For Sol Kellan, fashion is more than fabric and form. It is storytelling, world-building, and self-healing all at once. Her work lives at the intersection of fantasy and emotional truth, where mythic characters emerge from lived experiences and couture becomes catharsis. At the heart of this creative vision is Cinderella Koi, a costume that reimagines the classic fairytale and introduces us to Sol’s ever-expanding fantasy universe.
Unlike the traditional tale, Cinderella Koi is not about finding love through royalty. Instead, it tells the story of a girl who escapes abuse by transforming into something otherworldly. She does not wait to be rescued. She swims away.
“I imagined her in an Asian metropolis,” Sol says, “a girl cast out, surviving in the streets. She meets a magical koi fish who offers to switch places. That’s how she escapes. She becomes the fish, and finally finds freedom in the open sea.”
The visual result of that story is breathtaking. Cinderella Koi became a finalist at the prestigious 2024 World of WearableArt (WOW) competition, making Sol only the third Mexican finalist in the show’s history. The piece features over 35 meters of flowing black fabric and 15 meters of custom-sublimated fins, hand-illustrated in watercolor by collaborator Juan Batta. The textures are rich and aquatic, combining floral shapes with fish anatomy to create a surreal sense of motion and rebirth. At the center of the look is a sculptural mask, built from spandex and foam—a signature material blend that Sol has refined over time.
But Cinderella Koi is more than an impressive costume. It is one chapter in a much bigger narrative that Sol is crafting piece by piece. A fantasy realm of post-human characters who reflect the different emotional landscapes of her life.
“Yes, they’re all connected,” she explains. “I’ve started working on an illustrated book where these characters exist together. It’s a literal and metaphorical universe inside my own head. A place where I can process my past and imagine new futures.”
This concept of transformation is central to Sol’s practice. After graduating with a degree in fashion design, she faced mental health challenges, including depression and depersonalization. With no access to the theater world she had hoped to join, Sol turned inward and began creating fantasy characters alone. Costumes became a way to survive. She dressed as a faun, a Hindu princess, a harlequin—each identity offering protection and power.
“At that time, my characters were wild and angry,” she recalls. “They mirrored what I was going through. But over the years, I’ve changed, and my characters have too. Now they feel more rooted in nature and resilience. The darkness is still there, but it’s been transformed.”
The journey hasn’t just been personal. Sol’s work resonates with others too, especially those who have experienced trauma. One of the most moving moments in her creative path came after losing a friend—a young circus performer who had been in a toxic relationship and died by suicide.
“I found out too late,” Sol shares. “I wish I could have been there for her, maybe shared my story. That’s why I make these pieces now. To connect with people. To offer something honest. If someone out there sees my work and feels less alone, then I’ve done what I came to do.”
Sol’s emotional openness is matched by a strong sense of design philosophy. Collaboration plays a key role in her process, but only with people who align with her values. “I’ve worked with very talented people in the past, but what matters most now is mutual respect and shared purpose,” she says. “Skill means nothing if there’s no integrity.”
Her artistic influences reflect a similar balance of beauty and depth. She is drawn to the spiritual naturalism of The Secret Garden, the surreal realism of Guillermo del Toro, and the formal experimentation of Oskar Schlemmer. Most importantly, Sol builds from memory, metaphor, and emotion—drawing from books, films, childhood impressions, and the quiet clarity that comes from meditation.
Her next big project, the illustrated book, will bring these inspirations together. Designed in partnership with Juan Batta, it will combine original fairytales with full-page visuals of Sol’s characters, blending costume detail with deeper themes of transformation and healing. It’s a way of giving her private universe a physical home.
In the future, Sol hopes to create a sanctuary where these characters can come to life. A hybrid performance space, workshop, and gallery where storytelling, fashion, and emotional connection exist side by side. “I want to build a place where my inner world can breathe,” she says. “A space where others can step inside and maybe feel seen.”
Until then, the world of Sol Kellan continues to grow—character by character, garment by garment. With every mask and metamorphosis, she is not only designing fantasy. She is creating a mythology of survival, shaped by pain, guided by imagination, and lit with the quiet, radiant glow of hope.