FIT Institutional Repository

Title

Cowgirl Y2K

Contributor Names

Kohli, Varya (Creator, Designer)

Walcott, Sandra (Thesis advisor)

Date

2025

Summary/Artist Statement

Cowgirl Y2K blends Western grit with Y2K glam—honoring roots while embracing change. It’s about staying true, evolving boldly, and being relentless in both identity and style.

Cowgirl Y2K is a story of transformation without erasure. It’s about carrying your past with you—not as baggage, but as armor. This collection was born from a place of contrast: the wild grit of the cowgirl and the unapologetic glamour of the Y2K era.

It’s inspired by a woman who grew up in rural Texas, on dusty roads and under open skies—someone who knew the meaning of hard work, of staying grounded, of never giving up. She moves to the city, but she doesn’t leave her fire behind. She adapts, not by changing who she is, but by expanding into who she’s becoming.

That’s the spirit of this collection. It’s denim and leather but also chrome and shine. It’s braided and frayed, but also sharp and clean. It’s caught between two worlds, and it refuses to pick a side.

In many ways, this is my story too - shaped by Mumbai, awakened in New York. Cowgirl Y2K is about being relentless: in identity, in expression, in evolution. It’s about honoring the girl who got you here, while becoming the woman who’ll take you further.

Type

Still Image

Apparel Type

Accessories collection

Bags (costume accessories)

Belts (costume accessories)

Boots (footwear)

Footwear

Handbags

Pumps (shoes)

Shoes (footwear)

Medium

Weaving, Handbag Construction, Footwear Construction, Leather Techniques, Lasting, Stitching, Pattern-making.

Medium (Terms)

Weaving

Leather

Stitching (generic process)

Course/Degree Information

Program/Degree: Footwear and Accessories Design One-Year AAS

Course: LD 227 Introduction to Line Building (Spring 2025, Semester 2)

Professor: Sandra Walcott

In Exhibition

2025 Graduating Student Exhibition - Footwear and Accessories Design AAS

Related Materials

Website

Instagram

Rights

In Copyright

The copyright for this work is held by its author/creator(s). Usage of this material beyond what is permitted by copyright law must first be cleared with the rights-holder(s). This work has been made available online by the Fashion Institute of Technology Gladys Marcus Library strictly for research and educational purposes. If you are the copyright holder for this work and have any objections to this work being made available online, please notify us immediately at [email protected].

Identifier

FIT Repository ID: ld_000190