On the heels of Latinx Heritage Month starting today, the CFDA in partnership with ELLE magazine gathered industry professionals and creatives on building a brand, fostering community, and supporting culture. Our panel included Nina Garcia, editor in chief of Elle; Charlotte Blechman, chief marketing officer at Tom Ford International; Jonathan Cohen, founder and creative director of his namesake label, and Rio Uribe, founder and creative director of Gypsy Sport. It was moderated by Mark Beckham, vice president of marketing and communications at CFDA.
This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
On perception versus reality…
Nina Garcia: We overcome misconceptions with realities and numbers. The reality is that the 2010 Census counted 50.5 million Latinos in this country, and 2021’s bumped those numbers up by 23 percent. We’re almost 18 percent of the population with 1.5 trillion dollars in spending power.
Charlotte Blechman: Perception is reality, so it’s important to change it. Social media in today’s world has given everyone a megaphone – it’s become about who is loudest. But how do we get attention in a way that is true to ourselves and everyone’s brand? When our families first came to this country, we were taught to assimilate. Get rid of the accent and fit in. But now, all the sudden, we’re at this amazing point in history where we’re reclaiming that and being proud of who we are and how we were brought up.
Rio Uribe: Growing up as a Latino and Chicano—which I prefer to identify as—in LA, I pretty much fit all the tropes, be a rough guy, join a gang. And it wasn’t for me. The struggle of coming from another country, you want to find family, and that’s where streets can come in sometimes. I’m fortunate that I didn’t take that route. I think there’s a new generation of Latinxs fighting for change and having this conversation will have an impact on things. We are the people changing the perceptions.
On changing misperceptions and misconceptions…
Jonathan Cohen: Mentorship and community are key. I’ve been very blessed to have a community of Latinxs in fashion. Karla Martinez, editor at Vogue México y Latinoamérica, took me under her wing and she really opened a lot of doors for me. We have these conversations all the time, and she protected me in the industry. She used her name to elevate mine and would host dinners for me. I’m very blessed to not only have her as a mentor but a friend to me.
Rio Uribe: Unfortunately, I don’t have any Latinx mentors. I love Jonathan’s story and I wish I had a Karla in my life, but while growing and working in fashion, I was always looking for people of color that could relate to me, or Latinx people that were further along that could help me out. I think the first person I saw was Nina Garcia, a cool Latina working in fashion and on TV. I do think that it’s our job to mentor the next generation and give them what we didn’t find in our industry.
On First Lady Dr. Jill Biden wearing Jonathan Cohen at the US Presidential Inauguration…
Jonathan Cohen: We had previously worked with the Biden team on another project and kept in touch with them. When November came around, I put myself out there, and was very blessed that it worked out and Joe Biden won. The most amazing thing was that I didn’t realize the incredible impact that it had on the Mexican community until I talked to Mexican press. The rhetoric that went around about the Mexican people from the past administration was traumatizing. I didn’t realize how hurt people were. For the first time, they felt embraced by this country again, and I thought it said a lot about the Biden administration for choosing a Mexican American like me, and all the other designers that played a part that day from a variety of backgrounds.
On sustainability…
Rio Uribe: A big part of my Latinx heritage, or from being an immigrant family, is that sustainability has always been a big element from my upbringings, even before I heard the word sustainability, let alone knew what it meant. From recycling plastic food delivery containers to become tupperware or hand-me-down clothes from older relatives, everything was to be used and money was not to be wasted. That’s been the biggest influence in my practice—how much we are sustainable, and how much we reuse and recycle.
The diverse casting for Gypsy Sport started because I could not afford professional models. I had to work with my friends, and they came in all different sizes and backgrounds. I loved the idea of working with friends, and eventually that circle expanded a little bit, which let me work with friends of friends find people that may not have been appreciated before by the fashion industry.
And lastly, a final piece of advice…
Charlotte Blechman: In general, when you’re creating a marketing campaign, you need to know who your customer is – who do you want to appeal to? For designers, it’s finding the balance in how you’re authentically representing yourself to your community, but how are you also appealing to the broader scope, or the people who you want to become your customer? What are you designing and how do you show it to the world? From the models, location, to photographer, have intention and bring purpose.
Nina Garcia: We’re all now acknowledging that we are this melting, diverse pot of nationalities and backgrounds. That will make for such interesting and incredible designs. It’s hard to compete with that creative diversity. I think that’s the strength of designers coming out of New York. The change will happen if we continue to work together.
Jonathan Cohen: Being a gay, Jewish Mexican, I didn’t see that in the media, and I didn’t know what that looked like. I hope that my brand inspires them because they see there’s a better future for them, and that’s why it’s important that we speak up and mentor each other and bring each other up so we make next generation’s time a little easier and give them the opportunity. They don’t have to go through it because we did. You can reach out your hand and create a safer space for the next generation.
