Dear Queer Latinx Florida,

I hear you. I see you. I’m with you. We are together. I’m so proud of my community and of this state for rallying together to honor those that have passed due to hate and increasing violence against LGBTQ+ people especially those in communities of color. RIP to the beautiful angelitxs lost in this tragedy. I wore this beautiful pride-themed shirt from Desigual on the day after the tragedy in rural Indiana which probably wasn’t the best idea as a queer person of color but I couldn’t be any more unapologetic. Live your truth, be proud, and let no one steal your colors. 

#plátanopower

The emergence of Dominicana beauty in the mainstream fashion industry is especially exciting for me. For so long Caribbean peoples, especially those with African/mestizo/mulatto heritage have been criticized for having “pelo malo” and for being too dark and many Caribeñx-Americans, including myself, have been told to marry lighter in order to improve la raza. It’s incredibly amazing to see so many shades and aesthetics of Dominicanas being highlighted as beautiful and valid and amazing through these pictures and the hiring of them for major runway shows worldwide. Not that I think Caribeñx peoples need to be validated by the mainstream fashion industry in order to be beautiful, but this is important for our niños that will grow up and see other role models and be able to look up to someone and say hey, they are considered beautiful and they have natural hair so that means I am beautiful too or oh look she’s a latina and she’s considered beautiful and power so that’s what I will be. Also regarding the actual fashion in the pictures: there are so many bright colors being used either subtlety or overtly which definitely I think bring out the tanner/darker complexions in these models. I also love Luisana’s all-black outfit that just highlights the golden beauty of her skintone and brings your attention to her amazing voluminous hair. Such a fan of the work Remezcla continues to do to highlight the Latinx/Latin American community and bring awareness about artistic/political/cultural events that people from those communities are a part of.

Caribeñx is beautiful. Seguir siendo hermosas, reinas de la República Dominicana y del Caribe/América Latina.

Here’s the original Remezcla article: http://remezcla.com/lists/culture/these-5-dominican-models-dominating-high-fashion-runways/

#white

Ironically, this blog is about embracing the vibrancy of color especially regarding POC and I’m making a post about white. I think white clothing is perfect for summer and definitely shows a bit of edge especially if you live in a northern climate. I also think that white brings out tan and darker skin tones so well and really highlights the color of the skin in a way that makes your complexion the star of the show in an empowering way. I’d love to see more people embrace white clothing tones as a way of showing off their beautiful skin and I applaud everyone who does because you’re already #killingit #fuegoaf. Also here’s a selfie of me feeling myself in a J.Crew fitting room with a white fleece. Outlet price: $19 

Also I hate taking selfies of myself so savor/screenshot this one 😉 

پوشاک. dəb. fashion.

This Vogue piece on Iranian-American model, Leila Rahimi, struck me because of my own personal experiences with being caught between two places that I have very different ties to. My imagery and culture and mannerisms are all shaped by my Cuban heritage and my deep ties to the island of my mother’s birth but my Americanidad has shaped where I feel most comfortable living, constant self-doubt in my Spanish ability as an American-born Latino, etc. I love the vibrancy of patterns in Leila’s outfits throughout her travels in Iran. I often feel that the West labels the Middle East, Eurasia and other Muslim-majority regions as very dull places where women aren’t “allowed” to express beauty and vibrancy. Coming back from a semester in Azerbaijan I fell in love with the beauty in the fabrics I saw hanging on the street vendors in Baku’s old city and I remember the paintings of the Shah period in Azerbaijan being filled with beautiful people dressed in incredibly ornate outfits. The patterns, the colors, the intricacy, these clothes worn by the Iranian women in this Vogue piece are pure artistry. Something I just don’t see much in mainstream consumer-driven design (department stores). While I believe that there are plenty of people in the US especially those from marginalized backgrounds that embrace the diversity in their imagery, I think it’s time the US stops using its gaze as a model of what’s beautiful. Color should be embraced and all types of fashion are valid, let people wear what they feel empowered and comfortable in. Love this piece Vogue, and struck by your beauty and fashion, Leila. Here’s the link to the full article: http://www.vogue.com/13439827/model-leila-rahimi-iran-photo-diary/

 

First blog post

This is your very first post. Click the Edit link to modify or delete it, or start a new post. If you like, use this post to tell readers why you started this blog and what you plan to do with it.