Today we’d like to introduce you to Brenda Rangel.
Hi Brenda, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
I was born in Mexico, but I came to American when I was 8 years old. I did not speak a single word in English, so that was really fun for the first few years that I was here in America. Eventually, I was able to adapt and start living my life. I was very unsure of anything to be honest growing up because I felt like I didn’t really belong in America or Mexico. I felt that way until JR year in High School when we were taking a tour at a career center; when I walked into the fashion room for the first time, I literally felt my fingers tingle, and I knew that the room was calling my name. Once I started doing classes there, I finally felt like I was part of something, and I finally felt like I belonged somewhere. It sounds super cheesy, I know but that’s exactly what I felt. I guess you could say I was a lost soul until I found my passion. Everything was going great, and I was about to graduate High School when deep down I knew I was about to hit one of the biggest bumps of my life, I was going to have to go back to Mexico to attend college (because I did not have an SSN to continue in America) but somehow something amazing happened, and DACA came along which allowed me to continue studying in America. I seriously couldn’t believe the timing of it all; I was able to get my license and start driving, go to college, and more importantly start living my life to the fullest. Of course, everything was too good to be true. When you have foreign parents, you can’t be too independent and make all your life choices. I knew that I wanted to attend CCAD (Columbus College of Art & Design) For fashion design, but my mother was 100% against that, and she wanted me to go into the medical field. She did not think that fashion was a real career and that I was not going to make any money. We argued back and fought for MONTHS. I finally went ahead and applied behind her back just to see what would happened and I was accepted & granted the “Presidential Scholarship,” but to my surprise, my mom still said no. We both agreed to disagree, and I told her I would take a year at Columbus State this when my passion for fashion just kept growing. Knowing that I was only a few steps away from CCAD, it was almost a tease. A year went by, and I couldn’t do it anymore I just stood my ground and told her I was going to CCAD with or without her help. I applied for my own loans and took action. Honestly, being in that school made me so happy; it was a dream, and I just knew that fashion was my path to take. Once I was in my Jr year, I managed to get myself an internship as a designer at Justice (Little Girls Store), and even though I got the chance to play with glitter every day, the corporate world seemed too bleh for me. Which was an amazing experience, but I knew that I was not going to love working a 9-5 and just be in front of a computer all day. Once I graduated college, I was still not sure what I wanted to do, but I knew that corporate was not really an option for me, so I went and worked at a retail store as manager until I had a much better picture of my future. Once I had an idea, I went and talked things over with my boyfriend, and he gave me the biggest green light ever. I told him I wanted to start a boutique and be my own boss, and so I went for it. Started in March 2020 which of course, was the start of covid, but I didn’t let that get in my way. It was a little hard to get content since it was hard to be out and about, but we made it work, Fast forward to 2022, and things were still going good but there was something in me that kept bugging me. Having a boutique was great, and it was really fun, but there was something missing. I wasn’t designing any products, and that’s what was bugging me the most. I went to school to become a fashion designer, and I wasn’t being a designer. I decided to start a new brand and call it “GUEVARA,” which is my 2nd last name. It was basically a tribute to my mother. I created a new brand where I made everything on my own starting from sketches, picking fabric, creating patterns, cutting the fabric, and sewing the garments. Not including marketing, social media, website editing, etc. I created a few things and launched it, but it was very time-consuming. My boyfriend and I love traveling, and I love interacting with family that it was a lot for me to take on, and I didn’t have enough funds quite yet to pay someone to help me out. So, you’re probably wondering, “What are you doing now then?” Well, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking and been taking a moment to reflect on a lot of things. I did ayahuasca for the first time ever, and I had a lot of conversations in my head from the adventure and it made me reflect on a lot of things, and it made me realize that I needed to take a step back and be okay with doing less and enjoying more. I am currently not working on any brands, I am currently just a content creator, and although I don’t have a huge following, I have been able to work with huge brands such as: Good American, Chamberlain Coffee, Merit, Armani Beauty, Bondi Sands, Good Molecules, Bliss, Dior and a few other smaller brands. It’s been quite a ride, and I have enjoyed every second of it. I have also learned a lot of things from every adventure. I’m not saying I’m never going to continue my brands; I know that deep down I still want to have a brand of my own, but I think for now I want to focus on growing my audience, continue posting fashion content on TikTok and Instagram as well as YouTube. I want my audience to get to know me better and to trust me first, and then in a few months, we can get back to designing. Life is so short, and I never want to say “what if,” so I’m the type of person who loves to try a little bit of everything. I don’t ever see things as “failing” I see things as “evolving to the next best thing.” We’re not the same person we were the year before, and if you are, then you’re probably not doing enough uncomfortable things in life to evolve and change. Stay true to yourself and don’t just do things so you “don’t look stupid” to other people. At the end of the day, people who truly support you will follow you to your next adventure. I’m beyond blessed to have a lot of people who support everything I do.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Definitely not a smooth road, starting off with coming to a new country where you don’t know anyone, you don’t know the language, you’re so far away from your family, and you feel like you don’t belong anywhere.
You also have this weird thing where you grow up thinking you’re going to have to move back to Mexico once you’re done with high school because you don’t have an SSN
Having foreign parents is hard because they obviously want the best for you, but they think the medical field will the way to success and don’t believe that fashion is a career.
The after-school, it’s like… “What now?” You’re not a regular girl who want to sit in front of a computer all day. You love to be super hands-on and loves talking to people all the time.
Covid happens when you start your small business, and you’re so limited to what you can do.
Then your small business isn’t enough anymore; you want more. But then the more ends up being too much where you don’t even have a life anymore.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Fashion has always been my thing. Ever since I was in school, I would always volunteer at fashion shows, help out at event, etc.
I was known for having a small online boutique, to hand-making everything, to now just being a fashion content creator.
It’s been a rollercoaster, but I’ve enjoyed every step of the way.
My fashion is very neutral, cool girl, but also a hint of business casual. I love a good blazer with a pair of Sambas and cargo pants.
I think what sets me apart if that I am a Latina on DACA who has faced quite a few challenges but I’m still here, and I am evolving 🙂
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
I think my happiness matters to me the most. I love doing things that make me happy, and that’s honestly the most important thing to me always. I don’t like to do things because they “will make me money” or “I’m going to be famous” from it. I think money and fame are cool, but I don’t ever do things because of that.
I love to live my life to the fullest because we only have one, and why not live it to the fullest.
Fashion brings me so much happiness because it’s also a way of expressing myself. Fashion was there for me when I felt like I didn’t belong anywhere.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://brendaguevara.com/links/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brendarguevara_/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsd7dvAvd9Me-XsWARPs9Mg
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@brendarguevara_
