Chikas Arsenal - Viviana Flores

Meet Viviana Flores! She is an artist creating accessories that have been making waves all over the internet. Her handmade sailor hats have worn by many including the pop duo The Two Lips, Julia Wolf, and featured in Blondita campaign shoots. With her skill and attention to detail, she is able to create pieces tailored to perfectly match each person's unique style.

Viviana grew up in SoCal, and is heavily inspired by growing up surrounded by Latino culture in Santa Ana. "My fathers side is from Jalisco while my mom was born in Michoacan. I was raised listening to Morrissey (who oddly also has ties to Latino culture) while having family cookouts at mile square park in Santa Ana. That being said, being born in SoCal has impacted me tremendously, leading me to connect to Chicano culture."

Viviana started focusing on her art heavily during covid times when so many of us had a lot of downtime. She started out, and still does, make tote bags with a kawaii touch. A personal favorite of mine is one of her Nana inspired designs. "I'm a very busy body so if I'm not creating I tend to feel stuck. Before I started, Chikas Arsenal, I probably tried just about every art form there is. Even tattooing. I started doing markets with Chikas Arsenal as a way to make money off of my art. This included making tote bags at the beginning as an easy way for people to get adjusted but now it has transformed into a space where I'm allowed to post my creations."

Her relationship to kawaii culture started long before the inception of Chikas Arsenal. "I was raised with an “Interior designer” mom who grew up with peak Sanrio, so cute things were always placed around me. At a certain point my parents were resistant to buying me a $40 plushy as a Child, so when I finally got my first paycheck. Sanrio did not know what to see coming. I have toned down my obsession with plushies, but still continue to collect rare monchichi’s." Viviana, I think you need to make a monchichi sized sailor hat...

I love seeing creative Latinas get the recognition they deserve and Vivian's work is so refreshing to see in a time when fast fashion is so prevalent. "The quality I put into my work never fails to impress. Everything is made by hand and with love. I've been inspired by photography and styling from Mexico city that plays a large part in the aesthetics of Chikas Arsenal." You can shop Chikas Arsenal on her site here and keep up with her on social media here.

Kawaii y Latina - Shopping Master List

Just in time for the holiday shopping season, I put together a master list of artists and businesses that inspire me and have that Kawaii y Latina vibe. I created different categories to hopefully make it a bit easier to navigate. I hope to continue working on growing this list even after the holidays to create a resource to help support small businesses all year round. Earlier this year when the blog blew up a bit on TikTok, I got so many submissions. It’s been hard to feature everyone one by one, so this master list is another way for me to share all the amazing people with you all. You can find the link to the list here! Happy shopping and Happy Holidays! 

Shopping Master List

Finding Mexican Culture in Japan

I’m back! After two weeks in Japan I’m back home and excited to be posting on the blog again. This was my second time visiting Japan and this time around I kept an eye out for all the Latino culture I came across to share on the blog.

One of the first stops I made was in Osaka. I hadn’t visited before but like many people, I had seen the coverage online about Chicano culture embraced by the youth living in Osaka. Being a Mexican American living in Southern California, where Chicano culture got its origins, I was super intrigued about seeing it for myself. After something internet sleuthing, I found where those that participate in the cultural exchange tend to hang out. Amerikamura is a small district in the city where there are plenty of stores selling clothes influenced by western culture. Just a few feet a way in a building on the eighth floor is the clothing store La Puerta. They exclusively sell typical Chicano style clothing, think dickies, FB County, flannels, and LA football and baseball jerseys. Their Instagram also is updated with events they host including lowrider meet ups. Sadly I was missing the next one by just a few days but I did get to see some cool cars parked outside the store.

The next spot was back in Tokyo. Tacos 3 Hermanos is a taco chain in Japan with multiple locations serving street style tacos. It is notably difficult to find ingredients to make authentic Mexican food in Japan, but this place does a great job of bringing a taste of Mexico to Tokyo. Harajuku is the most popular location with a line forming before it even opens in the evenings. On this trip I was staying closest to the Ebisu location, which was conveniently open earlier too. This location was a lot more quiet with no wait and more tables. Something I found especially cute about this location were some Mexican mascot plushies they had sitting along with their merch. Dr Simi of Farmacia Similares (a Mexican pharmacy) and Cruzazulito of Cruz Azul ( a Mexican cement company) were plopped on a shelf which was a cute detail of Mexican culture added to the taco shop. Seeing the Mexican mascots on display was a clear cultural parallel to Japan's Yura-chara, which are character's designed to promote businesses, events and even singular cities.

Experiences like these highlight the fascinating ways cultural identities travel and evolve. Latino culture is really everywhere and I have so much fun documenting and sharing my observations. I also teased on an Instagram story that during this trip I visited somewhere special that I'll have a whole blog post dedicated too coming soon so keep an eye out for that!  

Candy Couture

I'm super excited about today's spotlight! We are talking to Candy aka @xxCandyCouturexx. She is a fashion designer, stylist and a Gyaru enthusiast. If you haven't heard of Gyaru it is a fashion subculture that emerged in Japan in the 90s. It includes dramatic makeup, big hair and colorful clothes. There is also different substyles of Gyaru so there is so much inspiration to delve into.

Childhood photo of Candy

What I love most about Candy's take on Gyaru is how she mixes her indigenous style along with it. "My family is de pueblos originarios in Tehuantepec & Huajuapan de León, Oaxaca. After living with family in Mexico in my teens, I developed an intense passion for my roots. Being able to live in my family’s pueblo surrounded by loved ones, community, and connecting with the culture had inspired me."

I was super curious to hear about how she got into Gyaru style and it turns out she has always been into alternative fashion. "One of my favorite scene queens on Instagram at the time had mentioned Gyaru which led me down the rabbit hole and to this day, I’ve never found a style that completes me more." I totally picked up on the scene vibes with her style, especially with Candy's colorful hairstyles. I also asked Candy what Gyaru brands she likes to shop for she suggested brands like Skinny Lip, D.I.A, Lip Service, and Alba Rosa. I'm hyped to do a deep dive on those later. 

"Showing pride for my Oaxacan heritage while also still being true to my self expression was what had me blending the two. What I love about Gyaru is that it rebels against colonial beauty standards and embraces dark skin. It’s the perfect subculture for those who are unapologetically themselves despite living in a time where people like us are made to feel inferior."

Candy between two models wearing her designs

Do you have other Latinas in your life who share your love for Gyaru or kawaii style? It often feels like we’re a bit scattered around the world.

Where I grew up, it was definitely hard finding others and it wasn’t until I started stepping into the underground rave scene that I continue finding other Latines who love kawaii styles. It really is challenging when you don’t know where to start but once you find them, it’s heart warming for sure.

What else has inspired your style?

My older siblings were my biggest inspiration growing up in the early 2000s. I was 13 when my oldest brother took me to my first warped tour. He was emo and loved anime which influenced my own interest. I was binge watching anime back to back while also pirating my favorite band’s music on my tablet. My 2nd older brother and I were also into cosplay at this time, always finding inspo on tumblr which introduced us to harajuku fashion and I think that’s how my spark for my style really came to be.

What has your experience been like being a part of the online gyaru community?

It has been so sweet connecting with others online especially fellow brown gals! Building that community and supporting each other is extremely meaningful to me. I think it’s important that we show love and kindness to one another. I know a lot of drama can go down in some parts but I think that just further proves the significance of finding others who understand the importance of community.

Huge thanks to Candy for letting me pick your brain. Your unapologetic self expression is so inspiring! <3 You can keep up with Candy on Instagram & TikTok for future brand updates as well as Depop @CandyCouturee for pre-loved kawaii fashion pieces. You can also reach out to her to book styling services.

Kawaii y Latina Icon: Isabella Lovestory

 

Merch and after party flyer from her show at the Echoplex 10/18

This past weekend I saw Isabella Lovestory, a Honduran pop star that is one of the most Kawaii y Latina - coded artists I know of. This was the second time I've been able to see her live as she is currently on tour performing her newest album Vanity that she released earlier this year. To me it is totally a no skip album. If you haven't heard of her already some great tracks to start with are her most popular song Mariposa as well Latina, which is absolute pop banger and ode to Latinas. 

Credit: Isabella Lovestory official website

Apart from being a talented musical artist, she also is a fashion icon - and with a song called Fashion Freak, she knows it. Her music videos are full of iconic looks and even just by scrolling on her Instagram you can see how much time she puts into style. At her show this past weekend her outfit was pink and sparkly with Y2k inspired hair. The crowd was pumped and the best way to describe her stage presence is like if  Kpop Idol was Latina. She really puts on such an amazing show.

Credit: Isabella Lovestory official website

Below are some pictures I got on my phone at the concert! If you guys have any suggestions other Kawaii y Latina Icons in music you'd like to to spotlight leave them down below in the comments!

xoxo

-Nathalie 

Latina performed live at the Echoplex 10/18

_Cherrymiffy - Jenny Sandoval

We've got our first poet on the blog today! Jenny Sandoval (They/them) is first generation a poet, film photography enthusiast, and passionate educator. Jenny has a background in elementary education and believes deeply in encouraging creativity in the classroom. Their family roots trace back to Tijuana, Nayarit and Michoacán. Their poetry explores powerful themes like identity, mental health, and the immigrant experience- often drawing form their own life. They've self-published two poetry books and are currently working on a new collection. When they're not writing you'll fund them taking dreamy film photos with their hello kitty camera.

I was so happy open my inbox to Jenny's submission with their poetry. Their words are beautifully relatable and the imagery created to go along with it is so captivating and eye-catching. It is cool to see the kawaii influence that can be seen through Jenny's work which came from an introduction of anime from their uncle and childhood trips to the Sanrio store with their mother. I also got Jenny's opinion on why so many Latino's end up interested in kawaii culture, "I believe this is because Latino channels have a lot of anime options. I vividly remember when I was a kid and I would spend my school break with my aunt in Tijuana and her having “Candy Candy” on the TV. I also believe because many immigrants and first generation had to grow up fast and not really have a childhood or a childhood they could enjoy, kawaii things are a safe space to bring back a way to connect with your inner child"

"I write my poetry in English and Spanish, being a first generation, eldest daughter from a single mother, and Tijuana. I write politically about the Mexican experience living in the USA and right now during these extremely difficult times that ICE is at high rate. We have to protect our communities! Art is political use your voice, your writing, your painting, your photograph to make a point!"

"No matter how much you think your art is not reaching people or don’t feel you aren't doing your best, remember there is someone in this world that will connect with your art! I took over a year break from poetry and didn’t know if I would share my poetry again due to these feelings and what got me back was knowing my words are important and I can keep some poetry for myself and also share some poetry to the world. Imposter syndrome is real and especially for people like me that don’t have any writing connections and are self taught. I am truly proud of everything I have put out as a poet and understanding the process of always learning how to write and graphic design better."

Huge thanks for Jenny for this submission and being so vulnerable in your writing! It is truly inspiring. You can check out Jenny's work on their website here.

Mooeyandfriends - Michelle

Today on the blog we have Michelle of Mooeyandfriends.com Apart from being an OG  kawaii lifestyle blogger (she's been running her blog for over 10 years) she is an amazing crochet artist! She is a first generation Mexican-American, with familial roots to Morelia, Michoacán. Her work that especially caught my eye were her crochet piñatas. 

So many of people that I feature on this blog inspire me in so many different way's, what admire about Michelle is how varied all her work is. "I blog about topics such as  astrology, beauty reviews, books, crochet, crystals, curly haircare, dolls, gaming, journaling, kawaii culture, lifestyle, tarot, reading, skincare, and more! There is no niche  here!" Like I mentioned she is also a crochet artist and has a substack dedicated to Blythe dolls.  

"I feel like it’s always been part of my life since I was a child. I loved Hello Kitty, Sanrio,  and cute things for my entire life. However, I got really into Japanese Harajuku fashion in  the mid-2000s, and I feel like that really amplified my love for kawaii culture as both go  hand-in-hand." The mixture of her kawaii interests and Latino culture make for the cutest content on her blog too. "For my blog, I've published some photo diary posts when I visited Mexico since I visit  family pretty regularly. Because of these posts, I also started sharing more of my travel  photo diary posts on my blog."

My favorite thing about this interview was hearing about how Michelle got the inspiration for her Latino inspired crochet works. "In one of my previous jobs, I used to frequent Latin /Hispanic grocery stores. The bright colors of the store and the fun illustrations on the packaging inspired me to crochet some crochet patterns for my blog (the candy skull garland and papel picado garland). I  also crocheted some skull keychains and plushies, and a series of piñatas, which were  inspired by the piñatas I would see at these stores. I loved piñatas as a kid! I mean, who  doesn't want to get their anger out by hitting their favorite cartoons and be rewarded with candy? lol!" 

Hope you enjoy discovering Michelle's work as much as I did. Her work perfectly embodies kawaii culture with a pastel twist that is so eye catching! You can follow along with Michelle's content on her Instagram here and if you'd like to purchase of her crochet art or some of her crocheting services you can check that out on her Depop!