Mexican fashion designer Patricio Campillo sported a bold T-shirt displaying the words “El Golfo de México” (The Gulf of Mexico) at his Feb. 7 New York Fashion Week (NYFW) show.
Campillo walked on stage following his “Fictions of Reality” fall-winter 2025 collection show wearing a typical Mexican tourist-style T-shirt displaying the words “The Gulf of Mexico” and a heart made up of eight dolphins, as well as a Mexican flag. He paired it with wide khaki pants and white boots.
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It was viewed by many as a form of protest against U.S. President Donald Trump’s signing of an executive order on Jan. 20 directing that the Gulf of Mexico be renamed the Gulf of America.
Trump has since named Feb. 9 as the official Gulf of America Day. The U.S. president released a statement “[calling] upon public officials and all the people of the United States to observe this day with appropriate programs, ceremonies and activities.”
Following the official U.S. name change, Apple and Google responded by altering the name to “Gulf of America” on their U.S. maps services. Those using the maps outside of the U.S. will continue to see it labeled as the Gulf of Mexico.
During her Feb. 13 daily conference, Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum responded by saying her government may file a civil lawsuit against Google over the tech company’s decision to change the body of water’s name.
Who is Patricio Campillo?
Patricio Campillo grew up in Mexico City but spent time in the town of Zacualpan in México state, which influenced his fashion line, The Pack. Campillo’s pieces are inspired by typical Mexican charrería (horseriding) imagery.
“I’m trying to preserve the proportions, the fit, and the way the jackets are structured in the Charro way of classic tailoring,” Campillo said of his most recent collection in an interview with Paper Magazine.
Campillo’s website states, “The Pack redefines masculinity by integrating historical and contemporary elements, promoting an inclusive and diverse vision of what it means to be a man. With a focus on sustainability and a process of constant evolution, Campillo has transformed his practice by connecting his work with his cultural background.”
It is the second time that Campillo has been invited to hold a show at NYFW. The Mexican designer won fame as a finalist for the LVMH Prize for Young Fashion Designers, where he was recognized for fusing fashion, identity and sustainability.
Campillo’s Gulf of Mexico T-shirt is available for pre-order on his website for US $90 (1,844 pesos), in sizes XS to XXL.
With reports from ELLE México, El Sol de Tampico, Paper Magazine, Infobae and Sopitas
