Bichites (2023) is a collaborative fashion project with Valeria Fumero, translating a universe of Tamagochi-inspired digital creatures into a tactile, wearable language. Valeria Fumero is a Costa Rican stylist and creative director based in Los Angeles, working across editorial, commercial, and wardrobe direction for film, photography, and artist collaborations. Together, we developed a collection that explores nostalgia, virtual identity, and playful worldbuilding—entirely conceived and produced in Costa Rica.
The project materialized as a full garment collection, including skirts, tops, crop tops, dresses, sleeves, and corsets—built primarily around mesh as a central fabric. I developed all textile designs from scratch, creating base patterns and backgrounds that were later inhabited by original characters. These “bichites”—a playful take on small creatures—exist somewhere between digital pets and abstract personalities, forming a cohesive yet chaotic visual ecosystem across the collection.
Beyond the garments, the project extended into digital outputs, including social media content, animated visuals, and campaign assets that helped communicate the world of Bichites across platforms. The result is a collection that moves fluidly between physical fashion and digital storytelling, where each piece feels like a fragment of a larger, living system.
The main challenge was translating a digital-first concept—rooted in Tamagotchi-like creatures and virtual nostalgia—into a physical fashion collection without losing its essence. The garments needed to feel wearable and functional, while still carrying the same sense of playfulness, multiplicity, and visual intensity found in digital environments.
Additionally, the project required building a cohesive identity across many moving parts: multiple garment types, original textile systems, character design, and digital content. Balancing consistency with variation was key—ensuring that each piece felt unique while still belonging to a unified visual world.
I approached the project through worldbuilding, using textile design as the foundation for the entire collection. By creating repeatable yet dynamic patterns, I established a visual base that could adapt across different garments while maintaining coherence. The introduction of character overlays added depth and personality—turning each piece into a narrative surface rather than just a fabric.
The use of mesh as a primary material reinforced the concept of layering and transparency, echoing the digital origins of the project while enhancing its physicality. This allowed the garments to feel light, flexible, and visually active—almost as if the characters exist within the fabric itself.
By extending the visual language into animations and digital content, the project maintained a strong presence beyond the garments, reinforcing its identity as both a fashion collection and a conceptual universe. The final result is a cohesive system where textile, character, and form interact—bridging digital nostalgia with contemporary fashion design.
year
2023
timeframe
1 month
tools
Procreate, Photoshop, Illustrator & After Effects
category
Fashion Creative Direction
