When contemporary artist and Afro-Latina Cristina Martinez was about 10 years old, she remembers her mother taking her to a casting call. She ended up booking a pair of print ads for Nordstrom – her first and only modeling gig. Martinez never believed that 25 years later, her life would come full circle and that she would be collaborating with the luxury department store again.
This time, Martinez was contacted by Nordstrom representatives because they loved her artwork that they saw online. So, they asked her to create three original paintings they could use to design a limited-edition line of clothing and home décor. Today, Martinez, who is Black and Mexican, has helped create several products for Nordstrom, including dresses, sweatsuits, pajamas, blankets, and throw pillows.
“I’m incredibly humbled and excited to share that after a year in the making, Nordstrom and I are announcing our ongoing partnership,” Martinez wrote on Instagram. “This is a dream come true. It was an opportunity to create artwork that not only hangs on walls, but on our bodies. I cannot wait to share the full collection with you all and see how you experience it.”
Martinez says that her art “tells the stories of Black and Brown people” who work hard to be seen and heard. “I want people to connect to my art,” she told InStyle. “For me, it always comes back to the stories of my people. This is my opportunity to share those stories and highlight who I am and where I came from.”
Where Martinez came from is one thing. Where she’s going is something just as exciting.
To find where to purchase the Cristina Martinez by Nordstrom collection, visit Nordstrom.com.