Monday, August 18, 2025

Bratty Natty Couture - Nathalie Sánchez



Today's Kawaii y Latina feature comes from Texas! Nathalie Sánchez is the artist creating one of a kind kawaii inspired creations for her brand Bratty Natty Couture. She is a first generation Latina with roots that trace back to Ecatepec, Mexico and Celaya, Guanajuato. Although she started her brand back in 2021, the inspiration for it came from her childhood.



"I was a quiet and shy kid who loved getting lost in my own little projects. Drawing was my favorite thing, and I was always finding fun ways to make something out of whatever I had—cutting up magazines, saving candy wrappers, or using gift bags for collages. I even used nail polish as glue or paint sometimes! Being creative was how I expressed myself back then, and still is to this day. Bratty Natty Couture started in 2021 and is very much inspired by my personal obsessions, childhood nostalgia, sweet deco and a commitment to always having something pink -whether it’s a statement accessory or a full-blown pastel fantasy. My pieces are made for the dolls who like to stand out, and wear clothing that feels like a mood board come to life. I specialize in making 1 of 1 pieces -whether it’s making Decoden cream lighters junked out in charms , big hair bow or sewing dreamy silhouettes from scratch or reworking vintage finds into something entirely new. Every look and products is an extension of my world: kawaii, pink, expressive , and unapologetically bratty." 



From doing a good amount of these interviews, I've noticed a similar experience of how a lot of us got introduced to kawaii culture and that is the internet in our middle school years. So many of us watched those iconic makeup tutorials during those early youtube days. Nathalie really describes her personal experience with that so perfectly. "I first started getting into kawaii culture around middle school, but my love for all things cute started way earlier. I grew up completely obsessed with Hello Kitty, anything pink, hair bows, sparkly, princessy, or covered in unicorns—it was always my vibe. In middle school, I started exploring makeup and would spend hours watching dolly and kawaii makeup tutorials online. By high school, I had discovered Harajuku fashion / Hime Gyaru and instantly fell in love. I was so inspired by the bold makeup and creative styling, big lacy hair bows and I started finding ways to blend that influence into my style."


I really admire Nathalie's work and how expressive it is. Looking at her art feels like entering a whole new kawaii-fied universe. But her work doesn't end with Bratty Natty. She also recently started co-hosting Deco Dolls Market with @lovelyfresas—a fun, safe and creative space in Dallas to showcase small businesses and artists. "Our first market in July featured was Little twin Star themed where we had giveaways, DIY Decoden clips, photo ops, and support for families impacted by recent ice raids. Our next one’s in December! Can’t wait to keep building community and what’s in store for the upcoming year. 💝" From the pictures I've seen, the market looks amazing and it is always inspiring to see other Latinas work to create something bigger than themselves while also giving back to their Latino community.


Nathalie's next project includes a new clothing collection coming soon and her first fashion show as a designer later this year! We'll be keeping on tabs for that for sure following up for a follow up interview. (∩^o^)⊃━☆ In the meantime make sure to follow Nathalie on Instagram and if you are in the Dallas area, check out Deco Dolls Market!

Monday, August 11, 2025

Violetsarentbluue - Giselle Gonzalez

 

If you frequent pop ups or vendor markets in the SoCal area you have probably come across Giselle. She is the artist behind Violetsarentbluue and a regular vendor at the Little Tokyo Flea Market. I found myself relating to so much of what she said, specifically when she mentions how many different mediums she has tried out. And how her visits to the swamp meet while growing up introduced her to so many new characters. (I remember buying my first hello kitty items at the swamp meet and santee alley way before I ever set foot in a Sanrio store.) The interests Giselle grew up with have stayed with her and how inspire the work she creates. 



Tell us about yourself and your work! (✿◡‿◡)

I've always been a very creative individual and I pick up more hobbies than I can count. I love to draw, play bass guitar, and make keychains. I always feel the need to make or do something which is why I offer a variety of products such as keychains, button pins, hair clips, stickers and clay items. I started off my account doing ramos, my business name is a play on words inspired by a poem and my weenie dog Violet. I attended my first ever market last year as a customer and was amazed at all the talented vendors and didn't know it was something you could do, so I decided to test my luck and make the switch. Since then, I have had the opportunity to sell at so many different events from Orange County to LA & SD, meet likeminded people, and make this my full time job. I love what I do and I mean it when I say that everything is handmade with love! 



When did you first get into kawaii culture? (´・ω・`)?

 A lot of my items are inspired by childhood toys, retro magazines, music and youtube. Back when youtube was really popular, I remember watching videos of people doing dolly makeup, trying japanese snacks, and making decoden items. Music videos like Avril Lavigne's “Hello Kitty”, PonPonPon, and Hatsune Miku changed my life. Early internet days have influenced my aesthetic and who I am today.



Why do you think so many Latinos gravitate towards kawaii things and cute culture? ☆*: o(≧▽≦)o*☆

I think Latinos gravitate towards kawaii things because we were surrounded by it from a young age. I visited swapmeets a lot when I was little so i am used to the cross of cultures and items. A lot of latinos also grew up owning Hello Kitty items or watching DBZ. I was one of the kids who had to get rid of her Hello Kitty items when the whole thing about her not having a mouth came out. And I think not being allowed to own those items or even allowed to fully express myself has made me gravitate towards it a lot more now. 



How does your Latina culture impact your work? o((>ω< ))o

Trips to the swapmeet every weekend and seeing the many toys, colors, different characters and influx of different types of products is what has inspired what i make. Especially for future projects, i am going to be incorporating a lot more of my personal art which is influenced by the chicano style. 

Giselle is currently fully booked for events in August so I encourage all our SoCal cuties to check out her account for those upcoming events. She also let me know that she is going to start selling prints as well. You can follow her on Instagram here. <3 


Monday, August 4, 2025

Crystal Yamada-Arevalo

 


Back in July, I made my a tik tok video about Kawaii y Latina that reached close to twenty thousand people. I got a bunch of people interested in the project and interested in being featured on here. Crystal was one of the first people to reach out to me with such an interesting topic, a Folklórico dance group based in Tokyo!



Crystal Yamada-Arevalo is a proud Mexican-American with roots from Mexquitic de Carmona, SLP. When she was living in Japan a few years ago, she found herself losing her Spanish and missing the Mexican culture she's grown up with. She started attended events held by the Mexican Embassy set up to share Mexican culture with Japanese citizens. "I attended them and was scouted by one of my dance teacher’s friends. I’ve never danced folklórico before but I was excited for the opportunity to learn and be part of the vision to share Mexican culture in Japan. I started dancing in 2023 and I’m so thankful to be a part of the ‘Mexico en la piel’ dance group. The experience has been amazing and it’s so heartwarming to see the Japanese community try to learn the dance steps alongside us. Everyone loves dancing to El Caballo Dorado."


Both the dance group and the Latino community in Japan was included people of different backgrounds including Japanese, Latinos and others interested in exploring different cultures. "We’re a very tight-knit, diverse, and supportive community. We all kinda know each other and support one another at events. I learned so much about Mexican history and the gastronomy of different Mexican regions thanks to the community. We really look after one another. I mentioned it’s diverse because it’s not just Mexicans but other nationalities as well."


It is so heartwarming to hear that Crystal was able to find connection and Mexican while being so far from home. I was super excited to hear about what Mexico en la Piel's performances were like. "We've gotten to perform in various places like at baseball games, Latin-American events, Disney’s Coco premiere, the Mexican Embassy, we even had the opportunity to be featured on Fuji Television during their morning broadcast. Last year, we got to perform alongside Banda El Recodo. It was amazing! I think that was my favorite performance because I had grown up listening to them on radio and I could have never imagine that one day I would dancing with them in Tokyo. It was so surreal and I feel very blessed." Apart from dance, some of Crystal's other hobbies include exploring shops and cafes in her neighborhood by the Meguro river, visit Shonan beach, and unwinding at the onsen. 



Experiencing two rich cultures simultaneously is such a unique and special experience. Because of this I felt Crystal was the person to ask the following question. Are there any similarities you’ve noticed between Mexican and Japanese culture? "I think the biggest similarity that I see is that both cultures are family-oriented. Oh and we both love our rice!" 



If any of you happen to be in Tokyo this September, you can check out the folklórico dance team Mexico en la Piel perform live at Fiesta Mexican. It is a three day Mexican Independence Day festival held every year in Tokyo. More Details here. O(∩_∩)O You can also keep up with the dance team on Instagram here. <3