I’m Sandra, fashion researcher and trend consultant. My work lies at the intersection of fashion and cultural analysis.

I’m currently available for consulting engagements

I’m based in Paris, but work globally.

I promote a critical analysis of fashion through my writing and teaching, and I help brands navigate the overwhelming amount of information about trends to create culturally-relevant and commercially viable collections.

Consulting

 

I have a a trend forecasting consulting firm based in Paris and focused on the Latin American market. I work with brands that seek to think critically about trends, creating new products that adapt to the local market. I specialize in identifying cultural macro-trends that will influence the evolution of consumer tastes and needs, and in training teams to align their creative process to the brand strategy.

 

Writing

 

I write essays and articles for various publications, both in the fashion industry and in academia. You can find some of my pieces here. I also have a monthly newsletter called Fashion Thoughts. At the moment, it’s only available in Spanish.

 

Courses and conferences

 

I’ve dedicated a significant part of my career to raising awareness about the importance of using fashion to create a better world, with an emphasis on its use as a feminist tool and the decolonization of Latin American thought. I teach college courses, I participate in conferences, and I lead workshops on topics such as fashion history, cultural appropriation, fashion and gender, and sustainability.

 

Podcast

 

I’m the co-founder and host of Salón de Moda, a Fashion Studies podcast in Spanish created in collaboration with Latin American colleagues from Parsons.

 

A bit more about myself

 

I was born and raised in Lima, Peru and started my career working in the design team of luxury fashion houses in Lima and New York, such as Badgley Mischka, Claudia Bertolero and Rosario de Armenteras.

However, my passion for research led me to trend forecasting. I worked at Fashion Snoops for a few years and then joined the design team at Oechsle, a Peruvian department store, as a designer and trend strategist, creating the first in-house trend area of the company.

This professional experience along with the great cultural diversity to which I was exposed since I was a child drove my interest in studying culture through fashion, and led me to the Master of Arts in Fashion Studies at Parsons Paris, from which I graduated in May 2020.

In addition, I have a Bachelor in Fashion Studies from Mod'Art Peru, an AAS in Fashion Design from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York and a Certificate in Fashion Business from Parsons.

I currently work as a fashion researcher and trend consultant, and I’m an Adjunct Professor at Parsons Paris, the American Business School of Paris, Cultural Experiences Abroad (CEA) and Instituto Peruano de Publicidad, where I teach courses on fashion research, history, trends and communication.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out for private workshops or public speaking.

Fun fact about Latin American surnames

Did you know that in Spain and most Latin American countries we use two surnames? Traditionally, the first one would be the father’s first surname and the second one, the mother’s first surname. Nowadays, it is legal in most countries for the parents to choose the order.

In my case, my first name is Sandra, my first surname is Mathey and my second surname is García-Rada — indeed, a very long name! In case I need to shorten it, I go by Sandra Mathey.