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.
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."
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