Today’s Influencers Who Are Pioneering The Future Of Mexican Fashion
Explore how Mexican fashion creators transcend tradition and redefine cultural expression through bold style choices.
When asked to imagine Mexican fashion, most people might think of traditional garments with colorful embroidery, football jerseys, and Mexican cowboy attire. Though they might be cultural markers, there is much more to our style than soccer, farm, and traditional clothing.
Personal style stems from people’s culture, dreams, interests, and desire to express themselves uniquely. From high fashion artistry to regional subculture style, Mexican fashion is a multifaceted reflection of who we are and our shared experiences. What ties our diverse styles together is a shared sense of identity. Our fashion choices are a celebration of where we come from and where we are headed.
Proud cultural expression, specifically among Western regions, was not too hot in previous decades. With the rise of social media and cultural pride, Mexican fashion is feeling like spring: blooming and refreshing. Fashion content creators are at the heart of this transformation, embodying the bold resurgence of cultural storytelling through style.
Mexico is camp
Salma Jilian’s style is the embodiment of camp. Infused with Mexican nostalgia and everyday experiences, her outfits resonate deeply with Mexican culture. Her outfits are more than just clothing, they evoke sensations and memories. Her content makes niche references to common experiences in a less-than-common way; refreshing yet familiar.
In a statement for Trill Mag, Jilian said, “My style in videos is born from the fusion of Mexican everyday life and the nostalgic memories of my childhood. I like to capture those simple and vibrant details that are part of our daily lives: the colors of the markets, the sounds of the streets, and the flavors that transport me to special moments. Since I was little, Mexican culture has been a fundamental part of my identity, and through my videos, I seek to revive those moments, transforming the ordinary into something full of meaning and celebrating what makes us unique.”
Crafting her looks from common objects and transforming them into high fashion statements, Jilian is a pioneer for Mexican fashion. One striking example is her interpretation of the typical city woman:
She recently showcased a look featuring a 3D pan dulce dress while shopping in a typical Mexican bakery. The dichotomy of shopping for something as common as pan dulce in Mexico while wearing a high fashion interpretation of that experience is a playful yet profound commentary on elevating the ordinary to art.
In addition to nostalgic representations of Mexico’s day-to-day life, she provokes deeper messages also shared by our community. Once, she wore an outfit made from discarded political propaganda posters. Naming the look electoral garbage she grazed deeper themes regarding Mexico’s political corruption. In another instance, she posed as a monarch butterfly, a known symbol of migrant resilience and Mexican culture.
Through her playfully provoking looks, Jilian showcases the realest of our culture. She elevates the mundane to luxury, redefining what cultural visibility can truly represent.
Mexico is edgy
Andy, known as @andyy2g on TikTok, is a content creator who highlights the darker, alternative fashion scene in Mexico City. He has a series where he captures what people wear throughout the city, centralizing on darker alternative looks.
Not everyone realizes that a lot of Mexicans embrace darker aesthetics. Young generations particularly love embracing a bit of emo flair.
Andy’s videos feature outfits worn by individuals he spots on the streets, at raves, or around university campuses. Because of the wide range of his locations, he features a range of outfits. The one below is a good representation of what youth in the city strive to be wearing:
This outfit may not be a representation of what the majority are wearing in Mexico City but it’s still real. His sweater is hand-cut to create a distressed look. He got his belt at the flea market, and his glasses were ones he found around the city. I also love how he’s holding a black plastic bag he probably got from the corner store and his wire headphones are still around his neck. Even though they weren’t intentional, they still added to the look’s careless grunge
Andy’s videos capture an edge to Mexican culture that is not commonly represented. They challenge traditional perceptions of fashion and highlight the resourcefulness inherent in everyday street style.
Contemporary Chicano style
Chicanos are persons born in Mexico or from a Mexican family who grew up in California. A byproduct of this subculture is cholo fashion. There is not one way to dress or look Chicano, but the connection between fashion and identity is undeniable. Pressed Dickies pants, flannels, and Adidas put together are symbols of this identity.
Jennifer Torres, known as @jen4romtheblock on TikTok, beautifully exemplifies these and other cultural elements in her style. Her style is defined by Mexican football jerseys, Catholic symbols like crosses and rosaries as jewelry, Adidas, and nods to cholo culture. In one particular outfit, she sports a baby clown shirt. This is a subtle reference to the mantra in cholo culture, “Smile now cry later.“
In a recent post collaborating with Adidas for a Chicano-style photoshoot, Jennifer said, “I never took being from the hood as something to be embarrassed about. I am proud of being from my neighborhood and telling people I’m from Watts. Our neighborhoods hold so much beauty and resilience that so many will overlook, but only a few will truly understand, and I’m honored to be a part of this storytelling and representing my neighborhood and culture in this way.”
Her style serves as an extension of this message. By incorporating things like Adidas and the clown reference into her style, Jennifer uses fashion to honor the cultural richness and resilience of her upbringing
Similar to Jennifer, Teotlilac also uses her TikTok platform to share Chicano fashion content. She creatively fuses the traditional with cholo influences as she layers a traditional Mexican skirt beneath pressed denim and completes her bold makeup with a light lip color outlined with dark lip liner. Every detail of her outfit serves as a nod to her cultural roots, reflecting a modern twist on a Chicano-inspired look. A standout feature of her look is her long, Mexican-style braids, which she accentuates with ribbons of multiple colors and textures.
Both Jennifer and Teotlilac draw inspiration from traditional Mexican elements and their upbringings, presenting a creative vision of what it means to embrace Chicano identity. Their unique style expressions pay homage to their heritage and redefine how pride in one’s culture can be displayed. Fashion serves as a form of artistic storytelling. Through their seamless blending of the past with modern influences, they exemplify the strength and resilience of Chicano culture.
Mexican fashion is __.
Mexican fashion goes beyond the stereotypes. It incorporates a wide array of influences, from traditional and nostalgic elements to alt streetwear and Chicano pride. Gen Z is particularly taking this cultural expression to new heights, reinterpreting Mexican identity through fashion in refreshing and bold ways.
Figures like Salma Jilian and her camp, nostalgia-driven designs remind us of everyday experiences that feel universally Mexican. Andy’s alt-core aesthetic from Mexico City showcases an edgier, lesser-known side of Mexican street fashion, while Jennifer Torres embodies the pride and resilience of Chicano culture through her bold, creative style. Teotlilac beautifully fuses all these elements, blending high fashion with Chicano roots and alternative influences.
Through these examples, it’s clear that Mexican fashion is an evolving form of cultural storytelling.
Article first appeared on Trill Mag.
