[09/17/2021]
victor barragán
photography by BELLA NEWMAN
interview and portraits by ALEPH MOLINARI
style by MASHA ORLOV
ALEPH MOLINARI — Has Mexico changed much? Do you see something different each time you come back from New York?
VICTOR BARRAGÁN — It has changed a lot, thanks to the Internet and the way you can show your work outside of Mexico. When I started, I was using Tumblr and Instagram, and a lot of people got to know me that way. There was a connection both inside and outside of Mexico, and now many Mexican designers and artists have exposure. The city has also become a site for cultural exchange all over the world.
ALEPH MOLINARI — And what inspires you in Mexico?
VICTOR BARRAGÁN — The people, and how politics and ideas of gender are so in sync with the times. They’re creating new spaces, new ways of communicating ideas and supporting each other. Artists and creatives are learning how to communicate their work in their own language. I felt a rush when I moved to New York, where people are constantly creating, coming and going. Now, people have that in Mexico. It’s about creating a community and moving together.
ALEPH MOLINARI — You left Mexico to start your brand. What are some of the challenges you’ve encountered, working here?
VICTOR BARRAGÁN — I come from a family that could not support me to start my own brand, so I had to find other ways of financing my projects. I had a lot of support from people outside of Mexico who were buying my art and t-shirts. The problem in Mexico is that people don’t have the purchasing power to buy luxury products or art. There is little support for education, and many people can’t afford to study art or design. But now, the Internet enables people to showcase their work online. Young people understand this and are creating their own ways of financing their careers as
artists.
ALEPH MOLINARI — Apart from the Internet, how did you get the brand off the ground?
VICTOR BARRAGÁN — My parents have a taquería [taco stand], and they instilled a work ethic. I started working with them, and I invested everything they paid me into buying materials to create my clothes. Slowly, the demand grew, and
I needed help...
