1
00:00:00,560 --> 00:00:02,720
Speaker 1: My job is just to sell the fantasy.

2
00:00:02,880 --> 00:00:04,600
Speaker 2: I just like the eyes to go of boom bom, boom,

3
00:00:04,600 --> 00:00:06,480
Speaker 2: boo boom, and you lookind of photos. They might not

4
00:00:06,519 --> 00:00:08,840
Speaker 2: be the photo selected, but at least like I'm giving

5
00:00:08,840 --> 00:00:19,040
Speaker 2: you something different, you know, at least something to choose from.

6
00:00:14,960 --> 00:00:18,680
Speaker 3: From futro media and PRX. It's Latino USA. I'm Maria

7
00:00:18,840 --> 00:00:21,959
Speaker 3: no Josa. Today we strut down the runway into the

8
00:00:22,040 --> 00:00:26,680
Speaker 3: journey of Jossein Ernandez, a queer Chicano model who's challenging

9
00:00:26,760 --> 00:00:38,199
Speaker 3: mainstream expectations of beauty. The fashion and beauty industries have

10
00:00:38,360 --> 00:00:42,680
Speaker 3: never been shy about their preferences for tall, thin, young

11
00:00:42,840 --> 00:00:48,000
Speaker 3: white CIS women, but as massive racial protests have taken

12
00:00:48,000 --> 00:00:51,720
Speaker 3: place across the world in recent years, the fashion industry

13
00:00:52,000 --> 00:00:57,680
Speaker 3: has made promises to change more gender, race, and disability

14
00:00:57,680 --> 00:01:02,800
Speaker 3: representation on runways, magazine covers, and in their most influential

15
00:01:02,880 --> 00:01:08,400
Speaker 3: positions behind the scenes. As a queer Chicano model living

16
00:01:08,480 --> 00:01:12,240
Speaker 3: and working in Los Angeles, josev Nanis is among those

17
00:01:12,280 --> 00:01:16,480
Speaker 3: who are pushing the boundaries of fashion. Inspired by Mexican

18
00:01:16,560 --> 00:01:21,640
Speaker 3: ranchero's and nineties La Street style, Hosey's look is instantly

19
00:01:21,840 --> 00:01:27,920
Speaker 3: recognizable glistening brown skin, a furrowed brow, cowboy boots, a

20
00:01:27,959 --> 00:01:33,559
Speaker 3: tight fade, and a thick, dark mustache. Jossay's inspirations aren't

21
00:01:33,760 --> 00:01:38,880
Speaker 3: typically considered high fashion, but through his modeling, he's shattering

22
00:01:39,040 --> 00:01:53,440
Speaker 3: those preconceptions. Mossays vision for the future of beauty and

23
00:01:53,520 --> 00:01:59,240
Speaker 3: fashion means more visibility for Latinos, Latinas, and queerness across

24
00:01:59,240 --> 00:02:04,000
Speaker 3: the board. Jose's modeled on campaigns for Facebook, Grinder, Latina

25
00:02:04,040 --> 00:02:08,600
Speaker 3: dot Com, and Nyx Cosmetics. He made his runway debut

26
00:02:08,600 --> 00:02:11,520
Speaker 3: at New York's Fashion Week in the spring of twenty nineteen,

27
00:02:11,919 --> 00:02:16,400
Speaker 3: walking for Willie Chavaria's men'swear show. Chavarria himself is a

28
00:02:16,520 --> 00:02:20,720
Speaker 3: queer Mexican American designer whose work is inspired by neighborhoods

29
00:02:20,919 --> 00:02:25,799
Speaker 3: with large immigrant populations, the same neighborhoods where Josse grew up.

30
00:02:28,560 --> 00:02:32,400
Speaker 3: For this latest installment of our How I Made It Series,

31
00:02:32,840 --> 00:02:36,760
Speaker 3: Jossea members discovering his passion for modeling while growing up

32
00:02:36,760 --> 00:02:40,960
Speaker 3: in southern California. He shares his recipe for the perfect glow,

33
00:02:41,440 --> 00:02:45,200
Speaker 3: thoughts on merging his culture with his art, and his

34
00:02:45,320 --> 00:02:48,800
Speaker 3: belief that feeling beautiful is a lifelong process.

35
00:02:56,120 --> 00:02:57,519
Speaker 1: My name is Julie Hernandez.

36
00:02:57,600 --> 00:03:00,440
Speaker 2: On Instagram, people know me as Sveco, and my family

37
00:03:00,480 --> 00:03:01,880
Speaker 2: actually knows me just as Vico.

38
00:03:02,200 --> 00:03:03,360
Speaker 1: It's like a family nickname.

39
00:03:03,840 --> 00:03:07,400
Speaker 2: I'm a freelance model and I live in Southgate, California,

40
00:03:07,480 --> 00:03:09,440
Speaker 2: and I grew up in Honeingham Park, California, which is

41
00:03:09,440 --> 00:03:11,920
Speaker 2: literally like fifteen minutes away. My parents still live there.

42
00:03:12,280 --> 00:03:14,760
Speaker 2: I'm a big family guy, so I live close to

43
00:03:14,800 --> 00:03:19,000
Speaker 2: my family. I have based a lot of my look

44
00:03:19,040 --> 00:03:21,520
Speaker 2: sometimes on going through a photo albums and seeing what

45
00:03:21,560 --> 00:03:23,600
Speaker 2: my dad would wear when he was younger, and like

46
00:03:23,639 --> 00:03:26,040
Speaker 2: my cousins would wear in high school with their Dodger

47
00:03:26,080 --> 00:03:28,840
Speaker 2: caps and like their puffy jacket. It's just something that

48
00:03:28,880 --> 00:03:30,320
Speaker 2: when I was little, I would kind of like look

49
00:03:30,400 --> 00:03:32,639
Speaker 2: up to in a way and then secretly kind of

50
00:03:32,639 --> 00:03:34,840
Speaker 2: feel like I couldn't pull those looks off because deep inside,

51
00:03:34,840 --> 00:03:37,280
Speaker 2: I was still in the closet and like very afraid.

52
00:03:37,800 --> 00:03:39,800
Speaker 2: So a lot of my inspiration kind of comes from

53
00:03:39,800 --> 00:03:42,400
Speaker 2: that and kind of owning it now and being like, yes,

54
00:03:42,520 --> 00:03:44,520
Speaker 2: you know, I'm a clear, openly gay man and I

55
00:03:44,520 --> 00:03:46,600
Speaker 2: can rock the shit out of this when back then

56
00:03:46,640 --> 00:03:47,280
Speaker 2: I wouldn't think I.

57
00:03:47,240 --> 00:03:51,760
Speaker 1: Would be able to sell and Gerero, who's a photographer

58
00:03:51,800 --> 00:03:52,440
Speaker 1: from Texas.

59
00:03:52,640 --> 00:03:56,240
Speaker 2: I always credit him for making me get started with modeling.

60
00:03:56,400 --> 00:03:58,080
Speaker 2: He was the first one that shot me in like

61
00:03:58,120 --> 00:03:59,880
Speaker 2: a film camera with like a cowboy hat.

62
00:04:00,320 --> 00:04:02,240
Speaker 1: But the second shoot that I worked with him, it's

63
00:04:02,280 --> 00:04:03,120
Speaker 1: me holding a rooster.

64
00:04:04,560 --> 00:04:07,200
Speaker 2: I'm not even wearing a lot. It's like shirtless, but

65
00:04:07,240 --> 00:04:09,520
Speaker 2: I have leather pants. I mean, I'm holding a rooster

66
00:04:09,560 --> 00:04:11,840
Speaker 2: and I have like bold chains on. And I was

67
00:04:11,880 --> 00:04:14,400
Speaker 2: also wearing hih heels and it was an atlancho in

68
00:04:14,520 --> 00:04:18,560
Speaker 2: like the in an Empire eyoaikaminando with like you know,

69
00:04:18,839 --> 00:04:20,599
Speaker 2: just looking off them kind of in a way, but

70
00:04:20,640 --> 00:04:22,640
Speaker 2: also but at the same time, I just think it

71
00:04:22,680 --> 00:04:26,000
Speaker 2: was so iconic and those photographs are so like they're

72
00:04:26,040 --> 00:04:31,440
Speaker 2: just so classic. I was like oiled up. I remember

73
00:04:31,480 --> 00:04:34,400
Speaker 2: I brought my oil. I make my own little like

74
00:04:34,480 --> 00:04:38,200
Speaker 2: body glitter oil thing. Listen, fenty, I love Rihanna, but

75
00:04:38,240 --> 00:04:40,960
Speaker 2: I'm not gonna spend sixty dollars to look baby oiled up,

76
00:04:41,080 --> 00:04:42,960
Speaker 2: like I could just make it a home. My co

77
00:04:43,120 --> 00:04:45,359
Speaker 2: star was Jenny sixty nine, which at the time I

78
00:04:45,400 --> 00:04:46,480
Speaker 2: wasn't that familiar with her.

79
00:04:46,480 --> 00:04:48,160
Speaker 1: To be completely honest, she.

80
00:04:48,160 --> 00:04:52,839
Speaker 2: Did say, like you should sell this the fies shut up.

81
00:04:52,960 --> 00:04:56,320
Speaker 1: Yeah, and this is my post. That my secret post. Wow,

82
00:04:56,720 --> 00:04:58,400
Speaker 1: you know what, honestly I like this.

83
00:04:58,520 --> 00:05:02,080
Speaker 2: Ver get some highlighter powder. I'm already giving my secret away.

84
00:05:02,080 --> 00:05:05,080
Speaker 2: You get like loose highlighter powder, get vitamin e oil

85
00:05:05,120 --> 00:05:07,560
Speaker 2: for the Nanline Sense store, and then you just pour

86
00:05:08,160 --> 00:05:11,919
Speaker 2: the shimmer in there, shake it up and you gotta glow.

87
00:05:14,080 --> 00:05:16,640
Speaker 2: A few months back, like, I saw a photograph of

88
00:05:16,680 --> 00:05:19,360
Speaker 2: my dad's dad, my grandpa, holding a rooster kind of

89
00:05:19,360 --> 00:05:21,680
Speaker 2: in the same post, and I was like, what I mean,

90
00:05:21,720 --> 00:05:23,200
Speaker 2: he was not sureless, but it was just like the

91
00:05:23,200 --> 00:05:25,160
Speaker 2: fact that he's holding a rooster standing the same way

92
00:05:25,160 --> 00:05:27,800
Speaker 2: I was. I had no idea that even existed, So

93
00:05:27,920 --> 00:05:30,360
Speaker 2: to see it years later, I'm like, wait, that's so crazy.

94
00:05:32,440 --> 00:05:34,200
Speaker 2: Growing up, I go to go visit my family in

95
00:05:34,240 --> 00:05:36,200
Speaker 2: Mexico all the time, Like in December, we would actually

96
00:05:36,279 --> 00:05:38,320
Speaker 2: ride in my dad's huge van and it was like

97
00:05:38,320 --> 00:05:40,839
Speaker 2: a two day trip just to go visit my grandma

98
00:05:40,839 --> 00:05:43,200
Speaker 2: and my cousins and stuff. I mean, like, it's the

99
00:05:43,240 --> 00:05:45,600
Speaker 2: only memory, I think, my childhood memory that I can

100
00:05:45,680 --> 00:05:48,600
Speaker 2: remember crystal clear, because it was every single year up

101
00:05:48,680 --> 00:05:49,920
Speaker 2: until like we were eighteen.

102
00:05:52,120 --> 00:05:54,000
Speaker 1: My parents are a little older than people.

103
00:05:54,040 --> 00:05:58,159
Speaker 2: My dad is seventy eight, seventy seven to twenty eight,

104
00:05:58,320 --> 00:06:00,960
Speaker 2: and my mom is seventy five, so yeah, they had

105
00:06:01,040 --> 00:06:04,040
Speaker 2: me when they were like forty something. My family is

106
00:06:04,080 --> 00:06:07,720
Speaker 2: from San Francisco, which for short, we call it San Bancho.

107
00:06:08,120 --> 00:06:11,160
Speaker 2: My mom came first and I hustled here, and then

108
00:06:11,200 --> 00:06:13,920
Speaker 2: my dad met her here, and then they got married obviously,

109
00:06:14,040 --> 00:06:16,839
Speaker 2: and then had my two sisters. And I'm the youngest one,

110
00:06:16,839 --> 00:06:19,720
Speaker 2: so I'm the baby and the only boy in my family.

111
00:06:22,640 --> 00:06:25,600
Speaker 2: Literally where I grew up in Huningham Park, it's all

112
00:06:27,040 --> 00:06:29,279
Speaker 2: like my family, Like my Da lives across the street.

113
00:06:29,640 --> 00:06:33,400
Speaker 2: My cousin Ruby lives two houses down, my cousin Alma

114
00:06:33,440 --> 00:06:34,720
Speaker 2: lives four houses down.

115
00:06:35,440 --> 00:06:36,680
Speaker 1: We own Walnut Street.

116
00:06:36,680 --> 00:06:41,800
Speaker 2: Like Walnut Street is like like we just took over

117
00:06:41,800 --> 00:06:45,440
Speaker 2: that street. And when I was little, my grandma basically

118
00:06:45,480 --> 00:06:48,040
Speaker 2: raising because both my mom and dad would work crazy hours,

119
00:06:48,080 --> 00:06:51,760
Speaker 2: so Maita would like look after me and my sisters.

120
00:06:52,120 --> 00:06:53,280
Speaker 1: And since I was the only boy.

121
00:06:53,680 --> 00:06:55,120
Speaker 2: You know, when you say Spanish, you kind of or

122
00:06:55,160 --> 00:06:57,599
Speaker 2: when you do baby talk where it's kind of changed

123
00:06:57,600 --> 00:07:00,080
Speaker 2: the way they sound, So my grandma would be like

124
00:07:00,160 --> 00:07:02,320
Speaker 2: yeah goo, yeah, go Veehico and then that slowly turned

125
00:07:02,320 --> 00:07:04,960
Speaker 2: into Yeko, viet Go, Veco, Veco, and Veco. It's like

126
00:07:05,800 --> 00:07:08,240
Speaker 2: it's just my other name, and I kind of sometimes

127
00:07:08,240 --> 00:07:10,920
Speaker 2: prefer it because it's not as common. That's kind of

128
00:07:10,920 --> 00:07:13,880
Speaker 2: where it came by. And like, growing up, I was

129
00:07:13,920 --> 00:07:17,200
Speaker 2: always a clown kind of like I was always being

130
00:07:17,280 --> 00:07:19,880
Speaker 2: loud and funny. So my family, you would always hear

131
00:07:19,880 --> 00:07:21,640
Speaker 2: like in my mom so was like, ah, yes Eveco, Ah,

132
00:07:21,760 --> 00:07:23,000
Speaker 2: yes Aveco, and.

133
00:07:22,960 --> 00:07:24,080
Speaker 1: That's where my I g handle.

134
00:07:24,080 --> 00:07:25,560
Speaker 2: I was like, oh, perfect, Like I'll just do a

135
00:07:25,600 --> 00:07:27,520
Speaker 2: s e echo because that's literally what I hear all

136
00:07:27,560 --> 00:07:27,880
Speaker 2: the time.

137
00:07:31,160 --> 00:07:33,000
Speaker 1: I've always been drawn to like modeling growing up.

138
00:07:33,040 --> 00:07:34,880
Speaker 2: I mean I would watch The America's Next Top Model

139
00:07:34,920 --> 00:07:37,240
Speaker 2: to be honest with my sisters and would watch it

140
00:07:37,280 --> 00:07:39,040
Speaker 2: and they would like teach the girls how to be like,

141
00:07:39,080 --> 00:07:41,080
Speaker 2: don't lose a neg It'd be so funny because I

142
00:07:41,080 --> 00:07:42,840
Speaker 2: would like pretend they were talking to me.

143
00:07:42,880 --> 00:07:43,560
Speaker 1: So I'd be sitting in the.

144
00:07:43,560 --> 00:07:45,440
Speaker 2: Sofa and I'd be like, but then I would look

145
00:07:45,440 --> 00:07:47,240
Speaker 2: over my sister and she would be doing the same thing.

146
00:07:47,280 --> 00:07:49,040
Speaker 2: But we've never even spoke about it, Like it was

147
00:07:49,120 --> 00:07:50,840
Speaker 2: just like an because I guess maybe I didn't want

148
00:07:50,840 --> 00:07:52,160
Speaker 2: her to know that I was like, you know, trying

149
00:07:52,200 --> 00:07:53,280
Speaker 2: to pose like the girls.

150
00:07:55,560 --> 00:07:57,160
Speaker 1: When my mom would go to work, I'll go to

151
00:07:57,200 --> 00:07:57,760
Speaker 1: her closet.

152
00:07:57,920 --> 00:08:00,400
Speaker 2: She has like this blue robe, and I just weird

153
00:08:00,440 --> 00:08:02,040
Speaker 2: and I would always just like extra and pretend it

154
00:08:02,080 --> 00:08:04,160
Speaker 2: was address. I feel like that to me, I felt

155
00:08:04,160 --> 00:08:06,240
Speaker 2: so powerful when no one was looking and I was

156
00:08:06,320 --> 00:08:09,080
Speaker 2: just like strutting my thing in that like gown that

157
00:08:09,120 --> 00:08:12,240
Speaker 2: I would make that was literally a bathroom and to

158
00:08:12,240 --> 00:08:13,720
Speaker 2: this day, I still grab it because it's like it

159
00:08:13,800 --> 00:08:15,840
Speaker 2: just makes me feel like a little kid against And

160
00:08:15,840 --> 00:08:18,200
Speaker 2: my mom even knows u Yagara lavata, Like when I

161
00:08:18,240 --> 00:08:20,360
Speaker 2: go over and I go visit, it's just like comforting

162
00:08:20,360 --> 00:08:20,840
Speaker 2: for some reason.

163
00:08:20,880 --> 00:08:21,720
Speaker 1: I don't know what it is.

164
00:08:25,560 --> 00:08:28,160
Speaker 2: I think just in general, just growing up, just looking

165
00:08:28,160 --> 00:08:30,400
Speaker 2: at my cousins that were in similar age of me,

166
00:08:31,080 --> 00:08:33,440
Speaker 2: and they were like straight, I always felt like kind

167
00:08:33,440 --> 00:08:35,679
Speaker 2: of odd because I was a little different. That's where

168
00:08:35,679 --> 00:08:37,560
Speaker 2: I kind of got like, you know, the ideas of

169
00:08:37,600 --> 00:08:40,800
Speaker 2: like what masculine is, or like even just feeling like

170
00:08:40,880 --> 00:08:42,680
Speaker 2: for sure I was different because you know, I wasn't

171
00:08:42,679 --> 00:08:44,400
Speaker 2: into the same things as them, which was like playing

172
00:08:44,480 --> 00:08:45,240
Speaker 2: rough and playing sports.

173
00:08:45,240 --> 00:08:46,240
Speaker 1: I was like, nah, I'm good.

174
00:08:47,000 --> 00:08:49,000
Speaker 2: It's like, why am I not enjoying sports like all

175
00:08:49,040 --> 00:08:52,440
Speaker 2: my cousins my age are, or like even just being

176
00:08:52,480 --> 00:08:54,040
Speaker 2: in a room with a bunch of straight cousins, I

177
00:08:54,040 --> 00:08:57,000
Speaker 2: was kind of always felt kind of odd, like like

178
00:08:57,000 --> 00:08:59,520
Speaker 2: almost like playing and pretend even though I was so young,

179
00:08:59,520 --> 00:09:01,280
Speaker 2: but I just felt weird, you know, it's just like

180
00:09:01,280 --> 00:09:05,440
Speaker 2: a weird feeling. I feel like when I got older,

181
00:09:05,480 --> 00:09:08,240
Speaker 2: I'm like, I can't really remember a lot of childhood memories.

182
00:09:08,240 --> 00:09:09,480
Speaker 1: And I thought maybe it's because of.

183
00:09:09,440 --> 00:09:14,439
Speaker 2: Trauma and because I was like performing and like maybe

184
00:09:14,480 --> 00:09:16,480
Speaker 2: I somehow like blocked a lot of things because I

185
00:09:16,520 --> 00:09:17,880
Speaker 2: was so stressed and I was like putting out a

186
00:09:17,920 --> 00:09:19,800
Speaker 2: performance that you know, I don't know.

187
00:09:19,800 --> 00:09:21,640
Speaker 1: I As I got older, like that's.

188
00:09:21,480 --> 00:09:25,120
Speaker 2: One thing that really I'm like, damn, Like I feel

189
00:09:25,120 --> 00:09:27,520
Speaker 2: like growing up, like I wasn't really as expressive because

190
00:09:27,679 --> 00:09:30,000
Speaker 2: I feel like in Latino House was like Pensaniona, just

191
00:09:30,000 --> 00:09:32,480
Speaker 2: like you know, suck it up, deal with it, be quiet,

192
00:09:32,559 --> 00:09:34,240
Speaker 2: like nothing's wrong, blah blah blah.

193
00:09:34,760 --> 00:09:36,080
Speaker 1: So now that I'm older, I'm.

194
00:09:35,960 --> 00:09:38,760
Speaker 2: Like like when friends would ask me like, oh, what

195
00:09:38,880 --> 00:09:40,840
Speaker 2: is your data like memory of this, and I'd be like,

196
00:09:41,800 --> 00:09:44,200
Speaker 2: I'm like I'm going through a black hole right now.

197
00:09:44,240 --> 00:09:46,880
Speaker 2: I don't even I don't know that's a good question,

198
00:09:47,000 --> 00:09:49,520
Speaker 2: you know, like what was Vecko ten year old veckol

199
00:09:49,520 --> 00:09:52,040
Speaker 2: doing or whatever. Like obviously I have memories, but I

200
00:09:52,080 --> 00:09:55,360
Speaker 2: just feel like some people have more clear memories that

201
00:09:55,360 --> 00:09:58,080
Speaker 2: I'm almost jealous that I can't go back there in

202
00:09:58,080 --> 00:10:04,400
Speaker 2: a way.

203
00:10:04,679 --> 00:10:06,440
Speaker 1: Something I wear all the time.

204
00:10:07,120 --> 00:10:09,480
Speaker 2: I'm like my mom's robe, just kidding, Oh my god.

205
00:10:09,520 --> 00:10:13,040
Speaker 2: Definitely my brown cowboy boots. I went to an estate

206
00:10:13,120 --> 00:10:15,000
Speaker 2: so and I went with my two girlfriends, and I

207
00:10:15,040 --> 00:10:18,719
Speaker 2: told them, if you find a size eight and a

208
00:10:18,760 --> 00:10:22,600
Speaker 2: half or nine cowboy boots brown their mind. I just

209
00:10:22,640 --> 00:10:24,079
Speaker 2: grab this box and I'm filling it up with a

210
00:10:24,080 --> 00:10:25,640
Speaker 2: bunch of stuff, like I'm just like, hey, boom boom

211
00:10:25,640 --> 00:10:28,880
Speaker 2: boom whatever. And I go to this bedroom and in

212
00:10:28,920 --> 00:10:34,079
Speaker 2: the closet they are these imperfect condition cowboy boots.

213
00:10:34,880 --> 00:10:35,680
Speaker 1: I grab them.

214
00:10:35,800 --> 00:10:37,880
Speaker 2: They still have the ticket price originally was like seventy

215
00:10:37,880 --> 00:10:40,040
Speaker 2: five dollars, and I tried them on and they fit

216
00:10:40,120 --> 00:10:42,280
Speaker 2: like a glove. I go and check out and the

217
00:10:42,320 --> 00:10:46,080
Speaker 2: guy's like fifteen dollars for the whole box. I feel

218
00:10:46,080 --> 00:10:47,200
Speaker 2: like I have a lot of photos with them, on

219
00:10:47,240 --> 00:10:49,120
Speaker 2: because whenever shoots are like can you bring boots, I'm

220
00:10:49,160 --> 00:10:51,480
Speaker 2: like the brown ones, just because it's almost like I

221
00:10:51,520 --> 00:10:54,160
Speaker 2: spoken into existence and like the world was like, here

222
00:10:54,200 --> 00:11:01,040
Speaker 2: are the boots. My personal style, it's a mixture always

223
00:11:01,080 --> 00:11:03,600
Speaker 2: of different silhouettes, like I love a boxy shirt with

224
00:11:03,679 --> 00:11:08,280
Speaker 2: like a pleated pants, and then it's also merging masculine

225
00:11:08,280 --> 00:11:11,280
Speaker 2: pieces with also feminine pieces, because I think that's what

226
00:11:11,360 --> 00:11:14,120
Speaker 2: I embody my bios of onstry I'm like theologs with

227
00:11:14,200 --> 00:11:17,520
Speaker 2: theaves that just came out through friends that described me like, oh,

228
00:11:17,520 --> 00:11:19,439
Speaker 2: you have thel vibes, but you give this like mask,

229
00:11:19,679 --> 00:11:23,400
Speaker 2: like butch look or butch face, and that's kind of

230
00:11:23,400 --> 00:11:25,160
Speaker 2: what I like to kind of put forward with the

231
00:11:25,160 --> 00:11:30,439
Speaker 2: way I dress. So I didn't start rocking a mustache,

232
00:11:30,440 --> 00:11:33,080
Speaker 2: I'm going to say until either late twenty sixteen or

233
00:11:33,240 --> 00:11:36,599
Speaker 2: early twenty seventeen. My dad definitely had a mustache for

234
00:11:36,679 --> 00:11:38,240
Speaker 2: the majority of my childhood, Like he would have a

235
00:11:38,280 --> 00:11:41,720
Speaker 2: mustache and I always kind of low he wanted one.

236
00:11:42,000 --> 00:11:44,560
Speaker 1: It just came in and I remember like liking the

237
00:11:44,600 --> 00:11:45,679
Speaker 1: way it looked.

238
00:11:45,800 --> 00:11:47,960
Speaker 2: I didn't know that it would become kind of like

239
00:11:48,000 --> 00:11:49,839
Speaker 2: my signature look to be honest, like it was just

240
00:11:49,920 --> 00:11:52,160
Speaker 2: something that to me, I liked it, and I was like, oh, like,

241
00:11:52,880 --> 00:11:53,679
Speaker 2: it's just a mustache.

242
00:11:53,720 --> 00:11:56,040
Speaker 1: It's cool. My dad had one. Like I'm here for it.

243
00:11:56,800 --> 00:11:58,360
Speaker 2: Although I will say I don't like to feel like

244
00:11:58,400 --> 00:11:59,960
Speaker 2: I'm getting a gig because of my mustache.

245
00:12:00,400 --> 00:12:03,480
Speaker 1: To me, I truly fully enjoy modeling.

246
00:12:03,600 --> 00:12:06,160
Speaker 2: And there's been two instances where somebody counseled a shoot

247
00:12:06,160 --> 00:12:08,640
Speaker 2: because I shaved my mustache. They reached out to work

248
00:12:08,679 --> 00:12:09,840
Speaker 2: with me, and I was so excited that I had

249
00:12:09,880 --> 00:12:12,600
Speaker 2: shaved like the week prior, and they got me a

250
00:12:12,640 --> 00:12:15,200
Speaker 2: fake mustache to put on me. And I stopped the

251
00:12:15,200 --> 00:12:17,000
Speaker 2: photos and I'm like, that does not look like a

252
00:12:17,080 --> 00:12:19,760
Speaker 2: real mustache at all. And that kind of made me

253
00:12:19,760 --> 00:12:21,400
Speaker 2: feel weird because I was like, I'm more than just

254
00:12:21,440 --> 00:12:24,079
Speaker 2: a mustache. I also don't like feeling like it's just

255
00:12:24,080 --> 00:12:26,160
Speaker 2: like a fetish or something that someone's just hiring me

256
00:12:26,440 --> 00:12:28,520
Speaker 2: because of that, because I want to make sure to

257
00:12:28,600 --> 00:12:31,160
Speaker 2: like be able to be more than one look in

258
00:12:31,200 --> 00:12:33,600
Speaker 2: a way, you know, I want to be able to

259
00:12:33,600 --> 00:12:39,480
Speaker 2: like still look good with other mustache. My first runway

260
00:12:39,520 --> 00:12:42,160
Speaker 2: show was for New York Fashion Week in twenty nineteen,

261
00:12:42,760 --> 00:12:44,200
Speaker 2: and I still to this day, I'm.

262
00:12:44,040 --> 00:12:46,640
Speaker 1: Like, I kind of wish my walk was better, Like

263
00:12:46,679 --> 00:12:47,280
Speaker 1: I can you.

264
00:12:47,320 --> 00:12:49,400
Speaker 2: Know, I can say that to myself because I'm honest,

265
00:12:49,520 --> 00:12:51,480
Speaker 2: Like I walked so fast, but I was so scared.

266
00:12:51,520 --> 00:12:53,199
Speaker 2: It was my first show, it was my first time

267
00:12:53,240 --> 00:12:54,360
Speaker 2: being in New York by myself.

268
00:12:54,720 --> 00:12:56,520
Speaker 1: I didn't know what to expect.

269
00:12:56,960 --> 00:13:00,320
Speaker 2: Never gone to a fashion show at all, never imagine

270
00:13:00,360 --> 00:13:02,560
Speaker 2: I even walk a fashion show, you know, And I

271
00:13:02,640 --> 00:13:06,040
Speaker 2: just felt not out of place, but just surreal that I.

272
00:13:06,000 --> 00:13:09,000
Speaker 1: Just I just walked away too fast. When the moment came.

273
00:13:16,200 --> 00:13:17,520
Speaker 2: When I show up on set and I see what

274
00:13:17,600 --> 00:13:20,079
Speaker 2: kind of clothes I'm wearing, I instantly think, Okay, how

275
00:13:20,080 --> 00:13:22,480
Speaker 2: can I, like what post will I do? Even before

276
00:13:22,520 --> 00:13:24,000
Speaker 2: I even get in front of the camera. It's just

277
00:13:24,040 --> 00:13:26,560
Speaker 2: even when they're like doing my makeup or fitting me

278
00:13:26,600 --> 00:13:28,520
Speaker 2: for the clothes, it's like, Okay, this is like a

279
00:13:28,520 --> 00:13:30,480
Speaker 2: long sleep, Like how can I accentuate that and like

280
00:13:30,520 --> 00:13:33,520
Speaker 2: sell it? Because my job is just to sell the fantasy,

281
00:13:34,040 --> 00:13:36,000
Speaker 2: like whatever the photographer has in.

282
00:13:35,920 --> 00:13:37,160
Speaker 1: Mind, Like that's a good model to me.

283
00:13:37,160 --> 00:13:39,360
Speaker 2: It's like you're able to sell the fantasy, even to

284
00:13:39,400 --> 00:13:40,840
Speaker 2: me when I don't feel the most confident in what

285
00:13:40,840 --> 00:13:43,200
Speaker 2: they put me in, but they don't know that, and

286
00:13:43,240 --> 00:13:44,280
Speaker 2: like I don't got to let them know.

287
00:13:44,440 --> 00:13:45,520
Speaker 1: Like I mean, I may.

288
00:13:45,400 --> 00:13:47,080
Speaker 2: Crack jokes just because that's how I am, Like oh

289
00:13:47,160 --> 00:13:48,920
Speaker 2: you la alonka or whatever, like little things like that,

290
00:13:49,000 --> 00:13:51,640
Speaker 2: you know, But like for the most part, it's like

291
00:13:51,640 --> 00:13:52,920
Speaker 2: like they say, fake it till you make it, Like

292
00:13:52,960 --> 00:13:54,760
Speaker 2: no one knows that you're not the most confident in

293
00:13:54,760 --> 00:13:57,200
Speaker 2: this moment. And there's times where I've had shoots or

294
00:13:57,240 --> 00:13:59,560
Speaker 2: like castings where they make you like walk in front

295
00:13:59,559 --> 00:14:00,679
Speaker 2: of other people and it's.

296
00:14:00,480 --> 00:14:03,240
Speaker 1: Like, girl, that's when you're like you're either made.

297
00:14:03,040 --> 00:14:06,440
Speaker 2: For it or you're not what I've come across, and

298
00:14:06,480 --> 00:14:09,280
Speaker 2: I'm like, oh, I wish this was a little different. Sometimes,

299
00:14:09,360 --> 00:14:12,040
Speaker 2: like the people that are like creative directing shoots. I'm

300
00:14:12,040 --> 00:14:15,240
Speaker 2: talking like big, big, obviously big productions. Sometimes like the

301
00:14:15,280 --> 00:14:17,800
Speaker 2: references that they'll bring because they're working with like POC,

302
00:14:18,440 --> 00:14:22,680
Speaker 2: Like they'll reference like the Hollywood version of Mexico or

303
00:14:22,720 --> 00:14:25,040
Speaker 2: like the Hollywood version of like you.

304
00:14:25,000 --> 00:14:25,880
Speaker 1: Know, like a Tolo.

305
00:14:27,840 --> 00:14:29,960
Speaker 2: I worked like on a shoot and the side I

306
00:14:30,000 --> 00:14:31,880
Speaker 2: was like, oh, like this is the kind of reference

307
00:14:31,880 --> 00:14:33,760
Speaker 2: that we're going for your looks And it was like

308
00:14:34,680 --> 00:14:36,880
Speaker 2: Z but it was like from Spain where they had

309
00:14:36,880 --> 00:14:39,160
Speaker 2: the little like things dangling here on the rim, and

310
00:14:39,160 --> 00:14:41,840
Speaker 2: I was like, first of all, that's not like we

311
00:14:41,880 --> 00:14:45,000
Speaker 2: would not wear that, like maybe in a costume, but

312
00:14:45,080 --> 00:14:46,880
Speaker 2: even then at least I don't think so it's just

313
00:14:46,880 --> 00:14:48,640
Speaker 2: like I feel like the references are off, and I'm like,

314
00:14:48,680 --> 00:14:53,160
Speaker 2: obviously because there's not enough sometimes POC people in these

315
00:14:53,240 --> 00:14:57,000
Speaker 2: kind of positions to drive the creativity or like you know,

316
00:14:57,200 --> 00:14:59,760
Speaker 2: just actually get the references down for what they are,

317
00:15:00,160 --> 00:15:02,280
Speaker 2: not like a Hollywood version of it. It almost makes

318
00:15:02,280 --> 00:15:04,920
Speaker 2: it feel weird as the model will be like inauthentic

319
00:15:05,000 --> 00:15:06,840
Speaker 2: in a way, and you know, because you know that

320
00:15:06,920 --> 00:15:08,800
Speaker 2: this is way off and you're just like okay, at

321
00:15:08,840 --> 00:15:12,320
Speaker 2: the same time, this is a job. But I don't

322
00:15:12,320 --> 00:15:14,920
Speaker 2: feel the most comfortable because I feel like we're missing

323
00:15:14,920 --> 00:15:15,480
Speaker 2: the mark here.

324
00:15:17,040 --> 00:15:18,800
Speaker 1: When are you able to like use your voice.

325
00:15:19,160 --> 00:15:22,360
Speaker 2: I hope that like in the future, that there is

326
00:15:22,400 --> 00:15:26,200
Speaker 2: a little more representation behind the scenes, like you're basically

327
00:15:26,720 --> 00:15:29,000
Speaker 2: profiting off the culture and you're like making these shoots

328
00:15:29,040 --> 00:15:30,240
Speaker 2: for the culture, but then it's.

329
00:15:30,120 --> 00:15:32,160
Speaker 1: Like what are you doing, what are you really doing

330
00:15:32,240 --> 00:15:33,120
Speaker 1: for the culture.

331
00:15:33,000 --> 00:15:35,640
Speaker 2: Or like brands that carry this like street style, like

332
00:15:35,720 --> 00:15:39,520
Speaker 2: Chicano like Cholo look, but then your prices are outrageous,

333
00:15:39,720 --> 00:15:44,800
Speaker 2: Like sweatpant for three hundred dollars, girl, No, people that

334
00:15:44,880 --> 00:15:46,480
Speaker 2: look like that and wear that like they're not going to.

335
00:15:46,480 --> 00:15:47,880
Speaker 1: Spend that money, at least I know I'm not. And

336
00:15:47,880 --> 00:15:49,360
Speaker 1: my mom would be like, you're damn crazy.

337
00:15:49,120 --> 00:15:55,840
Speaker 2: If you're spending three hundred dollars some sweatpants. I just

338
00:15:55,880 --> 00:15:58,520
Speaker 2: did the show for Gypsy Sport, and he casted like

339
00:15:59,240 --> 00:15:59,960
Speaker 2: a bunch of model.

340
00:16:00,200 --> 00:16:01,720
Speaker 1: Everybody was like totally different.

341
00:16:01,880 --> 00:16:04,560
Speaker 2: Everybody looked beautiful, and I feel like because it was

342
00:16:04,680 --> 00:16:07,600
Speaker 2: a whole bunch of people represented, like everybody that was

343
00:16:07,680 --> 00:16:10,480
Speaker 2: in attendance of the show had like a blast because

344
00:16:10,480 --> 00:16:13,200
Speaker 2: I feel like everybody can see themselves in every model

345
00:16:13,240 --> 00:16:16,600
Speaker 2: that was walking the show. Growing up, this is all

346
00:16:16,640 --> 00:16:19,360
Speaker 2: I could imagine, you know, to do, or would I

347
00:16:19,400 --> 00:16:22,080
Speaker 2: want to even try to do. But never never saw

348
00:16:22,120 --> 00:16:25,960
Speaker 2: myself represent it, you know, never saw someone brown like

349
00:16:26,080 --> 00:16:28,840
Speaker 2: in a beauty campaign or someone that looks like me

350
00:16:29,360 --> 00:16:32,680
Speaker 2: being featured. And it was almost like it just happened organically.

351
00:16:32,760 --> 00:16:38,520
Speaker 2: And I think that's the beauty of my journey. I

352
00:16:38,600 --> 00:16:41,200
Speaker 2: do consider myself beautiful now, I do. Growing up, I

353
00:16:41,200 --> 00:16:46,320
Speaker 2: didn't feel like the most beautiful, but I think now

354
00:16:46,360 --> 00:16:49,960
Speaker 2: I do. Maybe not like all the time, but I

355
00:16:50,000 --> 00:16:52,280
Speaker 2: definitely do feel the most confident that I've ever been,

356
00:16:52,440 --> 00:16:54,880
Speaker 2: and I feel like that's beautiful. I think beauty is confidence.

357
00:16:55,640 --> 00:16:56,920
Speaker 2: I feel like some of the people think just like

358
00:16:56,920 --> 00:16:59,480
Speaker 2: beauty is like exterior, but I honestly feel like I

359
00:16:59,480 --> 00:17:01,840
Speaker 2: feel the most beautiful when I'm confident, when I feel

360
00:17:01,880 --> 00:17:05,399
Speaker 2: sure of myself, and now that I'm like in my

361
00:17:05,480 --> 00:17:08,119
Speaker 2: thirties or you know, the start of my thirties, I

362
00:17:08,160 --> 00:17:11,159
Speaker 2: feel like, finally it's good, like life is good, and

363
00:17:11,200 --> 00:17:13,280
Speaker 2: I feel more sure of myself and I feel confident,

364
00:17:13,280 --> 00:17:15,600
Speaker 2: and I think that's when you radiate beauty. When you

365
00:17:16,000 --> 00:17:19,359
Speaker 2: are confident within yourself. You're the most powerful when you

366
00:17:19,400 --> 00:17:21,880
Speaker 2: feel confident with yourself and you feel sure of yourself

367
00:17:22,320 --> 00:17:23,600
Speaker 2: and no one can take that away from you.

368
00:17:23,680 --> 00:17:25,239
Speaker 1: I feel like that's that's what beauty is.

369
00:17:42,320 --> 00:17:46,040
Speaker 3: This episode was produced by Monica Morales Garcia and edited

370
00:17:46,160 --> 00:17:50,159
Speaker 3: by Alejandra Salasad. He was mixed by Julia Caruso. The

371
00:17:50,240 --> 00:17:55,800
Speaker 3: Latino USA team includes Andrea Lopez Crusado, Marta Martinez, Mike Sergent,

372
00:17:56,040 --> 00:18:02,240
Speaker 3: Julieta Martinelli, Victoria Estrada Patricia Sulbran, Gini Montalbo Rinaldo, Leanos

373
00:18:02,320 --> 00:18:05,960
Speaker 3: Junior and Julia Rocha with help from Raoul Perez. Our

374
00:18:06,080 --> 00:18:10,600
Speaker 3: editorial director is Julio Ricardo Barela. Our supervising senior engineer

375
00:18:10,680 --> 00:18:14,440
Speaker 3: is Stephanie Lebou. Our associate engineers are gabriel A Byez

376
00:18:14,520 --> 00:18:18,320
Speaker 3: and jj Carubin. Our digital editor is Louis Duna. Our

377
00:18:18,359 --> 00:18:22,200
Speaker 3: fellows are Elisa Raina and Andrew Vignales. Our theme music

378
00:18:22,320 --> 00:18:25,280
Speaker 3: was composed by Signor RINOs. If you like the music

379
00:18:25,280 --> 00:18:28,040
Speaker 3: you heard on this episode, stop by Latinousa dot org

380
00:18:28,280 --> 00:18:31,399
Speaker 3: and check out our weekly Spotify playlist. I'm your host

381
00:18:31,400 --> 00:18:34,199
Speaker 3: and executive producer Maria jo Josa. Join us again on

382
00:18:34,200 --> 00:18:36,600
Speaker 3: our next episode, and in the meantime, I'll see you

383
00:18:36,680 --> 00:18:39,200
Speaker 3: on all of our social media Hi loos veo estella

384
00:18:39,280 --> 00:18:40,320
Speaker 3: proxima chaou.

385
00:18:42,080 --> 00:18:45,240
Speaker 4: Latino USA is made possible in part by the John D.

386
00:18:45,520 --> 00:18:50,040
Speaker 4: And Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Ford Foundation, working with

387
00:18:50,160 --> 00:18:54,280
Speaker 4: visionaries on the front lines of social change worldwide, and

388
00:18:55,119 --> 00:19:00,639
Speaker 4: the Heising Simons Foundation unlocking knowledge, opportunity and past abilities

389
00:19:01,160 --> 00:19:03,680
Speaker 4: more at hsfoundation dot org.

390
00:19:07,680 --> 00:19:09,000
Speaker 1: Like when you go work out in the morning.

391
00:19:09,040 --> 00:19:10,600
Speaker 2: People that are at the gym in the morning are

392
00:19:10,640 --> 00:19:12,840
Speaker 2: there to work out and get with their day. The

393
00:19:12,880 --> 00:19:16,760
Speaker 2: times that I have gone after hours like six seven pm,

394
00:19:16,800 --> 00:19:17,280
Speaker 2: Ma