Rachel Gomez appears by a rack of her clothes in her own Viva Los Angeles Bonita warehouse in San Fernando on Nov. 15. Picture credit: Shae Hammond
San Fernando Valley resident Rachel Gomez understood there is too little Latina representation into the fashion industry. She pointed out that not merely have there been were no brands that targeted Latina females, but the majority importantly, there have been no brands that empowered them.
This is the reason Gomez chose to produce her brand that is own in hopes of shutting this tradition space. She arrived up utilizing the concept of a streetwear clothes brand name called Viva Los Angeles Bonita, a line where Latinas feel comfortable in their own epidermis and identification.
“The notion of Viva Los Angeles Bonita is a brand name that encourages one to be happy with your self, does not make a difference where you result from or exacltly what the tale is or exactly exactly what you’ve been through, ” Gomez stated.
Gomez worked over 50 hours an at a tillys in burbank week. She couldn’t quit her retail work at that time since it economically supported her household, and she ended up being really the only user that has a well-paying work.
During her times off or after finishing up work, she’d work with the Viva La Bonita brand name regardless how tired she had been. Initially, she had problems linking because of the community. Very nearly 36 months in to the brand name, she’d publish each day on social media marketing and wouldn’t have sale that is single. Gomez doubted by by herself, however the help of her fiance, Fredo Tovar, her household, and her function of she was kept by the brand going. She knew it absolutely wasn’t likely to be a effortless course, but she persisted, and from day one Tovar has thought in and supported her efforts.
Gomez recalls him telling her: because I know you deserve it“ I know you really want this, I know you’re a really hard worker and I know you’re gonna make it happen, so I have your back. In my opinion we are gonna render this happen. In you and”
Her household, particularly her grandmother, Margarita Sanchez Duran, didn’t comprehend the function regarding the brand to start with. Gomez was raised in a normal immigrant household and shared with her grandmother she desired to quit her work to offer tees, but all Sanchez Duran understood was Gomez desired to stop her job.
Once Gomez had a much better knowledge of her brand’s direction, she managed to explain it her grandmother completely. This generated her grandmother to totally comprehend and support her granddaughter; Sanchez Duran even wore a tie-dye that is pink through the brand in a recently available Instagram tale Gomez posted on Nov. 17.
Family plays a large component when it comes down to her brand name. Gomez spent my youth speaking Spanglish, where English and Spanish words are combined, that was how her grandfather Pedro Duran talked, too. She implements Spanglish quotes into the brand name, like “Mujeres are secret, ” “Be The Cabrona Que No Se Dejo” and “Allergic to Pendejadas, ” which led females in order to connect because of the brand name.
Viva Los Angeles Bonita presently has significantly more than 200,000 supporters on Instagram, as well as the follower count is growing given that brand gets to be more well understood.
Gomez feels the journey was very long, and mistakes have actually led her to find the brand out as it’s today. She envisions the brand’s proceeded growth inside the next 5 years and traveling more using their pop-ups in the U.S. She really wants to keep a legacy for folks to pursue their desires and help the other person in unveiling their secret.
“We were put right right here to reside our life. Don’t live life like it’s permanent because life is short-term therefore we are merely right here for a lot of time, ” Gomez stated. “Help people on the way and encourage you to definitely have confidence in their magic. ”