{"id":382,"date":"2021-11-01T13:26:51","date_gmt":"2021-11-01T17:26:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/unewhavendh.org\/music-of-texas-fall-2021\/?p=382"},"modified":"2021-12-25T17:13:41","modified_gmt":"2021-12-25T21:13:41","slug":"selena-quintanilla","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unewhavendh.org\/music-of-texas-fall-2021\/2021\/11\/01\/selena-quintanilla\/","title":{"rendered":"Selena Quintanilla"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Selena Quintanilla Perez, known to fans simply as Selena, was a young, lively spirit with a personality larger than life. She grew into her adult stardom after a childhood performing with her siblings. Selena\u2019s passion for music and genuine zest for life carried her into a wildly successful career where she would permanently change Tejano music for the better. For many, she was the first representation of a Texas Mexican American in popular music. Her first language was English, and slowly, she learned Spanish, first through phonetic pronunciation for her music that evolved into a fluency that would help Selena capture the hearts of Spanish-speaking fans worldwide. She embraced her Mexican heritage, and her use of Spanglish in interviews became a part of her that fans could both laugh at and identify with. She was beautiful, unique, and inspirational. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, Selena is remembered as a style icon. She took pride in her clothing, and always performed in immaculate outfits, which she often designed and assembled herself. The staples in her wardrobe were bedazzled bustiers, bras from Victoria\u2019s Secret that she covered in Swarovski crystals herself. Later in her career, she worked closely with fashion designer Martin Gomez, who produced many of Selena\u2019s most iconic looks. Since Selena\u2019s death, Gomez has been interviewed many times, recalling his experiences with the megastar. He recounts the day they met for Texas Monthly<\/em>, later quoted in Women\u2019s Health Mag<\/em> saying:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I was having lunch at the little coffee shop inside the Woolworth\u2019s in Corpus when this beautiful creature walked in wearing a black catsuit, Chanel belt, and boots. Her hair was pulled back and she was fully made-up. She did not look like anybody I\u2019d ever seen. She was stunning, and she had such an air of confidence and sophistication,” the fashion designer recalled to Texas Monthly. “I said, ‘Who is that?’ The woman I was with said, ‘Oh, my God, that\u2019s Selena! She\u2019s really famous.’ Well, I didn\u2019t know who she was, but I took a napkin with me\u2014I had never done anything like that before\u2014and asked for her autograph.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Selena\u2019s love for fashion inspired her to open two boutiques in Texas, aptly named Selena Etc., that provided customers with a variety of services. Customers could have their hair styled, and could also purchase accessories and clothes designed by Selena and Martin Gomez. The pair worked together to manufacture the clothes for Selena Etc., styled to pay homage to Selena\u2019s Latina heritage. Selena is seen in the video below guiding a camera around her store, full of pride.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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