Spotlighting Melanie Gasmen: Asian Creators on Campus

Here is the transcript of an interview with Mhel on the details of her tote bag and her journey as a creator. Feel free to read and/or listen along!

SR: Hi everyone! For this month’s theme of Black Friday, I chose to interview my good friend Melanie Gasmen, the PR chair of FSA and creator of FSA’s first ever tote bag. She is one of the most talented and humble people I know, and I am super excited to share her talents with you all. So Mhel, do you want to tell us a little bit about yourself? What on-campus activities are you involved in?

MG: Of course! First of all, thank you for having me, it was very nice of you! I am a visual communications major with an art history minor here at the University of Delaware. I’ve been the public relations chair of UDFSA for 2 years now, since 2020. I’ve also been involved in the UD review, our student newspaper, since 2020 as a visual editor. So, designing and making merch have been a very big thing ever since I came to college. 

SR: That’s so cool! On the track of making things and designing, I wanted to know: What does your product mean to you? What aspects of making it do you enjoy the most? 

MG: Absolutely! I made this tote bag [for FSA] because I wanted general body members and really anyone who was interested to take this little piece of FSA around with them. Like I said, designing is what I do and love, and that love also comes with FSA. So to contribute my designs to this organization that I really am passionate about and am so grateful to be a part of means a lot to me. In other words, to see people carry the tote bag means that they’re interested in Filipino culture. They’re interested in what FSA has to stand for. And to me, that means a lot. 

As for my favorite part about the tote bag, it’s very nice, thick and saturday material. Since we had to go through a different iteration for the bulk order that we put out to everyone, the bag does look different. But essentially, it has the same purpose. Either way, I think both versions of the tote bag look really nice in general. An interesting fact is that I did base the design on those take-home plastic bags from your local grocery stores that say “have a nice day.” I wanted to put a twist on that and add some Filipino/Tagalog language in there. So, I’m very happy with how it turned out.

SR: Yes, I love how it carries both the aesthetics and meanings in it. This tote bag has the best of both worlds. So my next question for you is: Are there any challenges you had to overcome and/or things that you are proud of from the process of making the FSA tote bags?

MG: When we first ordered the tote bags, we had lots of difficulty coordinating with the vendors. I remember, one vendor would give me different color options, varieties, and sizes even though I strictly asked them to provide me this specific color. It was very frustrating trying to communicate back and forth with them. Fortunately, after a while, we found a new vendor who actually listened to our preferences and gave us a lot more relevant options. It made the process so much better. I think it was a good payoff, since everybody seemed satisfied with the end products. I’m so proud that the end result turned out so well.

SR: I think that we always think about designing as a one-and-done process, and we forget that there’s also that aspect of you communicating with the producer. So thank you for going in depth on that process. 

So next, I am curious about how you feel the community at UD views or associates with your product. Do you feel like you have a supportive community when you create and sell your products? 

MG: I definitely felt the support of not only our E-Board when I first sent the design to them, but also the rest of GBM (general body members). When we showed the sneak peek of the totebag at the involvement fair, some of the alumni even reached out and asked if they could have it immediately. So, I am very pleasantly surprised to see how many people actually liked my creation for FSA. To see people, in a way, “want my art”, made me proud. And even though we didn’t officially advertise it yet on Instagram, seeing everyone ask about it was a great motivation for me as an artist.

SR: I’m one of those people who were obsessed with the tote bag in the first place. To conclude this interview, with the success of the tote bag, what are some things you plan on doing in the future?

MG: The tote bag design task comes hand in hand with the responsibility of being the PR chair, so eventually I will be making culture night shirts for next spring semester. Hopefully those will sell well like their predecessor. In addition, people have already given me their feedback and asked if I want to make shirts or crewnecks for FSA, which is something I would love to carry over into. 

SR: I wanted to say thank you for sharing your talents with us. I feel like everyone sees what you made, but getting to know your thoughts, inspiration and the creative and production process behind it – that’s another layer of appreciation. I think your work with FSA and in general just definitely inspires AAPI to continue contributing to the community. I wanted to say thank you for offering your perspectives. Make sure to get one of Mhel’s tote bags if they’re not sold out!