PHOTO: COURTESY OF THRIFTS+THREADS; COURTESY OF SANTA CALATA; COURTESY OF ANNAISS YUCRA; COURTESY OF PINK MAGNOLIA; COURTESY OF JULIETTA; COURTESY OF EMMA LOUISE FOR KRYSTAL PANIAGUA; COURTESY OF D.N.I; COURTESY OF BLOBB
This story was published on Who What Wear, in October 2021.
I can’t recall the exact moment, but I was aware of how others perceived me from a very young age. And if you identify as Black (like I do), Asian American, Latinx, or any other marginalized identity, I’m betting that you, too, had that early consciousness. You grow up knowing and wrestling with how your own self-perception may not always align with the stereotypes around your “label.” For me, the only way I could cajole others into seeing me the way I saw myself was through style. After all, you can’t control how you come into this world, but you can pick what you wear while moving through it. And for many people from marginalized communities, fashion is a way to honor the entire diaspora of nationalities, ethnicities, and languages found across the globe.
Hemlines can tell us a lot more about heritage than we know, and fashion can be a tool for mobilizing us to speak up about xenophobia and climate change and better advocate for ourselves. Ahead, I’ve spoken with 16 Latinx fashion designers about their heritage, how their brands are redefining Latin fashion, and their hopes for the future. Their work is a reminder of the power fashion has in shaping our personal, political, and historical narratives and the full spectrum of possibilities.
Read the full story in its entirety on Who What Wear.