Creative Research Studio | Isabel is my name

Creative Research Studio

CONTENTS

1 Manifiesto

2 Brand ADN

3 Research Philosophy

4 Founders

5 Research Projects

6 Press

Fashion is one of the most powerful cultural languages of our time. Beyond garments and seasonal collections, it carries memory, questions identity and reflects the way societies evolve. At Isabel is my name, we understand fashion as a field of artistic research where every collection begins with observation, critical thinking and creative exploration. Design is not the starting point of our practice; research is.

As a Creative Research Studio based in Valencia, Spain, our work investigates the relationship between contemporary fashion, performance, movement, craftsmanship and material innovation. Each project emerges through an interdisciplinary process that connects artistic experimentation with cultural inquiry, allowing garments to become more than wearable objects. They become narratives, performances and expressions of contemporary thought.

We believe that meaningful fashion cannot be separated from the questions that give it purpose. Rather than responding to the accelerated rhythm of trends, our practice is guided by curiosity, reflection and long-term investigation. Every collection represents a new opportunity to explore the relationship between the body and its environment, between memory and transformation, between artistic expression and responsible creation.

Our research draws inspiration from architecture, contemporary art, dance, theatre and material culture. These disciplines expand the possibilities of fashion beyond conventional product design, allowing garments to communicate movement, volume, emotion and identity. Through this interdisciplinary dialogue, fashion becomes a medium capable of generating cultural value and opening new conversations about creativity, sustainability and the future of design.

We understand authorship as an act of responsibility. Every decision—from concept development to material selection and construction—is guided by the intention of creating work that endures beyond a single season. Originality is not pursued through novelty alone, but through the continuous development of a personal methodology grounded in experimentation, craftsmanship and research.

At Isabel is my name, garments are never conceived as isolated products. They are the visible outcome of an invisible research process. Behind every silhouette exists a dialogue between materials, movement, artistic references and technical exploration. Fashion becomes the final expression of a much broader creative investigation.

Our ambition is not simply to design contemporary fashion, but to contribute to a wider cultural conversation about how fashion can create knowledge, preserve memory and imagine alternative futures. We believe that design has the capacity to connect disciplines, challenge conventions and inspire new ways of understanding the relationship between people, materials and the world they inhabit.

This manifesto defines the principles that guide every collection, every research project and every collaboration developed by Isabel is my name. It is an invitation to understand fashion not only as an industry, but as a cultural practice where research, creativity and responsibility become inseparable.

Manifiesto

Fashion as Cultural Inquiry

Brand ADN

A Living Methodology

Our Brand DNA is therefore not a visual signature, but a living methodology. It is expressed through the questions we ask, the collaborations we build, the materials we investigate and the ideas we choose to pursue. It defines the continuity that exists between every collection, every performance and every research project, ensuring that each new body of work remains unmistakably part of the same creative practice.

Underlying all these principles is a belief that fashion has the capacity to connect disciplines, generate cultural value and expand the ways we understand identity, creativity and human expression. Every project developed by Isabel is my name seeks to contribute to this broader conversation, positioning fashion not only as a product of design, but as an evolving field of artistic research.

Timelessness is not understood as a visual style but as a design philosophy. We reject the accelerated cycles of disposable fashion in favour of projects developed through research, craftsmanship and intentional decision-making. Our collections are conceived to remain culturally relevant beyond a single season, reflecting a slower and more responsible approach to contemporary fashion.

Every creative practice is defined by the principles that remain constant regardless of time, trends or context. At Isabel is my name, our identity is not built around a recognizable aesthetic alone, but around a way of thinking, questioning and creating. Every collection, research project and collaboration emerges from the same intellectual framework: fashion understood as a cultural practice capable of generating knowledge, dialogue and long-term value.

Research is the foundation of our creative process. Rather than beginning with silhouettes or seasonal directions, every project starts by observing the relationship between people, materials, movement and contemporary society. This investigative approach allows design to evolve through reflection instead of repetition, ensuring that every collection develops its own conceptual language while remaining connected to the studio's broader vision.

Authorship defines every decision we make. We believe that originality is not achieved through novelty alone, but through the continuous development of an independent creative voice. Each garment reflects a deliberate dialogue between artistic intention, technical precision and cultural references, resulting in work that values permanence over immediacy and meaning over consumption.

Our practice is inherently interdisciplinary. Contemporary fashion cannot be understood in isolation, and neither can our work. Architecture informs our understanding of structure and proportion. Dance reveals how garments interact with movement and the body. Contemporary art expands the possibilities of narrative and visual expression. Theatre and performance introduce new ways of experiencing clothing beyond functionality. These disciplines do not serve as decoration; they become active components of the design process itself.

Material intelligence is equally fundamental to our identity. Every textile possesses a history, a physical presence and an expressive potential that extends far beyond its original function. Rather than imposing predetermined solutions, we seek to understand the intrinsic qualities of materials, allowing their characteristics to influence volume, construction and form. This dialogue between designer and material transforms creation into an open process of discovery.

Fashion does not begin with a sketch, a fabric or a seasonal trend. It begins with a question. At Isabel is my name, research is the starting point of every creative process, guiding the development of collections, artistic collaborations and experimental projects through observation, critical thinking and interdisciplinary exploration.

Our philosophy is grounded in the belief that contemporary fashion is more than an aesthetic discipline; it is a form of cultural inquiry capable of generating knowledge and opening new perspectives on the relationship between the body, materials and society. Every investigation seeks to understand how design can communicate ideas, preserve memory and create meaningful experiences that extend beyond the garment itself.

Rather than following predefined formulas, each project develops through an open dialogue between artistic research, craftsmanship, movement and material studies. Architecture informs our understanding of structure and volume, dance reveals the expressive potential of the body in motion, while contemporary art and performance expand the narrative possibilities of fashion. These disciplines are not references added at the end of the process; they actively shape the way every project evolves.

We believe that research is not a preliminary stage but a continuous practice. Every collection, every experiment and every collaboration contributes to an evolving body of knowledge that informs future work. Through this methodology, fashion becomes a living process of investigation where creativity, responsibility and innovation remain inseparable.

Research, for us, is not a means to an end. It is the discipline that gives meaning to every decision we make and the foundation upon which Isabel is my name continues to grow as a Creative Research Studio.

Research Philosophy

CURRENT COLLECTION

Founders

There are careers that can be summarized through institutions, awards or years of experience. Ours could be described that way too. Between us, we have devoted decades to fashion design, costume design, creative direction, teaching and research. We have worked within the retail industry, guided educational processes and pursued academic paths that have taken us from university studies to postgraduate education and doctoral research.

But that is not our real curriculum.

There is, however, one final line that explains everything written above.

We are partners.

We are family.

We are the parents of Amanda Isabel.

Perhaps that is where everything truly begins.

Because long before designing garments, collections or performances, we discovered that creating can also be a way of caring for what we love.

That is, perhaps, our true curriculum.

Behind every research practice there are people, experiences and shared convictions. Isabel Peña and Mauricio Quiñones are the founders and creative directors of Isabel is my name, an independent Creative Research Studio where fashion, artistic research and interdisciplinary practice converge through a common vision of authorship, experimentation and cultural inquiry.

Our real education has taken place somewhere no degree can reach: in experimentation, uncertainty, failure and the determination to begin again. It is where craft ceases to be merely a technical skill and becomes a way of understanding the world.

Isabel is my name was born precisely from that search. Not as a business created to occupy a place within the fashion industry.

But as a space where we could work with complete creative freedom. A place where research coexists with intuition, where rigor embraces accident, and where ideas are allowed the time they need to find their most honest form.

We are Isabel Peña, from Chile, and Mauricio Quiñones, from Argentina. Together we lead the creative direction of the studio, but long before that we shared the same way of understanding creation itself. We are equally interested in what can be taught and in what only emerges after years of silent practice: finding a voice, building a language and developing a methodology of our own.The ancient Greeks called this téchne: the form of knowledge that unites thought and making. It is within that territory that we continue to work, constantly moving between artifact and artifice, between research and emotion, between precision and risk.

Perhaps we are deeply passionate. Perhaps, at times, even too ambitious for the scale of our resources. But we prefer to believe that we are simply protecting something that becomes increasingly difficult to preserve with time: the ability to imagine without asking for permission.

Guided by that conviction, we left Chile to begin a new chapter in Spain. Step by step, with humility and perseverance, we have been creating a place for our work within the landscape of contemporary fashion while remaining faithful to the principles that gave birth to this studio. Our aspiration is not only to continue growing, but to contribute to a broader international conversation about fashion, research and culture.

The Practice Behind the Practice

Research Projects

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Madrid · EGO · September 2026

In September 2026, Isabel is my name will present Conservación Afectiva at the EGO platform of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Madrid, following its selection for both the runway presentation and the official showroom. More than a fashion collection, the project represents the latest research developed within Runway Research, the studio's experimental programme dedicated to investigating the relationship between contemporary fashion, memory and material culture.

Conservación Afectiva explores the emotional value that objects acquire throughout their lives and questions why certain materials are preserved while others are discarded. Through artistic research, material investigation and experimental pattern cutting, the project transforms this reflection into a series of contemporary silhouettes where volume, structure and textile narratives become expressions of memory and permanence.

The selection by Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Madrid recognizes not only the aesthetic qualities of the collection but also its contribution to contemporary fashion as a field of research. Presented within one of Spain's leading platforms for emerging designers, Conservación Afectiva reinforces the studio's commitment to developing collections that generate cultural dialogue through interdisciplinary practice and research-based design.

Rather than marking the conclusion of a project, this presentation represents another stage in an ongoing investigation into how fashion can preserve stories, transform materials and expand the possibilities of contemporary creative practice.

Conservación Afectiva-Runway-Research

The work developed by Isabel is my name has progressively become part of the contemporary dialogue surrounding fashion, artistic research and interdisciplinary creative practice. Through runway presentations, exhibitions, interviews and editorial publications, the studio's investigations have been recognised by specialised fashion media, cultural publications and academic platforms that share an interest in the evolving relationship between fashion, performance, material research and contemporary culture.

This growing editorial presence reflects more than the visibility of a collection or a designer. It documents the evolution of an independent research practice whose projects seek to contribute to wider discussions about authorship, sustainability, material innovation and the cultural role of fashion. Each publication becomes another opportunity to extend the questions that originate inside the studio into broader public and professional conversations.

Over the past years, the work of Isabel is my name has been featured in publications including VOGUE SPAIN,FashionUnited, MAKMA, House of Solo, A Shaded View on Fashion, Levante-EMV, Hello Valencia, Quinta Trends and El Rotativo, among others. These publications have documented different stages of the studio's evolution, from research projects and experimental collections to public presentations and collaborations within the contemporary fashion ecosystem.