My friend, Kristen Garcia, is a wonderful lady, and she is finally getting her Master’s degree from our alma mater, Kansas State University. I could not be prouder of her accomplishments, and I know she will be a force to be reckoned with in the real world. But before she fully steps into that ring, it’s time for a celebration! Kristen wanted me to design invitations for her graduation party. Honored to be part of her celebration, I created a unique invitation that balanced her latest milestone with her Latin heritage.
“¡She’s livin’ la vida loca!” – Ricky Martin
I integrated a lot of Kristen’s Mexican heritage into the graduation invitations. First, the she-skeleton with the graduation cap is an homage to Días de Muertos (Day of the Dead). This holiday, celebrated from October 31st through November 2nd, remembers, honors, and prays for lost loved ones as they go on their spiritual journey. Días de Muertos honors the dead with many colorful skeletons and flowers. Using a skeleton on the invite represents the end of another chapter in Kristen’s extraordinary life. She’s moving on to new things, but people have the opportunity to honor the great things she’s done so far.
Second, the text on the backside of the invitations celebrates the Lucha libre (Mexican wrestling) culture. I wanted the invitation to feel like a Lucha libre poster. I searched the web for signs and found many excellent examples. Each poster had a variety of fonts, typography, and colors. The posters flirted with control and chaos. I loved those elements and ensured my design paid homage to that style.
Photo of the invitations by Kristen Garcia