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Alicia Lopez: Dreaming Big, Working Hard and Being Trucha
Phoenix, Arizona. The colorful and original pattern printed on the front
side of a black t-shirt showing the image of a woman dressed as a
Mexican revolutionary —wearing a sombrero, and pointing a rifle— is
irresistibly eye-catching. The imaginative illustration, surrounded with
the inscription “Viva la Revolución” (or long live the revolution,)
immediately captures the attention, and awakens the desire to know
more.
Worn by her designer, Alicia Lopez —a self-described Mexican woman
born in Phoenix, Arizona— the t-shirt is just one of several from
“Trucha Gear,” a new line of t-shirts and accessories that is breaking
its own ground in the competitive industry of apparel design.
While Trucha Gear is a new venture, the dream that shaped it in
Lopez’ mind goes back to her childhood. As a little girl, Lopez would
make clothes for her toy dolls, thus piecing together the strings that
eventually weaved this small but rising Arizona business.
Lopez, 30, began Trucha Gear in 2009, a startup based in Chandler,
Arizona. She estimates the percentage of growth she has had since
then is about 50 to 65 percent. “I am fairly new [in the business] so it
has been hard, but from when I began to now I had a lot of
progress!” said Lopez.
Lopez is the creative force —and often her own model— behind all of
the designs that bring the Trucha Gear t-shirts alive. Sometimes the
idea for a new design is just an image that all of a sudden forms in
her mind; some others take form in her dreams as she sleeps.
“I create them from my mind then I draft them on my computer with
help from my little bro,” she explains. “I then send them to my graphic
artists who are out in Los Angeles, California. One's name is Jose
Alva, (AKA GERM,) and I also have had help from other Cali graphic
artists, Mike and Art Castro. I have used drawings and actual photos
from my photo shoots to create some designs. I have had a lot of
help from photographer and printer Julian Barrios of L.A. also.”
The “Viva la Revolución” t-shirt (shown in the picture of Lopez above)
proposes a woman of action, one who is a fighter and is poised to
bring change. It is not the image of a soldadera (a camp follower) but
rather of a woman soldier who proposes a revolution as a statement
for social change. That meaning is precisely the message Lopez wants
to convey to other women through her designs.
“Trucha Gear focuses on empowering women,” said Lopez. “A lot of
women think they are weak, but women can be very strong.”
Therefore her designs evoke strong symbols of Chicana/Mexicana
culture. Among her T-shirt designs are the “Mexica,” “Frida,” “Trucha
Logo,” and the “Mamacita Guns and Roses.”
Overcoming Barriers
As many startups, Trucha Gear faces common obstacles that Lopez
says she works to overcome by staying focused and motivated.
She acknowledges that some people have tried to discourage her by
telling her that she’s wasting her time, and other times she fights her
own discouragements. Moreover, Lopez works six days a week at a
warehouse “doing men’s heavy work.”
Lopez says some of the continuous motivation she needs to keep
promoting and growing Trucha Gear comes from some people who
have positively influenced her. Some of her biggest influences are
Mexican famous painter Frida Kahlo, the late Mexican-American singer
Selena, and her father.
“Frida Kahlo influenced me not only as an artist but as a woman,”
revealed Lopez. “Selena also inspired me, the way she was as a
woman, being Chicana; she followed her dreams, not just as an
artist, also as a clothes designer; that really influenced me. But also
my dad, Pedro Lopez, a migrant from Chihuahua, Mexico, influenced
me. I’ve seen him struggle his whole life, working really hard for the
family, working —sometimes all day he’ll be gone— to put food on the
table.”
But as Lopez makes her own statement through Trucha Gear to
empower women with her own t-shirt designs, her example is also a
challenge for other women to get trucha.
In the Spanish language, the colloquial use of the phrase “ser trucha”
is the equivalent of being clever or smart. In the straight sense of the
word, trucha is the trout fish. Among Mexicans, however, trucha is
informally used to refer to a person who is ingenious, talented or
smart. While these three words describe Lopez well, all three can be
best summarized in just one: trucha.
Alicia Lopez’ story of hard work and perseverance as she pursues
what she calls her “lifelong dream” can also be an inspiration for
other women. whether they are working six days a week, just
thinking about staring their own business, or just watching their
daughters play with toy dolls.
side of a black t-shirt showing the image of a woman dressed as a
Mexican revolutionary —wearing a sombrero, and pointing a rifle— is
irresistibly eye-catching. The imaginative illustration, surrounded with
the inscription “Viva la Revolución” (or long live the revolution,)
immediately captures the attention, and awakens the desire to know
more.
Worn by her designer, Alicia Lopez —a self-described Mexican woman
born in Phoenix, Arizona— the t-shirt is just one of several from
“Trucha Gear,” a new line of t-shirts and accessories that is breaking
its own ground in the competitive industry of apparel design.
While Trucha Gear is a new venture, the dream that shaped it in
Lopez’ mind goes back to her childhood. As a little girl, Lopez would
make clothes for her toy dolls, thus piecing together the strings that
eventually weaved this small but rising Arizona business.
Lopez, 30, began Trucha Gear in 2009, a startup based in Chandler,
Arizona. She estimates the percentage of growth she has had since
then is about 50 to 65 percent. “I am fairly new [in the business] so it
has been hard, but from when I began to now I had a lot of
progress!” said Lopez.
Lopez is the creative force —and often her own model— behind all of
the designs that bring the Trucha Gear t-shirts alive. Sometimes the
idea for a new design is just an image that all of a sudden forms in
her mind; some others take form in her dreams as she sleeps.
“I create them from my mind then I draft them on my computer with
help from my little bro,” she explains. “I then send them to my graphic
artists who are out in Los Angeles, California. One's name is Jose
Alva, (AKA GERM,) and I also have had help from other Cali graphic
artists, Mike and Art Castro. I have used drawings and actual photos
from my photo shoots to create some designs. I have had a lot of
help from photographer and printer Julian Barrios of L.A. also.”
The “Viva la Revolución” t-shirt (shown in the picture of Lopez above)
proposes a woman of action, one who is a fighter and is poised to
bring change. It is not the image of a soldadera (a camp follower) but
rather of a woman soldier who proposes a revolution as a statement
for social change. That meaning is precisely the message Lopez wants
to convey to other women through her designs.
“Trucha Gear focuses on empowering women,” said Lopez. “A lot of
women think they are weak, but women can be very strong.”
Therefore her designs evoke strong symbols of Chicana/Mexicana
culture. Among her T-shirt designs are the “Mexica,” “Frida,” “Trucha
Logo,” and the “Mamacita Guns and Roses.”
Overcoming Barriers
As many startups, Trucha Gear faces common obstacles that Lopez
says she works to overcome by staying focused and motivated.
She acknowledges that some people have tried to discourage her by
telling her that she’s wasting her time, and other times she fights her
own discouragements. Moreover, Lopez works six days a week at a
warehouse “doing men’s heavy work.”
Lopez says some of the continuous motivation she needs to keep
promoting and growing Trucha Gear comes from some people who
have positively influenced her. Some of her biggest influences are
Mexican famous painter Frida Kahlo, the late Mexican-American singer
Selena, and her father.
“Frida Kahlo influenced me not only as an artist but as a woman,”
revealed Lopez. “Selena also inspired me, the way she was as a
woman, being Chicana; she followed her dreams, not just as an
artist, also as a clothes designer; that really influenced me. But also
my dad, Pedro Lopez, a migrant from Chihuahua, Mexico, influenced
me. I’ve seen him struggle his whole life, working really hard for the
family, working —sometimes all day he’ll be gone— to put food on the
table.”
But as Lopez makes her own statement through Trucha Gear to
empower women with her own t-shirt designs, her example is also a
challenge for other women to get trucha.
In the Spanish language, the colloquial use of the phrase “ser trucha”
is the equivalent of being clever or smart. In the straight sense of the
word, trucha is the trout fish. Among Mexicans, however, trucha is
informally used to refer to a person who is ingenious, talented or
smart. While these three words describe Lopez well, all three can be
best summarized in just one: trucha.
Alicia Lopez’ story of hard work and perseverance as she pursues
what she calls her “lifelong dream” can also be an inspiration for
other women. whether they are working six days a week, just
thinking about staring their own business, or just watching their
daughters play with toy dolls.
By Eduardo Barraza June 2, 2011
| Related Links |
| ADVERTISEMENT |
The creative force behind "Trucha
Gear" is Phoenix native Alicia Lopez,
in this picture wearing one of her
newest designs, the "Viva la
Revolución" (or long live the Mexican
revolution) T-shirt.
Photo: Eduardo Barraza
Gear" is Phoenix native Alicia Lopez,
in this picture wearing one of her
newest designs, the "Viva la
Revolución" (or long live the Mexican
revolution) T-shirt.
Photo: Eduardo Barraza
Published by the Hispanic Institute of Social Issues in Phoenix, Arizona
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Eduardo Barraza is a journalist and writer,
Barriozona Magazine's editor, and director of
the Hispanic Insitute of Social Issues.
E-mail: editor@barriozona.com
Barriozona Magazine's editor, and director of
the Hispanic Insitute of Social Issues.
E-mail: editor@barriozona.com
