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Main >> News Listing >> June 2004 >> Article ID 5041
 Latin Vibes | Type: Internet Article |
| | A growing fashion influence can be subtle or bold | Jun 02, 2004 | by Roxanne Washington
Summary:
As with Martinez, Cortina believes that performers such as Lopez and Christina Aguilera have given Latin style a high-profile, Hollywood face. But there are subtler signs of Latin fashion leanings, too.
Read on for the whole article. |
Does it feel like fashion is a little steamier these days?
Stiletto ankle straps in bold shades. Hip-caressing flouncy skirts. Tropical floral prints.
If it does, there's a reason, according to fashion experts. The growing Latin population is lending fresh ingredients to the American melting pot, in entertainment, food and fashion. According to Census Bureau estimates, by the year 2050, one- fourth of the U.S. population will be people of Latin descent, up from about 13 percent now.
Stylish Latina and Latin entertainers such as Jennifer Lopez and Ricky Mar tin are part of this mix, but they've merely popped a Latin-influence bal loon that's been expanding for years and can be seen on many fronts, including fashion.
"I think the first Latin Gram mys with Ricky Martin woke people up to the Latin thing' that had been build ing for some time in New York, Los Angeles and Mi ami," says Helen Martinez, founder of the fashion Web site www.chica1.com. "Once that door was opened, I think there was a bandwagon effect that took place. Prior to that, it was not on corporate American's radar."
Martinez's Chica1 Web site is one of many sources of fashion with a clear Latin inspiration. Among the apparel offered are hot pink, lemon yellow and lime green tank tops that read "hola," "manana" and "adios." Another top serves as a canvas for a picture of Frida Kahlo, the Mexican painter whom Salma Hayek recently depicted in a movie.
Chica1, based in San Fer- nando, Calif., gets 40,000 to 50,000 hits a month, according to Martinez, and it isn't just Latins who are keeping the company hopping.
"Chica has been worn by Beyonce, Britney Spears and Jillian Barberie (Fox's "Good Day L.A." show), and none of them is Latin," she says. "To use a food analogy, salsa surpassed ketchup as the No. 1 condiment in the U.S. because everyone is buying it, not just Latins.
"So why should fashion be any different?"
Betty Cortina is the editorial director of Latina lifestyle magazine. Latina has a circulation of 350,000 and is the seventh-fastest-growing magazine in the country.
As with Martinez, Cortina believes that performers such as Lopez and Christina Aguilera have given Latin style a high-profile, Hollywood face. But there are subtler signs of Latin fashion leanings, too.
The infusion of hot tropical hues into clothing and accessories is one sign. Another is the way that Tex-Mex-inspired ponchos are packing a fashion punch right now, especially among the younger set. Polka-dot prints and ruffle trims are a hot spring fashion item, and they have a Latin history.
"Typical Spanish gypsy dresses have polka dots and ruffles," Cortina says.
But those elements don't completely define Latin style. Nor is it true that all Latin people prefer bright clothes or that all Latin women favor towering, pointy heels.
What defines Latin style, Cortina says, is an elusive quality that you know when you see it.
"One of the things we find that's common to Latin style is that there is a strong sense of unabashed femininity," she says. "It's embracing being a woman. There's a lot of attention to curves."
Several Latin designers are on top of today's trends, whether those trends are overtly Latin-influenced or not. For example, there is the sexy style conveyed in the shoes sold under the Carlos Santana label. Santana, the Grammy Award-winning guitarist, teamed up with the Brown Shoe Co. several years ago to create his "Carlos by Carlos Santana" footwear, which is described as capturing the same high energy found in his music.
Besides being stylish, though, Santana's shoe line has a social purpose. A portion of the money from the sale of the footwear is donated to the Milagro Foundation, which helps disadvantaged children and youth.
Also tapping into the mainstream fashion-conscious market are Lopez, through her J.Lo line of clothes, and the lesser-known Thalia (pronounced ta-lee-a) Sodi. Kmart carries the Thalia label, which includes jeans, miniskirts, T-shirts and bold accessories, all influenced by the Hispanic singer.
For many years now, designers including Oscar de la Renta (Dominican Republic-American) and Carolina Herrera (Venezuelan-American) have been smoothing a layer of Latin icing on top of mainstream styles for wealthy women, and they still are among the biggest names on Seventh Avenue.
So is relative newcomer Narciso Rodriguez, a former designer at Calvin Klein who first came to fame when he designed Carolyn Bessette Kennedy's wedding gown. Now, Rodriguez is celebrated for his streamlined silhouettes and has become a favorite of fashion icons such as Sarah Jessica Parker, as well as a coterie of other actresses, including Oscar winner Hilary Swank. His shows in New York each season are among Fashion Week's biggest draws.
Not quite as famous is Cuban-American Eddie Rodriguez, of the design duo Wilke-Rodriguez, who in the 1980s brought a Latin twist to casual, hip-hop looks. Nonetheless, Rodriquez is making a name for himself by com- bining apparel and home fashion in his stores.
According to Latina magazine, Rodriguez recently unveiled what he calls the first "Latin lifestyle" brand of clothing and home accessories. He now has six Eddie Rodriguez boutiques: in Austin, Texas; Boca Raton, Fla.; Las Vegas; Los Angeles; Miami; and San Diego.
Locally, artist Marilyn Borrero of Lakewood, owner of the company Spanish Fli, creates cultural images that appear on T-shirts and other items in adult and children sizes. The term Spanish Fli' stands for confidence and freedom, she explains. Borrero sells most of her items at sum- mer events such as the Puerto Rican parade in Cleveland and the Latin Festival in Lorain. (She can be reached at either 216-235-4743 or at the e-mail address spanishfli3335@sbcglobal.net.)
On the jewelry front, there is designer Carmen Alvarado of Cleveland, a recent Ursuline College graduate. In May, she was named by Northern Ohio Live magazine as one of the "Best and Brightest" emerging artists.
Although she grew up in Cleveland, Alvarado's jewelry has distinct references to Puerto Rico, where her parents are from. A sterling-silver bracelet is a string of charms, each of which is pierced with an enamel stone, then shaped to resemble a native island flower. She also designed a pin she calls "Enchanted Island," which borrows its shape from Puerto Rico. (Alvarado can be reached at 216-383-9450, or at the e-mail address cialvarado@sbcglobal.net.)
On a mass-market level, there are other indicators of growing Latin influence or inspiration. There's Liz Claiborne's introduction of the Mambo fragrance, which is said to capture the feeling of dancing up a storm on hot nights.
In apparel, stores such as Kohl's and J.C. Penney are now carrying shirts that resemble guayaberas. These are the loose-fitting shirt-jackets that were said to have been brought to Cuba from the Philippines at the beginning of the 1880s. They became part of the uniform of those who fought for independence from the Spaniards.
As the Latin community continues to grow, it's anticipated that products that appeal to Latin people, and the general public, will increase as well.
Says Martinez, "I expect that there will be a leveling-off period. But I think it is a long way off." |
 Source: The Plain Dealer | |
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