Drisana Rosales

California based writer and maker slow-stitching garments with (mostly) salvaged materials. As a Chicana, I come from a long line of women who constructed their own wardrobes and identities under the pressure of an unwelcoming dominant culture and I strive to honor their work and wear my heart on my sleeve.

What influence does music have in your life as a creative?:

Coming from a family of musicians, I grew up attending dozens of live shows, concerts, and music festivals. Some of my first makes were hand-sewn band tees turned into fitted tanks and tote bags in high school and I went through a phase of knitting and weaving my favorite album covers in college.

As a student of traditional Mexican Danza Folklorico, I became fascinated with music, dance, costume, and set design as tools of storytelling and cultural preservation. I was also fortunate to be taught by a local activist who lectured her students about the wage exploitation and poor working conditions of LA garments workers during this time. Something about this dance teacher telling a class of middle school Chicanos to boycott the fast fashion industry in the mid-2000s was life changing for me, and it has everything to do with why I prefer to make my own clothing.

Tell us about your playlist:

I’m a pensive maker by nature and listening to music helps me get in the zone, while the hum of the machine allows me to sing along a little louder. Featuring some of my favorite songs from artists in constant rotation while I draft, trace, cut, and sew my projects – I’d like to dedicate this mix to my machine(s), my practice, and the things I’ve made in isolation.

Cover photo is a mixtape my dad made with my favorite R&B and Pop hits from the year 1999.