In times of stress or tension, many of us wish to return to the simpler times of childhood. However, when the artist Evanelly “heals her inner child,” she is making a resistant stance. Evanelly is the designer and artist behind the online fashion brand Moños De Mi Niñez. The shop’s most sought-after product is the elaborate handmade bows and Evanelly’s hair braiding events. But beyond a popular fashion business venture, these bows reflect personal elements of Evanelly’s life and culture. Evanelly, a daughter of two Mexican immigrants, takes her inspiration from Indigenous Mexican hair braiding practices and couples them with elements that reflect her own personal fashion style. Even if just for Evanelly herself, Moños De Mi Niñez comes from a place of celebratory resistance.

Hair braiding has a long history of cultural relevance, spanning across Latin, African, Asian, and European societies, dating back as far as 30,000 years ago. In Latin America, hair braiding is deeply integrated within indigenous culture; communities such as the Quapaw, the Saraguaro, and the Mazateca all focus on hair braiding in communal practices. Hair braiding is not only an aesthetic practice but a communicative tool as well, denoting such things as indigenous and feminine identity, and even at times marital status. But Indigenous hair braiding has also been a revolutionary symbol. Iconic images from the revolution depict the “Adelitas,” warrior women of the war who often wore long braids down their backs or crested on the top of their heads. Hair and fashion have always been political and a tool for resistance.

I was lucky enough to briefly interview Evanelly on Moños De Mi Niñez and the inspirations behind her work. The name, “Moños De Mi Niñez,” or “Hairstyles of My Childhood,” pays homage to these cultural girlhood experiences.  But it was the pressures and anxieties of adult life that fostered a desire to return to these childhood moments: “I think something I was always yearning for was, like, feeling safe. Yeah, so the bows were kind of like the eight-year-old me, like guiding me through, you know, all the life tribulations and everything and everything.” Evanelly seems to be making these bows into fashionable cultural and sentimental armour. Evanelly recalls the mornings her mom would dress her up, coming to school with two long braids and bows, and how often these braids would always come undone. She stated how she often lacked appreciation for this physical labor of love; as well as recounted hearing insults thrown at herself and other brown women wearing traditional braids, often backhanded compliments such as “you look Indian” — a racist expression in regards to Indigenous Latin peoples. However, because of moments such as those, Evanelly was inspired to make her events a place of cultural celebration: “It's beautiful. It's cultural… It's kind of, you know, kind of pushing back on that [racist perceptions] narrative as well.” 

I asked Evanelly about the political meaning behind her art: “The reason why I do these things and use my platform is so other little kids are not afraid to be brown or, you know, whatever color, whatever background. If you see everything happening right now, it's kind of like, oh, I'm afraid to be a person of color, you know? Yeah, so using this is kind of expanding more and showing, whoever you are to not be scared and keep using your voice, keep fighting back and being proud of who you are.” 

Evenelly uses her fashion as a way to uplift Latinas of all ages, creating a space where Latino beauty, culture, and community are celebrated. Further, she is unafraid of using her art and designs as a way to engage politically with the world around her. For example, one of her recent events, “Defund ICE Call Party,”  had scripts and matchas given to attendees to call up their senators to defund ICE. Moños De Mi Niñez creates a space for the celebration and gathering of Latino communities, making their culture, beauty, and art unabashedly visible and wearable. 

In the wake of ICE raids and the dehumanization and degradation of Latino communities from the current Presidential administration, cultural fashion becomes a particularly sharp tool against such rhetoric. One cannot look at the Latin celebratory and communal aspect of Evenelly’s work and not acknowledge it as a tool of resistance in a time of particular trauma and oppression for Latino and immigrant communities in the United States. Evenelly’s bows make resistance wearable.

I had the fortunate opportunity to attend one of Evanelly’s pop-up events this winter. And after having set foot in that room of enthusiastic chatter from women of all ages, Evanelly has not only created a space for appreciation, but celebration. At her pop-up events, alongside other hairstylists, she creates magnificently detailed hairstyles on excited attendees. Multiple bows, extensions, and adornments are all available to fashion the perfect braids. Evanelly sources all her material from local small businesses in DTLA and swap meets. She noted that she grew up frequenting the swap meets, selling goods with her parents: “It's cool to be able to go back and go buy stuff from, like, people that I basically grew up with.” 

The atmospheric aesthetic embraces one as soon as they pull up to the mostly deserted strip mall. Your destination was once a nail salon, still complete with its floral sign, “Rosie’s Nails,” and pastel trim. Now, it is once again alit with warmth and community. Immediately, the small space envelopes the attendee within a fantasy of lace, pastel, and satin, vintage floral curtains hang next to lace piñatas — proudly presenting a world of Latina girlhood. It is not hard to see how Evenelly’s career in set design influences the mise-en-scène of the environment. Her methodology for planning these events centers around: “How can I expand more and then just the hair, but also building an experience that is pleasant to the eye?” As you wait for your turn at the hair station, you can peruse the many other vendors, such as the drink carts offering both matcha and aqua fresca. Tables offer tooth gem services and handmade nail sets. 

While doing my own windowshopping, I observed a beautiful moment between a 20-year-old daughter and her mother, as they both gushed over their own large tartan bows. Because just for a second, they were both girls together. 

You can find out more about Evanelly and Moños De Mi Niñez through her website monosdemininez.com, Instagram @monosdemininez, and TikTok @evanellyaguilar.