Culture and confidence with Elysia Guillén
The local entrepreneur on what motivates her work and wardrobe choices
I first met Elysia — vintage collector, curator, and reseller and owner of La Segunda Estudio — when I wrote about the first-ever Mujeres Makers Market for the Independent back in 2021. She co-created the market alongside four other local women to showcase the artistry and work of women of color. This project is a perfect manifestation of Elysia’s passion for community, collaboration, and creativity. Culture, too. As a Santa Barbara local of Mexican descent, she infuses her culture in everything she does — including her outfits. Read on to see what I mean.
Rooted in resourcefulness
Years ago I watched a documentary called The True Cost, which deep dives into sweat shops and how our clothes are made. It really woke me up. This was a time when I was shopping at H&M, Zara, Forever 21…but I saw this movie and said, ‘It's true — I'm buying clothes just because they're trending, not because they’re comfortable or speak to me.’ A lot of the time I’d wear something only once, either because it didn’t fit me well or it was itchy on my skin, and so on. The documentary showed how many lives are lost in the process of making these clothes and I realized I was part of the problem. That's when I stopped buying things. I became more aware and, more than that, I wanted to make a difference.
I grew up in Santa Barbara and my abuelita always shopped at la segunda — the secondhand store. Growing up, we’d go to yard sales together — ‘las yarditas’ as she would call them. So, this attitude is deep rooted. That's the thing with Latinidad — we've always been resourceful. Not because it’s trendy, there's just no other way. I grew up being told not to be wasteful, to turn the light off in my room when I’m not there, to save and eat my leftovers. My grandma was famous for saving glass jars and containers and reusing them to store food and other things. She would sew a lot and make the things she needed. My grandpa would gather and recycle cans when he got older, too. I used to be embarrassed of this, but then I realized he’s being entrepreneurial. He’s older and retired, but still hustling in this way.
Seeing that resourcefulness in my own family inspires me, too. Now, as an adult, I understand there was a reason for that. It was affordability, knowing that you don't have to go to the store and pay full price for something. Instead, you could be creative.
It's kind of fun to watch how your past unfolds into your overall identity. If you know your past, you know more of who you are. It’s acknowledging your roots. I’m Mexican and for me, that includes watching Mexican artisans make their crafts, their clothing. The sad part is that a lot of these artisan legacies are ending because fast fashion has kind of taken over. We have to appreciate, support, and celebrate these artisans.
Go with what feels good
When shopping, it’s all about the textures and prints for me. I’m obsessed with natural fibers — wool, linen, 100% cotton, and silk all feel really good on my skin. So I tend to gravitate toward those materials. Especially handmade things. You can feel the difference. These items are infused with so much intention and energy. Things that are mass-produced could never compare.
I’m always naturally incorporating some element of my culture or my heritage in my looks. It fills me with so much joy and happiness, and makes me proud of who I am. I identify a lot with corn. Especially in our Mexican heritage, corn embodies everything — it’s sustenance, community, ritual. It's our roots. I feel like there's a lot of identity crises within the Mexican community, whether you're born in Texas, California, or somewhere else — even Mexico. Identity is so complex, but the spirit of the corn — hard work, creativity, community, respect for nature — unites everyone. It’s rooted in all of us. In that sense, corn embodies my values, whether as a market vendor, entrepreneur, or as a mom.
That's how I look at my personal style — I connect it a lot with my Mexican culture, but also with my connections with businesses, especially women.
I love buying local, finding things at a shop or a maker’s market and wearing it to support the maker or the vendor. It’s fun for me, supporting other businesses I love and respect. I love when people ask me where I got something and I can give them the shop name or their Instagram. It's all about the storytelling around an item, that part is super cool.
I typically buy clothes and other pieces from vintage sellers, or at the swap meet. I’m always drawn to unique pieces or one-of-a-kind things. But I also sometimes buy new. If I buy something new, it has to be something special to me. Locally, I like SeaVees, Jake and Jones, and Findings Market in Ventura. When I'm traveling, I'm always looking for a local shop where I can find things that are unique. I've been lucky that I always find these independent spots wherever I go.
Confidence is key
I met an older lady at a maker’s market and her outfit caught my eye. She was looking through things and looked great. More than anything, I loved what she exuded. I realized it’s all about confidence. It doesn’t matter if you’re wearing a paper bag, as long as it makes you feel good about yourself on some level.
I complimented the lady’s outfit and she said, ‘Every day I wake up and ask: ‘Who's the person that I wanna be today?’’ And that stuck with me. Putting things on can really impact your mood, and aligning it with what you want to embody that day can really give you a boost.
So, for me, getting dressed is all emotion. There's something about being in the moment and tapping in with yourself and asking, ‘Who do I want to be today? What am I feeling right now? What do I wanna convey? How do I wanna feel?’ Creating from that place brings more confidence.
It also depends on your attitude. When I'm in a good mood, I feel like things fit so much better on me. When I'm in a negative mood, I feel like nothing is working. It's not working because I'm giving that kind of energy. And that's okay, too! It really is just about being human, and allowing yourself to breathe, because we all have those days, right?
We should all compliment each other more, especially as women. When I like a woman’s vibe or outfit, I always try to tell them they look great. I feel like women are the hardest on themselves. We're like, ‘I'm too fat’ or ‘This color doesn't look good on me.’ And I'm like, ‘Really? I disagree.’ I think that if you feel great then you look great, you know? We're so hard on ourselves and it doesn't matter, we should just wear what excites us and makes us feel good. I do love that the younger generation is empowering themselves more and more. I feel like finally we're catching on.
I always say that people hear everything you say, so if you critique them they're gonna hear it. You hear your own voice, too. So try to be patient with yourself. I think that as a mom and as a friend, it's our job to set that tone for ourselves and for each other.
It can be so simple: If this outfit makes you feel good, it makes me feel good. It's all in the confidence. It’s being true to yourself.
Community collaboration as a market maven
I'm very proud of the Mujeres Makers Market. I'm so lucky and blessed because it felt like perfect timing starting it, even in COVID. It was really rough, but so many people still built relationships during that time, and I feel like it brought us [market co-founders] together. We all have our own businesses and have been selling at local markets for years. Some of these women I knew here since we were kids, but we all went on our own journey and then collided again for the market.
Our whole mission is being inclusive and creating a safe space, but also empowering women and educating our vendors about the market, business, and opportunities, too. I feel like that's the key. If they want to learn something, let's teach and learn from each other. I’m big on promoting others and celebrating them, whether it's a workshop that I'm attending or a shop I love. If I resonate with what this person is doing and I get a good vibe from them, I'm definitely going to pump them up. We all need that. It's spreading the love.
I’m more about community than competition. Getting too caught up in competition is not a good vibe. It can limit your own opportunities instead of just being open to anything and trusting your own brilliance is enough. No one's taking anything away from you. It’s your own secret sauce that no one could ever replicate. Collaboration is a win-win for everyone.
What I've learned is that there are ups and downs to everything. So you just have to keep going and find your ‘why?’ Recognizing that puts you back on your path, because sometimes you branch off and feel like you don't know what you’re doing.
And when that happens, just pause, take a deep breath, and focus on the present. Reflect on what your ‘why?’ and do your thing.
Thank you, Cami, for the write-up, and Jake & Jones for the feature! I loved sharing my story, my love for culture, and what inspires my work and wardrobe.