Daily Inspiration: Meet Laarnie Barcelon

Today we’d like to introduce you to Laarnie Barcelon.

Hi Laarnie, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I was born as the second child in Southern California, USA to Filipino Immigrants from a small farmland town in the province of Pangasinan, Philippines. My parents were very hardworking immigrants who believed in the American Dream and that living in the states would provide them opportunities to help themselves, their families back “home”, and improve the future of their future family together.

As with many first-generation Asian American adolescence, I experienced a lot of conflicting feelings, emotions, and thoughts as standing between the two cultures of my motherland and my homeland were very difficult to wade through. But, I do feel that my experiences and hardships had helped me understand my likes and dislikes early on while helping me develop a better connection with my feelings and thoughts in ways that would help me in my artistic and creative capabilities. With the help of my immigrant parents, I was able to experience and pursue a lot of different hobbies and engage with entertainment and the arts of all mediums.

Though life at home and school were both equally rough, with aggression, fights, bullying, and so forth, I was able to find comfort and peace with the arts and entertainment. I enjoyed gaming, reading graphic novels (e.g., manga, comics), watching television, collecting fashion magazines and fashion cuttings, and engaging with anything that enticed me. As I grew up, this gave me a lot of different perspectives and understandings of the world while also establishing my overall mentality that helped guide my sense of creative direction while defining my work.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Unfortunately, it hasn’t been the smoothest road. Though most who are close with me already know the situation, there are a lot of experiences that I’m not ready to talk about yet to the public.

The majority of people my age and wearing shoes similar to my own have likely experienced similar pains and suffered in similar ways to myself, but to sum it all up, coming from households of immigrants while growing up in a society that deems you as the “other” for the shade of your skin or the angle and shape of your eyes, it’s been a rocky road of combating hyper aggression, racism, and fetishism in addition to the pre-existing flaws of what competitive Asian communities, cultural structures, and the dog-eat-dog world of Los Angeles.

The struggles of living day to day on what little I had, picking between self-care and health expenses and survival oftentimes lead to starving myself to survive through the week. I worked a lot of different odd jobs growing up based on what knowledge I had and what I learned throughout my adolescence in order to survive and not give up on pursuing the dreams I promised myself when I was very, very young.

While the pros of these sacrifices were that all of which had taught me a lot of how to perceive the world while teaching me how to both see the red flags early on before trusting others. The cons were that a lot of pain and suffering had to accompany them in ways that come back today in forms of nightmares, chills, panic and anxiety attacks, dissociation, and in some instances worsened mental health regarding pre-existing obsessive compulsive disorder, depression, anxiety, and trauma.

For my own sanity, I try to maintain a line that allows me to maintain my privacy for my safety and security, but the majority of what I’ve experienced and seen had at the very least led me in the right direction and to learn how to survive and flourish even when under heavy circumstances and pressure. The majority of my hardships had, at the very least, taught me how to weigh out the pros and cons of everything. I am always able to find happiness even when the world feels like it was falling apart because what entitles me to “have my cake and eat it too” has always been maintaining my sense of self, keeping an open mind, a willingness to learn, and a firm understanding of management and legalities.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am professionally a Costumer, Stylist, and Seamstress with a lot of little things happening on the side. Though the majority of those online perceive my occupational career choice to be an online fashion enthusiast and influencer, I find the most happiness and comfort in knowing that I am capable of being a “Jack of All Trades” while also pursuing the primary one that I know I was meant to be.

Growing up, I was always surrounded and engaging with different forms of creativity and the arts. Later in life choosing to pursue costuming and styling, I went to school for Theatrical Costuming in order to learn more about the different methods of construction as the designing route isn’t always my cup of tea. I also enjoy Fashion, but I don’t have much interest in pursuing fashion marketing, and I faced a lot of antagonism from the fashion department in college so I avoided pursuing a degree in both and settled for a vocational certification in Theatrical Costuming.

Truthfully I don’t know if this qualifies as a specialty, I oftentimes find my ability to decipher concepts, thoughts, and words when paired with my skillsets to be the most sought out for by clientele. This is especially commonplace for wardrobe styling, fantasy costume construction, theatrical costuming work, as I am oftentimes told that I “bring [their] dream to life” and that I “realized [their] vision” which while commonplace phrases, are the proudest moments of my career.

In regards to the part that “sets me apart from others” is the ability to essentially “do it all”. I have a firm understanding of how people behave; because of it, I’m able to read and learn a lot about others in a short period of time. This, along with a sharp eye and an ability to visualize in ways that help me empathize and sympathize with others, typically helps me and my capabilities of personalizing things to the individual in ways that showcases, respect, and highlight them and their comfort in the best ways possible.

In other instances, to say it short, my styling is generally very appropriate for what I’m being asked for. My brain can perceive emotions and phrasing in ways that help take shape in other ways and has given me silly names like “mood ring” and “chameleon”. As I am typically asked for a lot of different concepts, and given my previous experiences in my own life with recognizing historical and cultural aspects, differences, and perspectives, it oftentimes enhances the personalization and characterization of the concepts. Each and every instances has been a very enjoyable and engaging experience for me, and I look forward to the worlds that are still left for me to explore and personify.

As for all the little things that I do on the side, I collaborate and work with local businesses to host events or meetups as an event coordinator. I do makeup, both theatrical and glamour (East and West, dependent on what’s being asked of me), and hair work and wig styling commissions. I model occasionally. I assist with marketing and PR for social media businesses’ accounts and some influencers. I create art of different mediums, and throughout middle and high school, was oftentimes selling my designs and art pieces to make side cash. I work with a music company to help assist them on weekends during the spring. At one point, I had a side business where I made accessories and jewelry to help myself through college. I do some influencer work and occasionally working as a supplier for some goods and services. I do photography occasionally. I design and build sets along with set decoration. I build props. I’m sure this isn’t even scratching the surface of everything, but I’m sure that gives a better understanding of myself and the level of content creation and creative endeavors I tend to pursue both leisurely and professionally.

Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
To put it simply: Explore more. Be honest. Collaborate more. Humble yourself. Perceive your options and opportunities as blessings rather than merely as the former. Maintain an open mind. Learn willingly. Understand even if you do not accept perspectives outside your own. Code switching is a trait everyone must learn. Not everything offered to you is worth your time and energy. Come to realize that not all your skills and dreams will bear fruit.

A lot of the people who have entered my life as mentors were by sheer coincidence and a lucky timeline. Unfortunately, that’s the majority of this life we live. In other ways, I benefit from privileges from general convenience that gave me opportunities and connections. As long as you maintain yourself and your humanity respectfully and strive forward with the willingness to learn and maintain an open mind, you can accomplish most and gain accessibility to more in ways that don’t fall short.

Pricing:

• Costume Commissions Rate (Per Project) $150~500+ USD
• Fashion Commissions Rate (Per Project) $150~700+ USD
• Styling & Rental Rate (Per Project) $~250+ USD
• Wig Styling Rate (Per Project) $45~150+ USD
• Event Coordination & Social Media Management Rate 5~20% per dependent on budget

Contact Info:

• Email: laarnie.barcelon@gmail.com
• Website: https://rikachuuable.carrd.co/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rikachuuable/

Image Credits:
Photo: Kevin Vu Kim (Personal Photo)