Program, Raquel Clouzet, said: “We have been working on the idea of this exhibition for more than two years and for more than a year on its execution. This would not have been possible without the committed work of our brilliant teachers; without the talent and creativity of our students; without the support of the authorities of our University and for the openness and trust of Espacio de arte Manzana 1.”
The works included in the exhibition explore fashion as a form of artistic expression that captures the essence of movement; sculptures that tell stories and transmit emotions through their fluidity and dynamism, thanks to the use of various techniques to manipulate and shape materials, achieving a wide range of textures, volumes and silhouettes.
Since its creation in 2004, UPSA’s Fashion Design and Management Degree has evolved to respond to the needs of the local market, attracting students from all over the country, including La Paz, Oruro, Cochabamba, Tarija, Beni and Santa Cruz. It currently has the support and advice of the Research Center of the European Institute of Design (CRIED) in Milan, Italy. It is currently a degree that has the option of a Minor (mentions) in Fashion Digital Design and the option of a Double Degree at Rennes School of Business in France.
