Under the guidance of Professor Cate-Arries, I engaged in a research project in Cádiz, Spain during the summer of 2013. My research focused on a Cádiz-based fashion festival’s function as a cultural escape valve during a worrisome economic crisis. My research demonstrated how fashion functions as much more than just a showcase for material possessions, but rather offers a world of symbolism and representational value of one’s identity. More recently, during my senior year I have completed an honors thesis under the Hispanic Studies Department with continued guidance from Professor Cate-Arries. My senior honors thesis, “Salvador Dalí, Surrealism, and the Luxury Fashion Industry,” was inspired in part by my previous field work with the Cádiz summer study program. Within this work I study Dalí’s influence and relevance in the fashion world up to the present day when the artist’s legacy and influence on the fashion industry transcends his death in 1989. The work I have conducted on my honors thesis has been stressful, however, it has truly been my most rewarding experience at William & Mary.
Upon completion of my schooling at William & Mary, I will move to New York City and work as a merchandising/buying intern for the E-commerce based luxury fashion company Moda Operandi. I hope to one day become a buyer for a large luxury department store.