August marks the second year that President Obama’s executive memorandum DACA, Deferred Action for Early Childhood Arrivals, has helped immigrant youth reach greater social and economic potential in the United States. In 2012, DACA allowed immigrant youth who lived most of their lives in the U.S. to obtain a 2-year work authorization without fear of being removed from…
Author: Helen Trejo
Helen Trejo is a sustainable fashion advocate and co-founder of Fiber Novation Loops LLC, a social enterprise that explores the intersection of fashion, agriculture, and technology to support the long-term sustainability of US fiber farms. Helen received her B.A. in fashion design from UC Davis, and her M.A. and Ph.D in Fiber Science & Apparel Design at Cornell University.
www.helenxtrejo.com
Injustice for Potential Refugees reaching the Mexican-American Border
My heart goes out to the thousands of minors and families coming to the U.S. from Central America in search of safer livelihoods. My parents escaped the turmoil and violence of El Salvador during the horrific Civil War in the 1980s. Today, they comment that the violence in El Salvador with the influx of MS-13 gang members deported…
Establishment of “Latino Cultural District” SF California
Recently San Francisco’s Mission District was named a “Latino Cultural District” based on the Latino/a melting pot that has historically welcomed people from diverse countries. A SHORT HISTORY Immigration to the Mission District began during the 19th century Gold Rush. The end of the Mexican-American War and Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo forced Mexican residents to leave, and spurred entry of…
Enjoying Ithaca Festival May 2014!
The Ithaca Festival is this weekend! It was exciting to see the creativity variety among the Ithaca community during the Festival Parade on Friday. The festival provides a space for the community to come together and appreciate local talents, creativity, and resources. It builds on human and social capital. Below are photograph of my favorite parts of the parade: Today, Saturday,…
L.A.’s Natural Appeal
One of the things I love about coming home to Los Angeles is appreciating the contributions my mami and papi make to the natural aesthetics of Los Angeles. Their garden is deeply inspirational as it embodies a variety of colors, shapes, and textures. It emanates visual, tactile, and olfactory senses that instills happiness and delight for…
Soil to Skin Rebecca Burgess’ 150 Mile Wardrobe
The Fibershed project in Northern California has been extremely motivational for me, especially since it has inspired my Master’s thesis. I have explored fiber farm and mill resources in New York, and received consumer feedback about NY “fibershed” knitwear. (An official “fibershed” has not been established in NY, but it definitely has the resources.) It is amazing to see…
Call for support: Jullien Gordon to Speak at alma mater Los Angeles High School
We would like your support to bring an inspiring educational and leadership speaker, Jullien Gordon to our alma mater, Downtown Magnets High School, May 2015. He is a renown speaker that engages with students and budding entrepreneurs nationwide during speaking tours and TedTalks. In 2007, Jullien received two Masters degrees from Stanford University—his MBA and Masters in…
Linking Fashion with “People, Planet, Profit” goals
This year I got the great opportunity to work with fellow apparel design and fiber science students in a sustainable fashion project funded by the Environmental Protection Agency under the supervision of Professor Tasha Lewis, Dr. Park, and Dr. Netravali. The project fused sustainable design theory, upcycling–the process of adding value to cast off, second-hand…
Ithaca & Cornell: ‘Latin House Mafia’
Really enjoyed the mix of Reggaeton, R&B, Hip Hop, Old School Hip Hop and Electronic Dance Music. The smooth mixes between Biggie Smalls’ “Hynotized,” Daddy Yankee’s “Gasolina” and Travis Porter’s “Ayy Ladies” really highlights the complexity in musical rhythms and the potential for greater creativity with the mixing of genres. It is also amazing that fellow grad…
Sustainable Fashion Elevator Pitch
This is a short video about a project I have been working on as Professor Tasha Lewis’ Graduate Research Assistant at Cornell University. Extended video with more details coming soon!
Personality Characteristics of Hand-Knit Sweaters
I was excited to make this word cloud that represents personality descriptions of hand-knit sweaters (cashmere, alpaca, wool). It is based on responses from 200 women in New York. It is great to consider the different words people use to describe a sweater as it if were a real human being with a personality. It’s not something we usually consider…
Fiber Artisanry with Local Fibers
I’m excited to show one of the first knit and crochet accessories I made from 100% hand spun yarns. I previously wrote about the NY fleece origins here and about my process of learning to spin here. I’m glad I had the opportunity to learn how to make my own yarns at Knitting Etc. because I can expand my creativity…
Hyper-sexualization of Adriana Lima
I recently “liked” Adriana Lima’s page in hopes of learning more about her everyday activities in the fashion world and as a fellow Latina. Today I clicked on her page and was surprised to see her timeline cover page that mimics a Dolce & Gabbana “gang rape” ad that was banned in 2007. The D&G ad…
Fashion Academia
In the midst of finishing my Master’s thesis and keeping up with coursework, I have been looking at Academic positions currently available in the field of Apparel/ Fashion/ Textiles. This is a snapshot of the positions currently available and posted in the International Textile and Apparel Association website: Compared to other fields, this is a long…
Lucy’s Appeal
Seeing Lucille Ball show off her acting, dancing, and singing talents makes “The Diet” one of my favorite episodes. She radiates confidence in her sassy performance. Most of the episode focuses on Lucy’s weight concerns, and her efforts to lose 12 pounds in 4 days. I’m glad the show represents her efforts to exercise and…
HELEN TREJO 