MILWAUKEE — Two Milwaukee women are using fashion to keep their Mexican culture alive and honor those who came before them.
As a stylist in Milwaukee, Jessica Rodriguez said she aims to inspire the younger generation to embrace their culture in new ways. She’s able to take different pieces of clothing and transform them into fashion pieces that embody the roots and realities of the Latino culture.
Rodriguez is a first-generation immigrant of Mexican parents that moved to America. She said that’s why she wants to make sure she never loses touch with her culture.
“Dressing up is like a form of expression and an art form itself,” she said.
Rodriguez said style has always been a part of her life.
“I really got inspired by my mother,” said Rodriguez. “She actually worked at Levi’s factory in Mexico for like 14 years. She was a seamstress. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the safest conditions. So she ended up moving to America for a better life for us.”
She said she wants her designs to represent her region in Mexico. She does that by creating Vaquero styles, which are cowboy styles.
Also dedicated to showcasing her Mexican culture is Milwaukee designer Nazareth Reyes. She makes her own pieces by hand.
“During quarantine I learned how to sew, and I just fell in love with it,” said Reyes. “I just made and created a bunch of things, and I just really found my passion for it.”
Reyes said there are so many different varieties to her culture, which makes it very unique. She said it’s important to her to learn more about where she comes from. She does that by making pieces that symbolize the Mexican culture, like one of her pieces — a pair of pants with an Aztec calendar pattern.
“If you look at every type of culture, there’s bound to be some similarities, and that’s what really unites us as people,” said Reyes.
Both Reyes and Rodriguez are using their skills and passion from their Latina upbringings and culture to make and create beautiful pieces.
“We’re still going to show the community these clothes,” said Rodriguez. “We’re still going to make them feel like, oh yes, you can wear these clothes and show your culture and be beautiful at the same time.”
Their goal is to inspire others to embrace where they come from and wear it proudly.