Life and Work with Viviani Valadez and Karen Valencia

Today we’d like to introduce you to Viviani Valadez and Karen Valencia.

Viviani and Karen, please share your story with us. 
KV: DESMADRE was all Vivi’s idea! She came to me one day last summer with the concept of having a fashion and styling page that would double as a BFF diary. She wanted a creative outlet in her life and we both love going out and dressing up so I was on board right away. It’s more than a hobby at this point and is starting to morph into something a lot bigger. At the end of the day it has to be fun and when it stops being fun, I think we’ll stop.

VV: I was in a rut in my life, and had no creative outlet whatsoever to really express myself. When I was young I had dance, when I was in high school I had theatre, and at that point I had nothing. That’s when I came to Karen with a bunch of throwback pics of us serving looks on Instagram and on Facebook. Like I always say, “this ain’t new,” we have always been serving looks, posing for photos, and just being us. The only difference now is that we have DESMADRE. We have cool concepts that inspire our looks while also showing off our beautiful city. We want the whole world to enjoy this friendship, these different styles, and this amazing city.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
KV: My hope is that we make it look easier than it actually is! But it’s hard. We are very different people creatively. We also have full time jobs and a life outside of this. We’re best friends at the end of the day, so we try to draw the line so that we don’t strain the relationship or the project. In terms of advice, especially for young women of color like us, never limit yourself. Always explore what a project COULD be. We have plans to grow and broaden our brand, and being in full control of that is a blessing. Also, learn how to network. That s*** is hard but it comes in handy.

VV: I think we do a good job of making it look easy. Every Monday we have a pretty photo with a cute caption, but what goes on behind the scenes is chaos. From trying to find a friend to shoot us, to trying to make it to the location on time. A lot goes on behind each and every post, but we make it happen every single week. I think our success comes from the passion we have, DESMADRE is our baby, and like a baby you have to love and nurture it so that it can grow and be this amazing thing. So, if you really want something, GO FOR IT and give it all you got.

Please tell us about @desmadrechi.
KV: We are two 20-something Mexican girls from Southside Chicago who love fashion. Beneath that first layer, we’re aspiring stylists and creative directors. We produce photoshoot concepts every week, all over the city. We work with other up and coming Chicago creatives and aim to uplift and empower Latinx art, in every iteration of that word! I don’t think we’re known for much right now… but we serve looks every Monday, without fail. You can count on a new IG image every week! Our passion for this is really the driving force. My favorite and proudest moments are when we tell a story with our photos. We take turns directing shoots, but I’m always the editor, so the few times where the set, the edit, and the clothes all sync in perfect harmony are my favorites. “We are the Flowers” and “Machine Wash Cold” are two examples. I think we offer a little something for everyone. We are body positive, have different fashion styles, and love to have a good time!

VV: Karen hit the nail right in the head as far as who we are, what we do, and what we are known for. Some of my favorite moments have been shooting at Dulcelandia in Little Village, and at the Chicago White Sox game. For the Dulcelandia shoot, we literally shot the pics and posted them in the same day, in the middle of a snow storm, and for the White Sox game, the tickets sort of just fell into our laps and we decided to make a shoot out of it. I love how these looks show more than just our styles, but also who we are at our core.

What advice would you give to someone at the start of her career?
KV: I think as women we have the power to influence so much in the world. Media is just one platform. Women come in all different shapes and sizes but we don’t celebrate that enough. DESMADRE aims to do that in some way. We’re here, we’re Latinx and we’re curvy! Deal with it!

VV: I grew up with some of the badass Mexican women out there, and from them I learned that there really isn’t anything a woman can’t do. We have overcome so much, and now more than ever it’s time to accept and support one another. DESMADRE is full of love, support, and women empowerment, especially women of color, and this is only the beginning for us.

Contact Info:

• Website: desmadrechi.com
• Email: desmadrechi@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/desmadrechi/

Image Credit:
Dulcelandia: @agrantsullivan, We are the Flowers: @iram.colibri, Machine Wash Cold: @de.laluna, Dame Mas Gasolina: @gdoll_trythis, Coffee Break: @el.sufrido, Muy Femme: @iram.colibri, Joan Sebastian Tribute: @gdoll_trythis

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