röpa

K and I became fast friends, not connecting on anything in particular but maybe everything all at once..a zeal for life, an unwavering (perhaps delusional) optimism, reverence for God….just girly things. After spending some time with her in her home studio, I realized her bright outlook and warm personality were complimented with a sharp intellect and honest craftsmanship. Her creativity entirely rooted in her identity, and her work and process reflects that. It was clear to me that I wanted to document her in it. This is just a bit of a project I’m excited to share more of soon!

What started as a photo project for @photovogue ’s “women by women” open call this summer, turned into a bit of experimentation with video, in effort to best document @k.espinosa.torres in her light, her thoughts and her process for @ropa.lab and beyond. Even though our submission wasn’t selected, this was such a special and worthwhile project. I learned so much about this angel, how and why she does what she does. It deepened our friendship and the way I look at my own work. I continue to be left amazed and inspired by her. I love you, K!

Styling has become another way I process, a place where my hands can speak when language feels too rigid. The Hoarder Chain came out of a need to hold things, not just objects, but memories, tools, moments that felt too charged to let go. It’s become one of the most personal pieces from @ropalab always changing, always collecting. A chain that isn’t about decoration, but about weight. About meaning. Working with @prairieunderground gave me space to bring this object into a new conversation; one shaped by their commitment to ethical making and their quiet, grounded aesthetic. Together, we built a layered story around care, resistance, and the tension between softness and utility. The Hoarder Chain just found its place in it.

Hoarder Chain stands guard, subtle and sculptural… adorning, embellishing, charging Prairies Underground F25 new pieces with content and significance…The F25 collection inhabits the new Prairie Underground space; What an honor to be part of Prairie’s World⛓️‍💥

Y tu? Cuál es tu pasión? 📸 @jesssbarnard

“The Hoarder doesn’t just accessorize, it theorizes. Clutter as culture, metal as memory.” Exclusive at @prairieunderground pop up shop.

Meet K. Espinosa, the ecuadorian visual artist based in Seattle, WA. Founder of röpa, a design laboratory where garments become signs, and clothing is read like language. Her work explores fashion as a system of coded meanings, where form, function, and styling operate as tools to construct, question, and disrupt identity. We joined forces with @k.espinosa.torres styling for MODE Fashion Show to showcase Prairie Underground’s collection and @r öpa.lab most wanted accessory, the Hoarder Chain. Each chain is one-of-a-kind built from stories, charms, and collected chaos. The Hoarder Chain is Available at the POP UP Store now. 📍2006 1st Ave, 98122 A mediated and evolving object that functions as both archive and artifact. Conceived through the lens of fashion as a system of signs, the chain gathers and encodes fragments of K’s world: memories, tools, and charms from places, people, and moments that hold personal significance. Each element operates like a signifier; carrying meaning, gesture, and affect; turning the chain into a wearable narrative that resists fixity and instead invites ongoing reinterpretation. It is a personal map of attachments, carried on the body, assembled through time. “Together, Prairie Underground and röpa.lab have sourced and styled a capsule of grungy, expressive looks tailored for Seattle’s boldest fashion outlaws. This lineup speaks to the misfits, the dreamers, and the defiant. Those who dress not to impress, but to declare”. - @mode_uw Photograph Shots: @_pearllwin Hair and Makeup: @audreysekora Models: Thank you to our models @jpaul.lx @clairemong @jseabrookj @thetanvibe @eurasoon @sage.cramer @bahh_queen @aislinn_ar @h.as.halsey @abiellamariscal @tessamarieward @kiri.nakagawa

@kylamaeo in the Hoarder Chain!! a full circle moment. A visionary behind the lens, now in front of it. Her eye has always found the most expressive corners of light, shadow, and truth… this time, it found herself. Seeing one of Ropa Lab’s dearest friends and day-one supporters shine in the Hoarder Chain is everything 🖤 Your love and energy have carried this project in more ways than one. Thank you for repping the chain with so much heart and style, this moment looks so good on you. @modernartcowboy 📸

••Limited Edition Hoarder Chains•• A mediated and evolving object that functions as both archive and artifact. Each chain gathers and encodes fragments of K’s world: memories, tools, and charms from places, people, and moments that hold personal significance. Each element operates like a signifier; carrying meaning, gesture, and affect, turning the chain into a wearable narrative that resists fixity and instead invites ongoing reinterpretation. It is a personal map of attachments, carried on the body, assembled through time. DM for pricing and delivery

Hoarder Chain •Pre-Sale Now Live• Before they hit the pop-up, you can claim yours. Each chain is one-of-a-kind built from stories, charms, and collected chaos. Handmade by Ecuadorian visual artist K Espinosa. Support independent, Latina-led design. ⚠️ Limited pieces. No restocks. First come, first served. Drop July 16th • Catch them at the Prairie Underground Pop-Up.

I stepped into this project as a stylist with the lens of a visual artist, curious about how pieces speak to and disrupt each other. Working with @prairieunderground ’s grounded, architectural silhouettes gave me space to explore contrast through the Hoarder Chain, an ongoing object from @r öpa.lab rooted in collection, attachment, and interruption. The weight of the chain against structured cottons and soft hems became a way to speak about function and memory; about how we carry tools, stories, and resistance on the body. I think of these pieces not just as garments, but as systems. Open to disorder, to care, to accumulation.

This Thursday I’m styling for OUTLAW ORDER, a @mode_uw fashion show in Seattle. I’ve been working in collaboration with @prairieunderground and my own studio @ropa.lab , weaving in pieces from our most recent drop — including the Hoarder Chain, which somehow always finds its way back into the story. Grateful and excited to be part of a lineup that’s questioning not just how we dress, but why. Fashion here isn’t polished — it’s tense, heavy, burning, alive. 🖤 June 13th 1609 Harvard Ave, Seattle Doors at 6:30 #OutlawOrder #StyledByKEspinosaTorres #RopaLab #PrairieUnderground #HoarderChain #SeattleFashion #UndressTheSystem