The air surged with excitement this past Friday, as the Christian Anthony Vallejo (CAV) Memorial Gallery hosted the launch of an ambitious new brand, fueled by some very passionate individuals. People flooded into the “Secret Cantina” to partake in sangria, beer, and live music by local artists.
Beyond the fun and celebration, the night focused on the debut of a simple clothing line with an incredibly complex and rich message.
Niños de la Tierra is more than just a clothing line. It is an inclusion of all of those who consider ourselves part of the southwest and the culture that encompasses it. Co-founders Marcus Chormicle and Nancy Portillo hope to focus on strengthening the connections between the members of our communities by focusing on our shared experiences.
The True Vision of the Project
I took the opportunity to pick the brain of my new, yet great friend, Marcus, to see what inspired him to create this brand.
Marcus: “The vision behind the project is to make room for more nuanced forms of identity for people who grew up in the Borderlands or have a connection to the experiences of the people living here. Nancy Portillo and I founded the brand because we’ve been excited about an increasing amount of representation of people like us in the garment world. However, we see our voices as people from here being relevant in the space because most of the operations we’re inspired by are based out of California. There’s a whole group of people who relate to the name Los Niños De La Tierra for one perspective of another and we’re interested in opening up the conversation to hear how they define themselves. Part of that is going more specific with our language. While the majority of people who identify with the message of the brand would certainly identify as Chicano/Latinx, like you said, or Indigenous, Mexican or another broad identity group, we’re putting focus on words like mija, mijo, mijx and mije to allow people to express something more personal, that reflects how we choose to relate to the people around us on interpersonal level. We were all called a version of this growing up, some of us identify more with one word of the other as adults. The goals is to allow people one more avenue to represent that through what they wear.”
As a light-skinned Mexican-American, I often struggled to represent my identity in the community I grew up in, not speaking even some Spanish until much later in my life. To me, the word mijo served as a comforting inclusion with my peers, an allusion to my inner culture. This project brings joy to my heart, as it is an opportunity to display a part of myself that I otherwise never had the opportunity to before.
Going Forward
I hope the best for Nancy and Marcus. The journey ahead is long and sure to be filled with many obstacles, but the message behind their cause is sure to touch the hearts of millions. We all share an identity, and now is the time to express it.
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Please visit the CAV Gallery to support upcoming shows and projects. Visit www.cavgallery.com or follow @cav_gallery on Instagram for more information.
