My graduate thesis at the California College of the Arts was a research-based inquiry into gender roles in the sport-compact automotive community. Typically the purview of young men, a small but motivated community of women was showing increased interest in cars, modification, and racing but the car companies and aftermarket had nothing to offer beyond “make it pink and hope they like it”.

My research culminated in the development of a racing suit specifically for women and an accompanying brand that aspired to create a community for women interested in modified cars by sponsoring female racers and special events geared toward women.