What happens when Chicano cool meets Harajuku whimsy? A bold new fashion mash-up

Electro dancer Emiko Kashiwazaki poses for a picture wearing clothes from the brand Chicanjuku, a fusion of Mexican-American Chicano culture and Japanese Harajuku style by Mexican designer Italia Segovia. Photo: Reuters

In a leafy park in Mexico City, beside colonial era fountains and food stands, Italia Segovia's designs are turning heads, as usual.

A pink ruffled dress with white lace and big bow; a high-school vibe tartan dress tied with a pale yellow shawl imprinted with Mexico's patron saint the Virgin of Guadalupe, all accentuated with loud heavy makeup.

Segovia, known to her friends as Kumiko, calls her work Chicanjuku: a fusion of Mexican-American Chicano culture and Japanese Harajuku style, named after the Tokyo district renowned for its bright-coloured accessories, outlandish makeup and elaborate hairstyles.

"It's like a food blender of styles," Segovia said of her designs, which have also become a core part of her identity.

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Chicano style was popularised by Mexican-Americans in the US who felt out of place in both countries because of their mixed backgrounds, said Segovia.

Although she is not Mexican-American, she has several relatives in the US who inspired her deep love for the style she now draws from.

Segovia, who has almost 30 thousand followers on Instagram, mashes the oversize shirts, khakis and flat brim caps analogous to Chicano culture with the candy-floss fairy-tale pop of Harajuku.

Italia Segovia, known as Kumiko, sews a second-hand blazer she bought at a street market for her brand Chicanjuku. Photo: Reuters

The makeup might include dark lining around the lips and eyeliner that emulates Japanese Geisha style.

"You can always experiment with fashion and art as long as it's from a place of knowledge and respect," Segovia said.

Segovia's distinctive aesthetic has even caught the eye of admirers in Japan.

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In June, she made special outfits for three Japanese E-Queens, a subculture of electronic music dancers, who she connected with months earlier online.

The group met up in Mexico City for a photo shoot and street dance, dressed in Segovia's outfits.

"I love how she uses texture," said Shirendev Oyun-Erdenen, a Japanese E-Queen who dances under the name Maaya the Bee.

"Helping people feel free to experiment and not be afraid. That's what it's all about," Segovia said. – Reuters