So for the queer quinceañera launched in partnership with WhatsApp, Rosales includes a personal touch that matches Chicano history. It was the first of many such events – Vivian Odior, WhatsApp’s global head of marketing, spearheaded a series of “expatriate dinners”.
“WhatsApp plays the role of connecting our users’ world and their home, their second home,” Odior said. “As we grow in the U.S. , we just want to be more relevant to that group of people, reflect on them, and be present in their community and talk about the things they care about. ”
At this special dinner, guests including fashion designer Victor Barragán, musician Empress Of and artist Rafa Esparza enjoyed a meal by chef Gerardo Gonzalez Modern Mexican Cuisine). Dessert is a traditional tres leche cake mixed with Rosales mother’s favorite capi rotada. The table is filled with peppers, citrus, cherry tomatoes, potatoes and garlic. And Pompoms, inspired by 1940 images of the Pachuca celebrations, hang overhead.
Photographer Star Montana manages a custom Photo studio angels and comedy/tragedy masks in the background, rendered with airbrush paint. A gorgeous low rider under a giant balloon garland, a midnight blue 1965 Buick Riviera, Filmmaker and photographer Gilbert Trejo owns the clamshell headlights. Trejo’s father, legendary actor Danny Trejo (father and son, owned and built many classic cars together) ), added his own icy blue fuzzy dice and rosary to the rearview mirror.
Trejo submitted numerous photos of his family to Rosales’ archives , calling it “a great place to watch, share, express pride and pride. “
“I think it’s an amazing place where people share their history,” he said. “It’s a very small, isolated culture. No option to insulate – forced to insulate. Outside of this culture, you get embarrassed because your family does what they have to do and comes from the community they’re in, and we’re culturally traumatized with our Chicano past. However, even though it was so niche and isolated, we were visually ripped off! It’s so impactful. “
As Trejo says, the Chicano aesthetic is constantly being replicated in fashion, film and music. However, Rosales’ dinner seems to be for everyone All very noisy and fun, but full of creative people who take pride in their culture. Attendees included identical twin models Hector and Jose Polio, South Central natives who co-founded a new clothing company called Gente Unida , as well as Joey Barba and Javier Bandera, co-founders of the popular streetwear brand Paisa Boys (Barba showed me a great meme crocheted minion thong). As Barba puts it, their brand aims to “give people to Showcasing the people we want to make Los Angeles a reality. Gardeners, construction workers, cooks, babysitters—they feel invisible. As such, our brand aims to brighten them, as well as food, music, humor and culture. ”
