Today we’d like to introduce you to Carla Marquez.
Carla, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My Name is Carla Marquez, I’m 35 years old. Married to Francisco Marquez and I have two beautiful daughters Destiny nine years old and April six years old. I was always indirectly involved with fashion since I was about 19 years old I competed in various beauty pageants, I modeled for different designers, worked on photo shoots and as a Promotional model. At age 24 I got married and pretty much stopped with my modeling career do to the fact I wanted to take care of my first child, soon after I faced a separation with my husband having to go through my second pregnancy alone.
Soon after my husband and I got back together after facing many challenges in our Marriage which I’d have to say has been one of the hardest roles I’ve had to play. After having my Second Daughter April I wanted to start something maybe modeling, but I had been away from everyone, I didn’t even know how to find my old contacts! I felt depressed without even knowing how to get back on my feet. A couple of years after we decide to move out of LA to the inland Empire. I moved on December 2017.
When I moved to Riverside to be exact I didn’t know anyone, for the most part, my family lives in LA. I felt lonely and out of place . I probably meet the first person on April 2018, Delfina Gonzalez who owns Trainstation Wellness center, I built up a friendship with her and loved her community, a group of women that worked out together all the time and helped each other! I loved that , I just wanted to lose eight and be the Carla that I was years ago. at around August I really had the desire of opening an online boutique since that would give me the privilege to be able to take care of my daughter while at the same time I took care of my business , I planned out a photoshoot session , looked for girls that had the desire to become models < I dint have the money to pay them but gave them all their digital pictures and clothes, not to make the story short I had everything ready to go in one month.
With Delfina being my only friend at the time I expressed myself to her and told her I had the desire to launch my online boutique but 1. I didn’t know too and 2. I didn’t know anyone really. This is how her and I united forced an came up with the idea of having a Women Empowerment fashion show she had about 12 girls that had been working out for about three months and we decided that on a very special night we could make them feel like real models so I dressed them all up with the collection I was going to launch. Our first We Rise Up happened on September 16, 2018, and I have to admit this event was a huge platform for me, we expected about 100 women to attend our event and we had over 250 women that attended that night, most of this women bought at least a piece from my collection.
Then soon after all of them started tagging me in social media, posting pictures, etc. I ended up very motivated and excited, after this event I would pay a fee to become a vendor at various events and started networking more and more. Until Different people started contacting me such as The Red Dress Fashion Show committee which is a yearly event that is held to promote heart failure awareness< I dressed over 20 women that had survived a different heart condition. A lot of Cancer Survivors then contacted me that they loved my Style and felt empowered by my character and there I was I would dress them up and would always let my models keep their pieces. Te Black Chamber Of commerce also had me as one of their main guest at a Colleague.
Then I started by creating an event of my own called True Colors Multicultural event/ Fashion show ! in this event I felt like uniting Cultures in a fun way with fashion and music, therefore I decide to start it off with the minorities that are African American and Latino. I brought that night African Dancer and Folklorico Dancers, we had a fashion show with African Dresses and of course a Deluxe Collection, I also granted that night a. Scholarship to one of the attendees that night to become a certified Makeup Artist! This young lady will be graduating this upcoming November 08,2019 from The Make Up Institute in North Hollywood.
That night one again I discovered that with fashion and my style that is very simple, sexy and classy I can always do so much for others with my boutiques preceding. My Next true Colors Multicultural event will be on July 11, 2019 I’m planning to give out a Medical Scholarship, this will be a huge challenge but I will make it, since this is my mission not only get well know because of my pieces and styles but because I also want to give back to my community despite all the difficulties and hard work I have to do.
Delfina my friend and I also planned our second Annual this past September 12, 2019, we added a little extra spice into it, since every year we want. to make it bigger and better we had eight women go through a transformation journey for three months, while they worked out with my friend at her gym, and I worked out with creating choreography and the concept of that night. I had them model in sportswear and perform a dance wearing high heels, then they did a runway in my fancy Gowns, then I had them create a dress made out of recycled items and lastly I had them walk in a bathing suit! working in creating their confidence each one of this woman lost between 15-50 pounds in three months.
We had Judges and three winners where chosen, that night we sold tickets for 15 dollars and all the money went straight to the three winners. Best transformation, best-recycled item and best performance and confidence. A year after Now that I launched my online boutique I just feel 10x’s stronger and have gained the credibility of all my followers and this is what makes me so different from many online boutiques, I’m not here to just sale but to also make a difference and support other women.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
My Journey has not been easy, I play so many roles at once a wife, a mother a daughter. I had days in which I don’t even have a dollar in my purse, and many people don’t realize all the hard work I been putting into every single project. I work from home sometimes take appointments even deliver orders myself. I sometimes don’t even have the time to eat, for my rehearsals I have to take my two daughters with me I do all the work on my own I don’t have employees, but I have faith one day ill be able to provide a lot of jobs.
On top of that this last December I had a car accident in which my lumbar vertebras L2, L3, L5 got really best up. I been having epidurals to help my back pain and might need surgery. Since April I have been very limited and in the beginning, when I was told I might need a back surgery I felt broken, I felt everything I was working for so hard, without sleeping at times was falling in pieces. it took about two months for me to accept what ever happens and I’ve only gotten stronger ever since.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
As a Company as I have mentioned, I’m in charged of everything. I personally chose the pieces I will sell, I chose my models and I always chose girls that have the dream, of modeling so they can know everyone can have a chance and that they have to chase their dream. I’am uncharged of all the photoshoots, I upload my pictures on my website , I personally prepare my orders, I take them to the ups, I put prices on inventory , I look for events to take my pieces in which I become a vendor and I always hire one girl for sales to help me so I can network, my style as I mentioned is very simple, sassy and classy.
I believe in order for a woman to look good, theres no need to show lots of skin. My slogan is not about what you wear is about who wears it. This is what Dalux is all about, no matter how pricy a piece is if a woman does not have the confidence to rock it, then that piece is just nothing. Another thing that Dalux is well know for as I mentioned earlier is that I put my heart in to it and I’m working on making my fashion fun with my events trying to bring women together so that we can all help one another whether in helping other women to create their own business or helping other women to have a career. Dalux is not only about selling, I have a mission and my mission is to have a legacy, a legacy of change and giving back to others. I think this makes me unique
What were you like growing up?
As a child I was always a happy girl, always a rider, loved to help others although I come from a humble family and as a child, I didn’t have the best childhood since my family was very poor to the point that for every Christmas Santa Claus would just bring me peanuts and cookies. But I’m grateful and happy that I had that childhood because I value everything that I have even if its cookies and or peanuts. I always loved to sing and dance when I was 16 I was the most popular girl was a folkloric dancer for 14 years, a student body president, since I was singing professionally and recorded two albums, I stopped my career after I was feeling used and obviously man tried to molest me.
Although I loved this career I gave up on that dream, soon after I felt in love at 19 and obvious was heartbroken, I felt depressed like my world was over. then I had the opportunity of working as a model from 19-24 when I got married . I’ve always be very outgoing, and friendly . Always had the dream of being an Actress that’s just what I’m missing! lol
Contact Info:
- Website: www.daluxboutique.com
- Phone: 3233534202
- Email: info@daluxboutique
- Instagram: @daluxboutique
Image Credit:
Hector Islas Photography
Jacob Johnston
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