We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Nohemí Chávez a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Nohemí , thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?
Any resilience I have is a gift from God, Yahweh. The more I got to know who God is, His love and really build a relationship with Him, I developed a strength that I didn’t know I had. Overcoming adversity becomes easier when you know that you are not walking this path alone, even if at times it feels like you are. I’ve always known I had to be strong, but through my relationship with God, I’ve realized that I don’t always have to have things together. I’m not supposed to. If I could handle everything by myself, then I wouldn’t need Him. Knowing that even in my weaknesses, even in my mess, I’m still loved and that he can carry whatever I’m willing to lay at His feet is a beautiful truth. I know I can overcome anything because I have that understanding that He’s fighting this battle with me and for me. Most importantly, that despite how dark things might seem, He will never leave me, nor forsake me and joy always comes in the morning. I can stand on this truth because I’ve seen it happen in my life over and over again. God had more than enough reasons to give up on me. But that’s what separates His love from man’s. He’s never given up on me, so when things are falling apart and I’m in darkness— I know I’ve been here before and that He’s been with me every step of the way. He is the one constant in my life. Once you experience true unconditional love, you can fight through anything.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I am fashion designer, educator, entrepreneur ,—-creator. I create wearable vessels that reflect the internal world outwards. I make vessels of stories and emotions that others live in. I really enjoy blending art and fashion together and creating an immersive experience for the audience to witness.
The beauty of fashion does not come from the material object itself, but in its undeniable power of helping us define who we are, express an identity, create feelings of empowerment within any space and the ability to present ourselves in a certain light. I use fashion as an instrument to help shine a light on what makes each one of us unique.
In an industry historically entrenched in Eurocentric and classist paradigms, my visionary brand “Moda Libre”, sets forth a noble mission of decolonizing the fashion and beauty world. “Moda” meaning “Fashion” or “In the Manner Of” and “Libre” meaning “The State of Being Free” in Spanish; With a bold spirit, “Moda Libre” challenges conventional notions of fine art and fashion by crafting innovative aesthetics from humble fragments, breathing new life into the fabric of creativity.
Embracing the unconventional, “Moda Libre” reimagines high fashion, infusing it with the soulful essence of Latino cultures, shedding light on their rich attributes, deeply ingrained over generations.
Each creation serves as an artifact encapsulating the relationship between familial memories and modern influences. Process plays a pivotal role in the creation before the material is even chosen, I reflect on the purpose, the why I am making this piece. I investigate my cultural archive and see how the garments that were passed down for generations can continue to live through my work, in a new and renovated way.
Although I’ve undertaken the challenge of learning how to build my brand into a business, I also believe it’s important to give back. Education is one of the main pillars that makes my brand. Teaching others in hopes of them bettering themselves is something I consistently strive for. I cultivate invaluable skills among individuals within my community through the teaching of fashion industry and sewing workshops that are free to the public. This empowering initiative fosters future financial independence, elevates the quality of life, and nurtures personal empowerment for these individuals, paving the way for transformative change. My desired outcome within my brand is to build confidence and self-esteem amongst the members of my community through the wearing of my pieces, the attainment of new skills and collaborative projects showcasing the creative potential of where I’m from.
I am hosting free sewing and modeling workshops throughout the summer and those are often promoted through my Instagram page, @nohemibydesign. I’m in the process of releasing a mini video series about my most recent project: XOCHIQUETZAL, which I showcased at the Milwaukee Art Museum for Art in Bloom this April. I am also currently working on getting an official website running but for now you can find any of my projects or products on Instagram.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
I think three things that were the most impactful on my journey as a creative have been: Consistency, Confidence and Research. I think a lack of confidence can prevent you from even trying something new or pushing further past projects that didn’t work out. A lack of confidence can also stop you from putting your art out there for others to experience. A key thing I learned a long the way is your doing yourself and your brand a disservice if you put countless hours into a project but never display it for others to witness. You can’t grow your brand by never putting yourself out there. Consistency is pivotal because without it, you can never see an increase in what you’re doing. You’ll never see a great improvement within your skills and your abilities unless you’re consistently working on your craft, always challenging yourself and always making room for improvement. Research is essential because the wider your research, the deeper of a concept you can build for a piece. Also, the more research and studying you’ve made the greater set of inspiration and tricks you have to pull from when creating.
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
I am always looking forward to building my network, meeting new people and collaborating on new projects. A couple of key things I look for when collaborating with someone is passion, drive and loyalty. I like people who have an inner fire over what it is that they do, doesn’t matter how big or small. I look for individuals that are passionate and driven to see a project through and push it to its maximum potential. And lastly, I look for individuals that have loyalty towards what we’re working on together and genuinely care about all of its individual pieces. I think a good collaborative partnership can only work if there’s a mutual trust. If anyone ever wants to collaborate or connect me, they can feel encouraged to send me a message on instagram.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @nohemibydesign
- Facebook: Nohemí Chávez
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nohemi-chavez-
Image Credits
Jovanny Hernandez Caballero
Front Room Studios
Lily Shea
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
