Hopping on here for a quick post to let you know I’ve officially updated our Kawaii y Latina merch shop!! I know a lot of you had a lot of technical difficulties with the last platform I was using but now there should be no issues. (I pinkie promise ( •̯́ ₃ •̯̀) ) It also feels extra fancy because we have a separate domain just for the shop!

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˚₊‧꒰ა Kawaiiylatina.shop ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

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I’ve also added to the shop some left over goodies that I was selling at the last Rilakkuma Picnic back in May! So if you weren’t able to make it to that event, you have a chance to grab some cute bear themed goods. One of newest items you’ll see is our Ice Cream Parfait Postcard It features a little diagram of how to arrange your very own ice cream parfait with a Mexican snack twist. If it looks familiar, that is because it was part of a previous blog post from back in March! I really loved the images I put together for that particular post and thought they’d work perfect as a postcard. The idea of sending your friend a cute little ice cream parfait via snail mail seemed like such a cute concept to me.

Not sure if it’s too early to be talking about 2027, but one of my goals for next year is to vend at some events and sell Kawaii y Latina merch IRL! In the meantime, I’m going to work on designing more small knick knacks like postcards, stickers, pins and keychains. Huge appreciation for anyone who checks out the shop! Also, if you are a shop owner or artist of any kind and want to do a trade for Kawaii y Latina merch hit my Instagram DMs! See you in the next post. (❀❛ ֊ ❛)♡

At the end of last year, I got a message in my inbox that was super exciting. Karen Aiko Rivera, a first generation student majoring in Political Science and Chicano/Latino Studies reached out explaining how she came across the blog while researching for her year-long honors thesis centered around the cultural significance of Hello Kitty and kawaii aesthetics within Latinx communities like swamp meets and working-class communities. I was so extremely flattered that she resonated with the archive I’ve been creating with the blog and that she found it helpful with her academic studies. Karen ended up sending over questions for me to answer about the origin of Kawaii y Latina and my personal thoughts on community, representation and my creative process. I was also elated to find out that this niche I’ve dedicated a lot of my time to documenting and creating a community behind, was being written and studied academically.

Fast forward to this year and Karen has graduated from the University of Irvine with a B.A. in Political Science and Chicano/Latino Studies and has completed her thesis, “Curating Cute at SoCal Swap Meets: Hello Kitty’s Latinx Afterlife.” Although the thesis is not yet public, Karen was gracious enough to send over some of her thoughts about the process of completing her thesis and her identity growing up being influenced by both Japanese and Mexican culture:

On the process of writing my thesis, I have been so incredibly lucky to have so many professors who supported me and my ideas. To the point that I think they are also reflected in the many twists and turns I had while trying to bring this research to fruition, since everyone had slightly different advice or new ideas for me to consider.

The title for my thesis, “Curating Cute at SoCal Swap Meets: Hello Kitty’s Latinx Afterlife,” is a mouthful to say the least, but I feel like it encapsulates the multiple threads of my research pretty well. There is the “Cool Japan” Hello Kitty as sold to you by Sanrio. She might be seen as the global ambassador of kawaii, whose cuteness shines so brightly as if to blind you from Japan’s imperial history. However, in Southern California swap meets, Hello Kitty looks a bit different from what Sanrio sells. Not commercially licensed, but not lacking in character either. I argue that Hello Kitty is transformed through a Latinx reimagination. This process of making Hello Kitty Latina is built through the aggregate of conscious efforts to build relationships and foster community across swap meet stalls and online algorithms. The swap meet’s true barrier of entry is not the $1-3 entrance fee, but repeat interaction. Prices are negotiated based on who you know, the languages you speak, your gender, your age, and the relationships you have built with vendors. Your perceived knowledge and trustworthiness are constantly evaluated through your demeanor, affect, and frequency of return, all of which shape your experience within the swap meet. When combined with kawaii culture, I believe that swap meets foster a unique identity for Hello Kitty and the people who love her.

On a more personal note, I have a lot of feelings about Hello Kitty at the swap meet as the daughter of Japanese (my mother) and Mexican (my father) immigrant parents. The American understanding of being mixed-race is often very binary, largely shaped by the history of chattel slavery. The Japanese understanding of race is often expressed through the concept of being “half” (ハーフ, haafu), while the concept of being mestizo in Mexico is directly tied to the history of Spanish imperialism and its caste system. I did not grow up knowing this history, but as I have gotten older, understanding these histories has helped me pinpoint the tensions I felt with my identity growing up. I think feeling unsettled about your identity as a child is a common experience, but as an adult, I have come to cherish the moments when I see Japanese and Mexican cultures collide even more because I now better understand what made those intersections feel so complex and unsettling. Therefore, seeing Hello Kitty at the swap meet, or discovering the Kawaii y Latina archive, and conducting this research has been incredibly affirming for me. I never really considered myself a particularly imaginative person or good writer so to put this all together into a novel argument has been tough, but I think that it was well worth it!

Huge thank you to Karen for including Kawaii y Latina in your research! If you’d like to read more about Karen and her experience at UCI, you can check out this post from the University highlighting her work. I’ve been so excited to share this story with the blog, as it inspires me that the experience of the kawaii Latina is being documented academically. In the short time that this blog has existed, it’s led me to meet so many like minded people. Moments like these are a special reminder of how this blogs has resonated with others, and that really means so much to me when a lot of the work I do for this project is just me and my computer. ꒰ঌ( ᴗ͈ˬᴗ͈)໒꒱

Mexico City is a place that holds a special place in my heart. It was the first place I held a meet up of any sort that planted the seed for the creation of Kawaii y Latina. I put together the list of my picks of kawaii places to check out if you find yourself in the city. Some are places I’ve gotten to check out myself and a few are spots that I haven’t had the chance to visit yet but I am a fan of and keep up with online.

Tianguis de Hello Kitty

If you’ve never heard of a Tianguis before it’s a Spanish word for an outdoor market. They are pretty much like the swap meets you may have grown up going to, but there is no entrance fees for these. It is very easy to unexpectedly come across one as you are just walking the streets. What is so great about CDMX is that there is a plethora of tianguis around the city that can get super niche. During pandemic times vendors would use the Chabacano metro station as a meeting point to drop off online orders. It became so frequent, that vendors decided to just set up there kawaii goods near the station to sell their Hello Kitty themed merchandise.

Most of what is sold is bootleg and unlicensed merchandise, which may be unappealing to some but is exactly the type of stuff I’m looking for. I want the Hello Kitty plush with the random flower where her classic red bow should be and a silly smile that replaces her well known missing mouth. Also, most of the vendors are women who use the weekly tianguis to bring home some extra income. Apart from merch, there is also snacks like cookies, candy, and more iconic ones that have exploded in popularity online like the Kitty-chela (a kitty themed Michelada) and different flavored Kitty Paletas (which sell out quick!!) You’ll also find people who use the opportunity to dress in there best Hello Kitty themed attire along with cosplayers who like to hang out at the market. I got the visit in 2022 and my best tips are to get there early and bring plenty of cash!

Time: Every Saturday from 10 am - 4 pm

Location: Outside of Chabacano Metro Station

Juan A. Mateos 647, Vista Alegre, Cuauhtémoc, 06860 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico

Their Official Facebook account

Blu Cafe

So this spot is one that has been recommended to be a few times but I’ve not had a chance to try my self yet. I’ve seen nothing but good reviews and every time they come up on my Instagram feed, I’m mentally picking out what I would order as if I could just pop over there real quick (I’m like 2k miles away from there btw.) It’s a cafe and coffee shop with an atmosphere that looks like you are at your coolest friend’s place just hanging out. Vintage toys adorn the inside and the mismatched tableware adds a level whimsy that is just unmatched.

What really has me dying to go here is the endless rotation of desserts they serve that always look too cute to eat. Ice cream parfaits, soda floats, character shaped cookies, and the real stand out, the slices of cake…I honestly can’t say much more. You’ll just have to see these pictures from social media and reviews for yourself. Next Kawaii y Latina reader to go here, please deliver me a slice of cake via overnight delivery.

Location: Saratoga 525 bis, Portales CDMX

Their Instagram has there most up to date hours and its cash only!!

Snow Pink Cafe

This is a cafe that has opened more recently at the end of 2025. It is a anime themed cafe, specifically pulling inspiration from shoujo anime to create what can best be described as a neon anime fantasy land. It is made up of three different levels that include the cafe, a ramen bar, and a stage for karaoke. It is such a good spot to hang out with friends especially if you are going in a group to do the karaoke. This is another spot where I can go on and on describing it, but really grabs your attention once you see pictures of this place.

Location: Calle Amberes 11, Col. Juárez, Cuauhtémoc, 06600 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico

Heads up! Karaoke appears to only be on weekends! Fridays and Saturdays from 4:00 PM to 12:00 AM Check out their Instagram for the most up to date info.

Hello Kitty Cafe

Sadly, in May of this year the Hello Kitty Café Château known for it’s featured a Hello Kitty fountain and themed rooms, closed down permanently. From what I’ve seen online, the wait times got too long and the quality was going down trying to accommodate the big crowds. But the good news is there is a second location that is still open! It is a smaller indoor cafe located inside the Plaza Carso mall. It still has tons of cute food, drinks, and cute decor that double as backdrops for the perfect for cute pics. A nice bonus is that there is also a pretty large Miniso located in the same mall! When I visited I picked up some Sanrio blind boxes to open once I was seated at the cafe to make the day extra cute.

Location: C. Lago Zurich, Pl. Carso 245-Local B-02-A, Amp Granada, Miguel Hidalgo, 11529 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico

Tianguis de Juguetes

If you are a trinket lover, than this one is for you! This is another tianguis but solely dedicated to toys. It also goes by the name Tianguis de Balderas because it is located by the Metro Balderas station, or el Tianguis de Ternurines (Which is what they call Calico Critters in Spanish.) They’ve got all the kawaii trinkets like calico critters, sonny angels, labubus, and even accessories and clothing for all of these. I haven’t had the chance to visit this one myself but, from hauls I’ve spent a lot of time watching online, I’ve seen people find kewpie baby trinkets as well. They seem to have a good mix of vendors selling both new and vintage toys.

Time: Every Saturday 10 am - 2pm

Location: Colonia Centro, Centro, Cuauhtémoc, 06040 Mexico City, Mexico

I hope that this list is a good jumping off point to help you discover some of the amazing kawaii culture that Mexico City has to offer! I would absolutely love to hear any other recommendations any one may have as well as what city I should make a list for next. See you in the next post! (˶˃ ᵕ ˂˶) .ᐟ.ᐟ

If you haven’t noticed already, the whole blog has been moved over to Substack from Blogger. As much as I loved all the customizations that the old school blog site had (custom background, cute mouse cursor, music player, etc.) it was hard to format posts and photos on such an old platform. It will now be way easier for anyone to subscribe and receive updates whenever there is a new post. If you previously signed up for updates, your subscription has already moved over. ALSO, our new and immensely approved online shop is now up and running at KawaiiyLatina.shop You can now shop all the stickers and small goodies we have.

If this is your first time hearing Kawaii y Latina, it is an archive dedicated to documenting the intersection of kawaii aesthetics. Kawaii y Latina works to document the similarities and overlap between these two cultures, while creating community online. We share interviews, events and DIYs to create our own corner of the internet. Kawaii y Latina is for everyone who enjoys kawaii culture, regardless of background, and wants to be part of a positive, supportive community. Hope you join us in this new era of Kawaii y Latina!

Hi guys! I know it's been a minute since a proper blog post. I've spent a lot of time in the recent months planning the 4th Annual Rilakkuma Picnic here in Los Angeles. It is truly a labor of love putting the event together, as I spent lots of timing making decorations, promoting the event and of course prepping the iconic paletas for everyone. This was the biggest turn out we've has so far and luckily we were at a bigger location that was able to accommodate the bigger crowd. You can find all pictures taken from the event on this Google Drive. 

Photo by @yellemarie_

I saw lots of news faces and also lots of returning Rilakkuma fans, many that are now friends. This year I was so happy to get lots of help from Ko.kumas. Her and I met at last year's picnic after being longtime mutuals online. She took it upon herself to make and bring the most adorable Rilakkuma piñata that was filled with Mexican candy and cute hairclips. It was such a hit and we made sure everyone who wanted to got a picture with it before it got whacked. It really made the day extra special. 

Photo by @yellemarie_

We had a few vendors selling cute goodies including Shopsherlin's adorable crochet creations, a huge pile of trinkets Ko.kuma brought and some of my sticker sheets and Kawaii y Latina merch. Also want to give a shout out to attendees who gave out freebies. It really made me happy to see people come and then leave with new friends and connections. 

Photo by @yellemarie_

My personal favorite thing about the event every year is seeing everyone's outfits. It is so fun to see the looks people put together whether it be a DIY outfit or licensed kuma merch. I grew up scrolling streetstyle blogs on Tumblr in middle school, so taking pictures of everyone's outfits and sharing them on here feels nostalgic in a way and brings me so much joy. 

I've gotten so many comments online from people all over that they have major FOMO from the event, and I hope this blog post recapping the day can somewhat fill the void. I feel so lucky to have created a community with people that are as passionate about their interests as me. I am also super grateful for the overlap between this event and Kawaii y Latina. Going forward the event with be properly presented by Kawaii y Latina. I am also workshopping the idea of some sort of similar Kawaii y Latina event we could have on a more regular basis. Let me know what you think in the comments! 

Thank you for all the love and support<3

A couple months ago I got to visit Maidreamin, a popular maid cafe chain in Japan. I was so excited to try one of their iconic animal ice cream parfaits. It was not only super cute but also really delicious. When I got back from my trip, I was determined to recreate a maid ice cream parfait at home.

me trying a maid cafe parfait for the first time in Tokyo 

I thought it would be so cute to be able to casually make them for friends when they came over or when I wanted a sweet treat. I switched it up a bit and decided to make a Rilakkuma version, but then an even better idea popped into my mind. I wanted to tweak the recipe a bit so that I could turn this idea into something for the blog. That is when I got the idea to make some inspired by some of my favorite Mexican sweet treats. The final result was Gansito, Paleta de Payaso, and Sponch ice cream parfaits inspired by the ones you see at maid cafes. 

My first attempt at making one of these

The first step was finding the glasses. I wanted to find the classic vintage ice cream parfait glasses that would perfectly display the ice cream and all its toppings. After lots of searching I found the vintage perfect set of four on Mercari. There were also lots of options on Ebay and also various restaurant supply stores. Your best bet is checking out these sites and searching and using keywords such as "Retro Vintage Ice Cream Sundae Parfait Glasses."

I made the diagram above which breaks down everything you'll want to pick up before you get started. Castella cake is what is traditionally used for these but angel food cake or even pound cake is an accessible substitute. But if you are going to be making a Mexican snack version, this is where you are going to use the snack cake or cookie you've chosen. Some options are Gansito, Sponch, Paleta de Payaso, or Bubu Lubu. You can find these at your local Mexican grocery store and they'll have even more options than the ones I've listed. You'll use those same treats as toppings as well, along with sprinkles, marshmallows, pocky sticks and anything else your heart desires. I used wafer rolls and Sanrio chocolate I found at Mitsuwa, which is one of the Japanese grocery stores that is closest to me. If you visit your local Asian grocery store you'll be able to find an array of candy that will be perfect to use as toppings. .✦ ݁˖

After making a few of these I've nailed down a few tips that will help you make the dessert of your dreams. For the ice cream (I used Neapolitan for all of these btw) scoop your ice cream and freeze it on some parchment paper ahead of assembly. Having a prepared frozen scoop will make assembly easier and slow down melting so that you have more time to take cute pictures of you creation! Also the assembly is just layering the ingredients one at a time and it's best to go slow to keep the whole thing looking neat. I can't wait to see the parfaits you end of making and be sure to tag @kawaiiylatina in any pictures of your parfaits. (˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶) ₊˚⊹ ᰔ

Last week we officially hit 1,000 followers on Instagram! I am forever grateful that so many of you have an interest in my blog and have decided to follow along with what I've been working on. As I'm typing this I realized it is actually a year on the dot since I first announced the blog. So crazy to think that just a year ago this blog was just an idea I decided to pursue. Since them I have met so many other talented Latina artists and creators. I feel like I've created my own bubble online of all things Kawaii y Latina which has been comforting especially after such a insanely rough time it has been for the Latino community in the United States right now. I hope that this blog can continue to serve as a safe space for those of us that need of a reset from some of the heavier things that get pushed to our feeds online.

₊‧°𐐪♡𐑂°‧₊

Right now I am currently working on updating our online shop to new platform that will make the shopping experience 100% times better. There is also a few different blog posts I am working on centered on some DIY craft and recipes. I did a poll a while back and I had a handful of people express they wanted to see some DIY craft posts so I'm excited to get those out there soon. If you have submitted to the blog in the past but have not heard back please do not be discouraged. I am saving everyone's submissions for when I start working on the print version of Kawaii y Latina that is coming in the future. I've got so many ideas but sadly my main gig doesn't leave me much time to put into this blog as I would like. It is a one woman operation behind the scenes here at Kawaii y Latina so I an eternally grateful for everyone's interest despite how slow things tend to move sometimes.

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Thanks for your continued support!<3

xoxo

- Nathalie 

₍ᐢ. .ᐢ₎ ₊˚⊹♡

One of my favorite things about running Kawaii y Latina is getting to make cute merch to go along with the blog. Admittedly, sometimes my ideas exceed my current skill set. One of these ideas I had was to make a bumper sticker and the perfect solution to this was to reach out to an artist to collaborate with on this to bring this idea to life. I had to reach out to none other than Jessica Esperanza aka @Babylipgloss1995. I've featured her on our Instagram before and her Esty shop is listed on our shopping master list so I'm happy to have a proper blog post dedicated to her art. I was happy that she was totally down for collaboration. I pretty much gave her free range on the design because I knew anything she came up with was going to be amazing.

A picture of artist Jessica Esperanza included in one of her journal spreads

I've been following Jessica on Instagram for many years at this point and seeing her art always brings me so much joy! I love the combination of nostalgic Latino themes in her art and the super cute art style that is so unique to her work. I first met Jessica at one of my Rilakkuma fan meet ups a few years ago and we've kept in touch since. I also have a bunch of her stickers all over my journals. I did a little photo shoot for the stickers and sprinkled some Mexican candy charms I had on hand to go with the theme. So insanely happy with how these turned out and I'm excited to see how you guys use them.

Below is the final product of the bumper sticker and a limited quantity is now up on our shop. Here is a description of the design straight from Jessica herself. "My name is Jessica Esperanza (aka @babylipgloss1995) and when Nathalie commissioned me to make a ‘Kawaii y Latina’ bumper sticker my mind was immediately flowing with cute ideas ☆ !!! I knew I for sure wanted to draw my trinkets and favorite Mexican + Japanese snacks scattered around, like on a picnic blanket then it hit me…serape. A serape is a Mexican bright stripped woven blanket so I knew that would make the perfect background and of course I had to change the traditional colors to fit my style more <3 !"

I also included some of my other favorite art pieces of Jessica's that also give very much Kawaii y Latina for you guys to admire <3 You can shop the new bumper sticker now here! 

This past weekend I had the pleasure of attending Tamakid's second decoden workshop at Pinku Studios in Little Tokyo. Evelyn Gonzalez (also known as Tamakid online) is a digital artist, toy collector, youtuber and multimedia artist. She is a Mexican artist with work that is influenced by many different things including Japanese kawaii culture. I first came across Evelyn's work a year ago before the inception of this blog. I was telling one of my close friends, Tanji (who runs a super cute scanned stationary account btw) about my idea for Kawaii y Latina and she immediately told me that I needed to reach out to Tamakid about being featured on the blog. I instantly fell in love with her work and how it feels like it comes from a totally different dimension of all things cute. Things have felt like they've come full circle now that I had the opportunity to cover her workshop for the blog. 

Flyer for the event

When I arrived to the workshop there was a line outside of the shop. By total chance I got in line behind another Latina youtuber, Chiaverse! We chatted about how excited we were for the workshop and ended up at the same table inside, joined by another mutual and reader of the blog whom I finally got to meet. Before the workshop had even started, it already felt like such a special gathering of the sweetest people. Meeting new friends and then getting to craft together felt like the icing (or decoden cream) on the cake. 

@Chiaverse and @Tama_kid

After we walked in, we picked our two deco cream colors and the type of case we were going to decorate. (I brought a clear case for my pink Nintendo DS that I bought specifically for this event). We got settled at our table where we were served the cutest heart shaped flan to snack on while we flipped through some Japanese deco magazines for inspiration. Everyone took turns going up to the charm bar to pick out our share from both Evelyn's handmade charms as well as charms provided by the studio. This was I think one of the funnest parts. The charm bar literally looks like a mini bakery and it was so hard to choose between all of the choices. I went back and forth between all the options before I settled on the charms that would best compliment the chocolate brown and pink theme I was going for.

It got a lot more quiet once everyone got their charms because we were so locked in on getting the charm placement just right. Because of that I was able to hear the music that was playing in the store, which were cute songs I recognize hearing in some Tamakid videos. Not sure if that was intentional but I thought it was a cute detail and really added to the feeling that we were all in an alternate Tamakid universe for the afternoon.

Another highlight was the Tamakid merch booth set up inside of the workshop. There was a line forming before the workshop even started and to no one's surprise, newer items of hers like the photo holder parfaits and chocolate pencil cases sold out right away. I was able to score one of her iconic chocolate deco pocket mirrors, sticker sheets, and a matcha girl themed memo pad. In all the craziness I totally forgot to get one of her posters I've been eyeing so like I'll have to keep an eye out for her next shop update. It was really to sweet how Evelyn has such a supportive group of people around her to help her run the merch booth, passing out supplies, and making sure the whole event ran smoothly. I know from experience how overwhelming event organizing can be, and how much work goes into making everything look effortless. Being on the other side this time was a real treat, and I truly appreciated getting to fully experience the care and thought the Evelyn and her team put into creating something special for everyone who attended.

@_ajmart_ helping out at the merch stand

After we finished our cases, the final step was having them lovingly boxed up by the Pinku staff in special dessert-style boxes, where they would safely dry once we headed out. So many of us stuck around for a bit to take pictures together and exchange Instagram handles to stay in touch before leaving. Since the studio is located in Little Tokyo, my favorite neighborhood in LA, I took the opportunity to shop around and pick up some snacks before heading back home. I could not think of a better way that I could have spent my Saturday! Huge thanks to Evelyn for inviting me and for generously sharing photos for the blog. Be sure to check out her Instagram to keep up with her art and future workshops, and visit her website to shop her work and support her creations.

At the end of last year I visited Japan for the second time and I wanted to make it a point to visit the Candy Candy Museum. Candy Candy is a Japanese anime, centering around a young girl named Candy as she navigates growing up as an orphan. Like many people around my age, I would see old reruns on tv and I knew that my mom was a huge fan as well. She has told me before that she grew up watching the show when she was a young girl in Mexico and that she was obsessed with it. I have also come across videos on tik tok of girls surprising their moms with Candy Candy merch or throwing them Candy Candy themed birthday parties. This peaked my curiosity and I wanted to do my research as to why an anime seemed to be so popular in a completely different country.

Turns out the broadcasting rights for the show were low, making it affordable entertainment for Mexican television networks to broadcast. Additionally, the show had the same format as telenovelas, which hooked young audiences. The show had themes that young girls could relate to like friendship, jealousy, and love. It became a staple for young girls in the 70's and 80's, gaining cultural relevance all over the world.

Sepia Cafe in Katsushika City, where the museum is located, was an hour train ride from Tokyo city. We made the mistake of going on a Saturday because it was packed but still worth, especially once we got inside. It is a quaint cafe that feels frozen in time with retro decor and vintage toys filling the walls. The food was not only insanely cute but delicious and there was a page in the menu dedicated to different flavored melon sodas. What I was mainly there for though was the Candy Candy Museum that lives upstairs above the cafe. If I remember correctly I think I paid around 5 USD for admission to the museum.

 I was so insanely impressed with the collection of merchandise that is in the Museum. There was literally everything you could think of from manga, toys, clothing, bags, glasses, and even framed original artwork from the show. One that that stood out to me was that a lot of the stuff was unopened and its original packaging, making it so much more rare and impressive considering how old a lot of the items were. As someone who is a collector and gets very passionate about my interests, I could recognize how much love and attention went into curating this collection. Because of a lawsuit between the manga artist and writer of Candy Candy, the manga is out of print and to my knowledge there is no new officially licensed merch in production anymore. The show lives on with it's dedicated fanbase, and this museum is proof of its cultural impact.

Turns out there is one person we have to thank for the existence of this museum. Candy H Milky, who sadly passed last year, was a Candy Candy superfan. They were always dressed in a Candy inspired red outfit. They took matters into their own hands to preserve the history of the show and created the Candy Candy Preservation Society, where they acted as the chairman, the director of the museum, and pretty much the only active member. Their dedication and passion about a show most people don't think much about is so inspiring to me as someone who runs a blog for a niche part of the internet. There is an amazing mini documentary on YouTube if you'd like to hear more about Candy H Milky. They will forever be immortalized in the museum and also their face is imprinted right next to Candy's if you order the pancakes from Sepia Cafe. I definitely recommend visiting both the cafe and the Museum if you are visiting Japan. It was a highlight of my trip and I was so happy I got the chance to document it and share it with you all here on the blog. Would love to hear in the comments if you grew up watching the show! 

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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! 

We now have merch available to rep Kawaii y Latina! I hand made pennant flags inspired by the university one you've probably seen before. As you can see they make insanely cute wall decor and I'm super excited to see pictures of how you guys add them to your space. I also got jumbo sparkly logo stickers made that also double as bumper stickers ͙͛ ˚₊⋆ They are weather proof so they are super durable :3 I stuck mine on my iPad case but I would love to see one on a skateboard. If there are any skaters reading this let me know and I will send you one in exchange for a pic of it on your board!! Last item in the merch drop are some acrylic logo keychains to add some cuteness to your keys. Profits of the merch go to the costs of running the blog ͙͛ ˚₊⋆ Don't forget to tag us on Instagram if you decide to get any goodies! <3

First of all, happy Hispanic Heritage Month! This month is a time to celebrate all the beautiful things about our culture and I'm so grateful for all of you who tune in to the blog and help create our Kawaii y Latina community! <3 I'm hoping to squeeze in some extra blog posts this month to celebrate.

In this week's post we are highlighting the Mexican artist Amaryllis Monzon, a 20 year old artist, creating original characters along with stories to go along with them. She is a college student who will soon be attending Otis college of art and design to continue studying illustration. 

Her introduction into kawaii culture as a kid included shoujo animes and mangas, which also impacted her art style as well. Amaryllis blends this inspiration with her own life experiences growing up Latina, creating characters that many people can relate or see themselves in. "If it wasn’t obvious enough with my work, I love illustrating character concepts and designs or comics and colorful pieces! I use a lot of brighter colors with my work especially pink, I feel no matter what I’m drawing there is always some bit of pink hue somewhere in the piece. If the subject matter of my pieces aren’t a character of mine it’s usually my artist persona as I also use my art a lot to feel good about myself as a form of self love!"

Amaryllis also made a great point about how a lot of us being into kawaii culture really challenges the usual stereotypes that we are usually labeled with, "I think it’s great for more Latinas to get into kawaii culture and express themselves more in such a sweet and cute way, I feel sometimes at least in my experience we can be told we have sharp attitude or we’re always placed in that “spicy Latina” stereotype and I feel kawaii culture is just such a expressive and l enjoyable way to embrace our femininity more and step away from that stereotype that some try to stick us in."

As you may know, one question I love asking my interviewees is their opinion on why Latino's may gravitate towards kawaii culture. This is what Amaryllis had to say: 

"I feel they gravitate a lot towards kawaii things or cute culture because it has a very

childlike whimsy and innocence to it, and i feel with the way some of us are raised and

tend to be in a lively extroverted household we sometimes find enjoyment in loud and

positive aesthetics such as kawaii culture! Not only that I find that lots of latinos are

raised on mixed media and find themselves in things they are shown and since not a lot

of popular children’s characters are latino aside from dora you tend to project that onto

racially ambiguous characters like hello kitty in a way as there’s numerous edits on

social media of hello kitty repping different Latino flags or even sailor moon characters

edited by amazing artists to have them look more Latina!"

Some of Amaryllis's upcoming projects include a story called Late Night Party of Five, centered around one of her original characters. She also recently became an affiliate for the makeup brand, Flower Knows. You can keep up with her projects and art by following her on Instagram here. <3

Hi guys! 𖹭.ᐟ After doing a poll on Instagram, a lot of you were interested in a Kawaii y Latina Discord server. So I had to give the people what they want. ദ്ദി(˵ •̀ ᴗ - ˵ ) ✧ It will be a fun place to chat about all things kawaii with like minded people. Super excited to interact more with all of you <3 You can join by clicking here. Link is also on the home page of this site in case you ever need it again under "Quick Links"

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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!