Hello!

I’m Moth (they/he), a Latinx costume designer, artist, and researcher located in Portland, Oregon. I graduated from Portland State University magna cum laude in 2023 with a BA in Sociology and Classical Studies.

My costuming is deeply informed by my background in intersectional sociology and history, given how clothing serves as a powerful tool to communicate our identities, psyches, and place in the greater social world. Clothes are not just fabric on our bodies but a reflection of our cultural backgrounds, personal histories, and societal influences, imbuing every costume with layers of meaning and revealing nuances that resonate deeply with the wearer and viewer alike. By integrating sociological perspectives into my design process, I strive to not only tell stories through costumes but also to provoke introspection and dialogue about the complexities of identity and representation in our society.

I have a passion for fashion history as well as various forms of textile arts, particularly weaving, embroidery, and knitting. I also enjoy making jewelry, often out of recycled and secondhand materials in an effort to turn what would otherwise be waste into fun and quirky accessories. I am a staunch supporter of environmentalist efforts, particularly those that focus on reducing our textile waste through re/upcycling and education on how to care for & mend our clothing. There’s no theater on a dead planet.

Born in Phoenix, Arizona, I proudly come from a Mexican-American family and am a first-generation college graduate. While attending David Douglas High School in SE Portland, I was one of less than a dozen students accepted into the 2018 Production & Design cohort of the NYU Tisch Summer High School, a program for young theatre artists. I received Best in State at the 2019 Oregon Thespian Festival for my costume designs.

Resume

2024

Midwinter Revels: Norse Fire / Wardrobe, Costume Assistant

Alberta Abbey, dir. Bruce Akpan Hostetler

Costume design by Janelle Sutton

A Christmas Story / Assistant Costume Designer, Wardrobe Coordinator

Lakewood Center for the Arts, dir. Dennis Corwin

Costume design by Janelle Sutton

Orlofsky’s Party / Costume Designer

Renegade Opera at The Judy, dir. Annabel Cantor

Jersey Boys / Dresser, Wardrobe Manager

Lakewood Center for the Arts, dir. Isaac Lamb

Costume design by Laura Helgeson & Paige A. Hanna

2023

Blood Wedding / Assistant Costume Designer

Shaking the Tree, dir. Samantha van der Merwe