Latino Alternative Storytellers in Fashion

The first-ever edition of LATV’s Latino Alternative Storytellers campaign honors twenty individuals who carry on the Latino tradition of storytelling and make an impact on our community. From the kitchen to the theatre, and fashion workshops to music studios, artists across mediums share how their stories fit into a larger Hispanic narrative.

Our fourth and final list: In Fashion.

In Brenda Equihua’s downtown atelier, find traditional Latino imagery cast on contemporary cuts. At Johana Hernandez’s upscale boutique, look through elegant collections inspired from life’s darker days. When it comes to developing models, Ashley Covarrubias is ahead of representation on the runway. When it comes to making jewelry, Laura Guerrero sources inspiration from her cultural roots. Since even before her brand went global twenty years ago, Johanna Ortiz has been making clothes that flatter all figures from the start.

Brenda Equihua

For fashion designer and entrepreneur Brenda Equihua, storytelling through fashion is twofold: the garments tell a story, as do the conversations the garments inspire. Equihua wants her pieces to accurately and creatively reflect the model’s character, their mode of expression, and even their cultural heritage. In this way, the brand is expanding on people’s experiences beyond just the clothes they put on.

“Feeling seen is something that’s very important to me in what we do,” Equihua says on LATV’s new TV-series, Storytellers.

Initially, Equihua sourced creative inspiration from her mother. As a housekeeper, she was required to wear a uniform. But when she wasn’t working, she was making bold fashion choices. She decked herself out. Young Equihua was mesmerized.

“[She] created these magical moments for herself,” Equihua goes on to say. “Witnessing that, I understood the transformational power of fashion.”

Since launching her brand, Equihua has skillfully blended traditional imagery with contemporary design practices. Like among artisans in México, she makes many pieces by hand in her Downtown Los Angeles atelier. And with a focus on textiles and color, the evolution of her fashion practice vibrantly pays tribute to Hispanic storytelling.

Artists like Bad Bunny, Farina, and Lil Nas X have all been seen repping the label.

Johana Hernandez

Fashion designer Johana Hernandez turns darkness into beauty.

“All my collections started when I had the lowest moments in my life,” Hernandez tells LATV.

Hernandez’s first bridal collection was inspired after breaking up with her boyfriend of nine years. Her first men’s line was born out of mourning the death of her father.

Originally from Compton, Hernandez was born to a family of garment workers, and from the very beginning, she had an eye for style. When she launched Glaudi in 2011, Hernandez brought a newfound elegance to Los Angeles couture. From her exquisite bridal collections to celebrity-worn evening gowns, dapper men’s suiting to expressive quinceañera dresses, she wants clients to feel like themselves in her custom-wear pieces.

When she opened a boutique in Beverly Hills, Hernandez was one of the only women and one of the only Latinas to set up shop there.

“Don’t think that I am less than as a designer just because I wasn’t born in Paris or Milan,” she goes on to say. “I was born from a family where that’s all they did. If anything, we know more because it’s not just work. It’s a lifestyle.”

She never gave up on her dreams and set the stage for other Latinas to follow suit.

Ashley Covarrubias

As CEO of The Model Experience, Ashley Covarrubias not only develops emerging Latin models, she uplifts Latin stories on and off the runway.

“I make sure stories are told accurately and that our organization is diverse and inclusive,” Covarrubias tells LATV. “My position also allows me to inspire others by showing that a Latino can be a successful leader.”

Covarrubias was born and raised in Los Angeles and studied fashion at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM). Finding her way as a young adult, she wasn’t sure how to apply her style knowledge and exercise her growing ambition.

Until she volunteered backstage for Ed Hardy. It was this exposure that inspired her to carve a career in fashion production for herself, so she founded The Model Experience. In her role, Covarrubias works directly to improve representation among models and among fashion executives too.

“I hope to empower other females, especially those of color who face generational adversities,” she goes on to say. “I want to show other women like me that anything is possible, that we have what it takes to run million-dollar businesses, star in billion-dollar movies, run for president, and take on all roles of exceptional leadership.”

Laura Guerrero

In 2020, when Laura Guerrero was laid off from her corporate job, she decided to make a professional pivot.

“I was like, what’s my purpose? What am I going to do?” she says on LATV’s TV-show, Get It Girl, “I always wanted to have a small business … to do something for myself.”

With a love for accessories and a natural knack for leadership, she co-launched her own jewelry brand called If You Know You Know. From Cuerno Gold Huggie earrings to concha seashell necklaces, Guerrero’s label is timeless, understated, and aquatic.

Lately, she’s drawing inspiration from her travels across México. Though she is originally from Guadalajara, it wasn’t until she founded IYKYK that she began uncovering the varied stories of México first-hand.

“We really wanted to embed [our cultural roots] into everything we do,” Guerrero says on LATV’s Get It Girl, “because we’re really proud of where we come from. There are so many beautiful places that people don’t know exist in Mexico.”

For Guerrero, being a creative professional means being authentic and supporting other Latina entrepreneurs as she grows. Whether it’s classic gold hoops or a re-imagined pearl necklace, she never sells a piece of jewelry she wouldn’t wear herself. In this way, she is creating the standard she hopes to see in her corner of fashion.

Johanna Ortiz

As a fashion designer, Johanna Ortiz draws inspiration from her own experience as a Latin American woman. Since she was young, she saw the poetry in the Colombian landscape that surrounded her. Later, when she chose fashion as her creative canvas of choice, she imbued her designs with the colors and shapes of her heritage.

“Even going to a breakfast, a woman should be festive,” Ortiz tells W Magazine.

An extravert by nature, Ortiz is drawn to expressive ruffles, billowy sleeves, and spirited off-the-shoulder dresses that compliment all figures.

“I always want to flatter women,” she goes on to say. “Everything looks wonderful on a model, but it has to work on real women too.”

She launched her own fashion label in 2003. The eponymous brand went global after the resounding success of her garment, the Top Model Tulum, and her popularity expanded from that point onward. Her designs have been worn by Jennifer Lopez, Beyoncé, and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands.

In celebrating sustainability, she works with vendors that concentrate on development in Colombia. With an emphasis on female empowerment, she not only designs silhouettes that celebrate women but also gives women professional opportunities to be part of the story. So many years later, she still grounds her designs in the prints and tones of her South American roots.

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For more storyteller content, check out LATV’s page dedicated to Hispanic Heritage Month.