Sofía Abi-Saab and Pía Langenhin, graduates of the Bachelor of Fashion Design program at Universidad ORT Uruguay, were selected by Montevideo Shopping to design the covers of notebooks being sold at the mall throughout the month of October to raise awareness about the fight against breast cancer.
The proposal came from the program coordinator, Mariana Muzi—in collaboration with Montevideo Shopping—who presented the idea to a group of about 20 students. To create the designs, the now-graduates drew inspiration from a video and a testimonial letter, which recounts the feelings of those who support women who have battled breast cancer and who decided to share their experiences during the course of the disease.
Images and symbols
According to Langenhin, she was deeply moved by both pieces. “The video—in which María Noel Riccetto danced—gave me a sense of women’s femininity and the body as a temple, and how important it is to take care of it and be aware of this disease, which is more common than we think,” the graduate said.
For the design, she incorporated the signature aesthetic of her brand, Paspartú, which specializes primarily in print designs. “I worked with symbols, such as the female form, a feminine silhouette, and the pink ribbon, which is also a symbol of this movement to raise awareness about breast cancer. As for the colors, pink features prominently, as it is another signature symbol,” she explained.
According to the graduate, it was an honor that Montevideo Shopping liked her design. “There’s been a huge buzz around this campaign. There are even posters at the bus stops, and seeing the design there is great,” said Langenhin.
A network that supports and encourages
For her part, graduate Sofía Abi-Saab, whose design was also selected, described the creative process. “After reading and rereading the testimonial letter—which was very powerful and rich in content—the concept that immediately came to mind was ‘blooming.’ I drew inspiration from that concept to put the composition together,” explained the fashion designer.
She explained that the floral arrangement really captures the essence of womanhood, and that one line from the letter had stuck with her and served as inspiration: “to become a network that shelters and encourages.” “I interpreted the network as a cluster of flowers, which is why I didn’t create just one, but several flowers arranged together. And as for the color scheme, I wanted to convey symbols of delicacy, sensitivity, and hope. That’s why I used pink, green, and white,” explained Abi-Saab.
The notebooks, which include health tips and a checklist for checkups, are on sale throughout the month of October at the Customer Service desk at Montevideo Shopping. All proceeds from the sale of the notebooks will go to the Honorary Commission for the Fight Against Cancer.
