Photo courtesy of Neidy Gutierrez / SOC Images.
Growing up, Iris and Rosa Ponce were surrounded by vibrance, creativity and the philosophy of “you can make something out of anything.”
Now all grown up, Iris and Rosa have implemented their experiences into Hermanitas Design, an inclusive artisanal tienda, or shop, that embraces culture, Latin heritage and mental health awareness. The sister-duo told Slice of Culture that they want to connect with the community through their tienda, but also to show other people of color that you truly can “make something out of anything.”
“We had no idea what to expect whatsoever, or that people would buy our stuff,” Iris said.
“… Things do not have to be perfect [but] in Latino culture, they’re always like, ‘Oh, it’s good, but…’ [so] you’re always expecting the ‘but’ so it’s been nice to be able to [create] things that we definitely enjoy and to see other people enjoy and connect with someone that’s giving you that positivity.”
The ‘Non-Traditional’ Way
Iris and Rosa grew up in West New York with their artistic stay-at-home mom.
While they didn’t have a lot of money, their mother would bring new life to anything she could paint on: their dresses, sheets and bare walls. Iris and Rosa would go to school and get back home around 3 p.m. and, suddenly, whatever Disney characters they were into at that time were encapsulated on the once-bare walls.
“It’s also nice because it’s so out of the box,” Iris added. “We’re not following the traditional way of how in a Latino household you’re supposed to go to college, have a career, get married and have kids.
“We haven’t really followed that route. And that really sprouted from our mom doing something different. We didn’t realize that we would be able to make money making art.”
And, according to the duo, starting Hermanitas Designs has been a long time coming.
After graduating from high school, the mandatory next step—in Latino culture—is to go to college and figure out their career. But for Iris and Rosa, it took a while to figure out what they wanted to do.
They studied different majors before settling on graphic design, digital design and art, which is when they began working together on projects.
“People would say the things that we make is kind of like yin and yang, that we can work well together,” Iris said.
Rosa added, “Growing up, we weren’t close [because] we had a kind of a big age difference, but then, once we got a little bit older, I struggled with anxiety and depression… [In] college, we had our BFA show, and we tailored it around mental health, that’s when [Iris] started having anxiety. So it was like everything was just falling into place. And then it just happened… ‘let’s just do a business together.’”
It started in 2007. Their logo, which features two Russian dolls in a soft pink and green color palette, inspired by Wes Anderson films, is almost symbolic of their “yin and yang”; two different sized dolls paired with two different colors that all somehow complement one another.
Initially Hermanitas—which hermanita means sister and manita means hand—was going to be just for logos and graphic design work, but then the two found out they can do “so much more.”
From pop-up events to selling their own products and even doing community-based projects, like creating posters for North Bergen Public Library, Hermanitas Design found its place.
Uplifting Culture, Community And Opportunity
But starting out wasn’t that simple, especially because they didn’t have an example in their life of what an entrepreneur looks like or can accomplish.
But then at their first vendor event, they met Athena Toledo, a portrait artist and art teacher at St. Joseph’s School for the Blind. They expressed gratitude for their connection to Toledo because they were welcomed into the community and were instilled with confidence that not everything has to be perfect.
“[In Latino culture] they don’t want you to pacar trabajo [‘go through the trouble’], but it’s okay if that’s something that you have a passion for,” Iris explained. “It’s also good for us to be examples for our niece and nephews. You can do things that aren’t traditionally how you’re supposed to do them and try to figure them out.”
And Hermanitas has done just that; they emphasize their mission of promoting the artistry of mental health, their Latina heritage and overall inclusivity. Every crafted piece is “a labor of love, reflection of their shared experiences and expression of who they are.”
They sell all of their cositas—which translates to little things, meaning their products—online. You can find t-shirts, notebooks, prints, stickers, magnets and more. They also section it off by collections including their “Latinx Cositas” and “Mental Health Hub.”
In the Latinx Cositas collection, you can find their Vicks Aroma Pillow, which is a nostalgic throwback to Latinos’ love for Vicks VaporRub. In their culture, the American-made menthol ointment is tagged for being a cure for anything and everything—whether it be for congestion, aches or anxiety.
“There’s things like our [Vicks pillow] [and] we just started making little magnets. Those make people really happy because it’s like little household things where you have a logo that we made or things that are just bringing you back—the nostalgia of it. So I think it’s just different ways in connecting with your culture,” Rosa said.
“And with the generations too,” Iris added. “… We’re first generation here where our niece and nephews are not, that’s not something that they can connect with. We wanna make sure that they remember those things as well.”
And Hermanitas along with Wine And Design in Weehawken have made efforts to strengthen community bonds, highlight Latin heritage and local business support through their collaborative seasonal mercados, or markets, which started three years ago. Today, the mercados have blossomed into a space of warmth and opportunity for both vendors and locals.
Iris and Rosa affirmed the need to remind people that it’s okay to pursue your passion and that when you lean on community, there will be people who want to help.
“We don’t have the example in our lives of seeing someone create a business… without your community, you don’t really have much, you’re just doing it on your own. And sure, that can be great, but what is it without everybody else?” Rosa said.
“Like how to do taxes [and] even getting an LLC, we had no idea what we were doing. Imagine if that information was available to other people as well. There would be more Latino businesses.”
You can find Hermanitas Design at their next events: Guttenberg Arts Fest on Oct. 12 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Oktoberfest Pop-Up Market on Oct. 12 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.; and the Hispanic Heritage Mercado on Oct. 13 from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.
