It has been a dream to work with Oscar who is both creative and technical at the same time. There are an incredible amount of variables to consider when designing a collection — with the added element of UPRISERS dna to storytell about our personal experiences or issues we care about in our community through each piece — adds a whole new layer to our work. Oscar and I basically locked ourselves in for 72 hours to brainstorm ideas, sketch, revise, tell stories of each other’s upbringing and culture.. Was an experience of a lifetime to explore, design, and talk about discussions across cultures and communities and how it ultimately shows up in our campaign.
— Michelle K. Hanabusa, Founder of UPRISERS
LA FAMILIA IS EVERYTHING
Cholula, a brand known for its consistent and colorful packaging over the past three decades. This year marks the launch of its salsa, taco seasoning mix and wing sauce, all of which stay true to the 100 year old family recipe passed down through three generations of la familia.
My mom is the rock of our family. She began working at 16, working at 16 and taking up extra shifts to pay for my college. She never asked any questions, she just did it because her priority was to make sure her kids had a great life. And even though our finances were tight whenever she’d visit the grocery store she’d always get what we wanted instead of just what is needed. Mexican hot sauce was always on the list.
—Oscar Uterrie
Remaining true to its roots, Cholula has continued to produce its renowned hot sauce in Mexico for over a century. Uterrie's designs with UPRISERS beautifully capture this legacy while also celebrating Cholula's exciting future with the launch of new salsas and taco seasonings.
The collection pays homage to Cholula's rich heritage, rooted in its namesake, a 2,500-year-old city in Mexico as well as Uterrie’s own journey of self-discovery.
The Mother of Sauce
The trim was designed to look like a Mexican belt. The harness was a touch of technicality which represents my personal style of design. This element typically embodies a masculine, powerful and possibly deadly element. My goal here was to take this concept and make it functional, practical and on brand with the end goal, which is bringing the family together for taco night.
La Familia by UPRISERS x Cholula boxed sets includes a one of a kind Poncho Hoodie or Limited Edition Trucker Hat, plus all of the following: Cholula’s new Original-flavored Salsa, Cholula’s new Original-flavored Taco Seasoning, Mercado-style Tote with ‘La Familia is Everything’ patch, ‘100 Years’ Tee, and ‘We Are’ Sticker. Every piece has been meticulously designed to include historical artifacts symbolic to Mexican culture. Elements such as roses, which symbolize the matriarchy in Mexican culture, serve as the inspiration to Cholula's brand ethos as "The Mother of Sauce." The cross chili design not only embodies Cholula's commitment to quality ingredients and bold flavors but also reflects the cultural significance of chili peppers in Mexican cuisine. The Poncho shape takes inspiration from the Mexican Zarape, a traditional poncho, but reimagining this into a fleece material as your everyday hoodie.
My full name is Oscar Gutierrez, which happens to be one of mexico's most famous wrestlers name also, which is all coming back full circle reminding me of my roots, and what made me choose my name Oscar Utierre in the first place. Adding this element of a luchador to this collection but making it not so typical, kind of converting this typically masculine identity into a non gender identity to really wipe away the lines between what is masculine and what is feminine.
Uterrie spent countless hours researching Mexican apparel’s rich and intricate embroidery craftsmanship to create the detailed trims across the shoulders and front and back bottom of the poncho. These details are a visual reminder of the history of artistic skill and human labor required to produce Mexican fashion. All of these pieces are great conversation starters about Mexican culture that bring people together with the iconic Cholula as the centerpiece.
With a commitment to uplifting underrepresented voices at its core, UPRISERS and Cholula invite you to be part of the conversation, to embrace the new flavors, and to join the familia.
UPRISERS x Cholula limited edition boxed sets are available now on our the UPRISERS website at cholula.weareuprisers.com. Each limited edition boxed set includes a one of a kind Poncho Hoodie or Limited Edition Trucker Hat, plus all of the following: Cholula’s new Original-flavored Salsa, Cholula’s new Original-flavored Taco Seasoning, Mercado-style Tote with ‘La Familia is Everything’ patch, ‘100 Years’ Tee, and ‘We Are’ Sticker. This collection is completely free and only available in the US while supplies last.
