In just a few weeks 2000 will officially have been 20 years ago. I’ll repeat that once more later because…can you believe? For me, the ’90s is still the oldest thing you can be nostalgic about but for those younger than me like Sarah and all the other 20-somethings, their childhoods have become relics of the past and are something they’re yearning for.
With a passion for what she calls “pink early 2000’s,” Sarah started to think of how she could bring that to life back in 2013. Five years later she opened her first Cotton Candy Apparel store and soon realized she wasn’t alone in her love of all things pink and 2000s.
Kendra: The aesthetic of your brand is wonderful. Pulling from the ’90s and early ’00s, you give off a real Mean Girls meets Paris Hilton vibe that cannot be denied. Who were some of your fashion inspirations during that time that you call upon when creating new designs?
Sarah: Considering that I am 22, I lived at the height of Bratz, Mean Girls, My Scene, and a lot of pink plastic heels with fake fur in my childhood. I consider that time so sweet but because I was a rebel girl who felt rockstar, my biggest inspirations who I was and am very inspired by are Megan Fox, Hello Kitty, Dior, Chanel, movies like Heathers, Clueless, Bratz Rock Angelz, the latter really inspired me as a child, at the time they made their own magazine and all that.
Kendra: It’s crazy to think the year 2000 was almost 20 years ago. That year I was transitioning from boy band fanatic to an angsty emo-laced teen. But throughout the last 20 years, we’ve seen so many things come and go from Hannah Montana to iPods to saying “that’s hot.” For you, what three things will forever be relics of the first 20 years of the 2000s?
Sarah: Definitely Bratz Cloe (first edition), those Juicy Couture sweatsuit sets Paris Hilton – only as I was a child at the time, mine were Hello Kitty, and finally, those feathers lined with pink ribbon and stuffed with fur.
Kendra: On top of all the pop culture and fashion inspo, you pull from, there’s also a heavy Latina influence throughout your brand. Was that something you wanted to make sure stood out as a brand based in Mexico?
Sarah: Of course! I have always been a fan of brands in the United States or the UK, but there was still an equally cute brand but Latin to identify 100% so I made it!
Kendra: Moving forward into 2020, how are you looking to grow Cotton Candy Apparel and when are you planning on restocking the “That Bitch” tee? Because I needed one like, yesterday.
Sarah: I have many plans for Cotton, for example, to solve the mistakes that I have had now, to have more in the products, and to travel.
