Mami is the original style icon. She is the family tastemaker and personal stylist, passing down matriarchal beauty secrets and fashion wisdom that you, in turn, pass down to your daughter. As a little girl you sat mesmerized watching her primp for a party, delighted when she let you sample her lipstick or dab your cheeks with rouge. Her jewelry box was a dazzling treasure trove of baubles and her closet was a sumptuous bounty of feminine mystique. Sweeping out the door in a cloud of perfume, her heels clicking down the street and her earrings glinting in the moonlight, Mami was the most glamorous woman in your world.
Of course, in no time you became a teenager and the once-glamorous Mami now seemed embarrassingly old-fashioned—refusing to let you out of the house until you toned down your makeup and put on more clothing. Completely oblivious to the sheer humiliation her endless rules and fussing caused you or, perhaps even worse, borrowing your clothes.
Today, girls are following the well-worn path of teens from the beginning of time, striving for independence and an individual identity. While today’s mothers, according to a study by Ayalla Rubio (a professor of marketing at Temple University), are increasingly taking style cues from their teenage daughters. And so the circle of fashion continues.
It makes perfect sense to channel this ongoing generational style interplay into creating a successful business uniting wisdom and experience with youthful exuberance. These mother/daughter design teams have done just that, beautifully illustrating the strength of women and family and proving that the style bond between mami and daughter is a force to be reckoned with.
Read Related: Latina Mom Leaves Law School to Become Jewelry Designer
MUXO Handbags • Camila Alves and her mother Fatima Alves joined forces to launch this line of gorgeous handmade leather bags and purses—the epitome of jet-set boho chic.
Emilie Whitaker & Kathy Moça
Beija-Flor • Kathy Moça and her daughter Emilie Whitaker work side by side on their line of ultra flattering, eco-friendly, fair trade jeans made from premium Brazilian denim. They offer a variety of cuts and styles designed to hug a real woman’s curves in all the right places.
Material Girl • Lourdes Leon has definitely inherited her mother’s incredible style DNA. Their youthful, flirty collection gives a nod to Madonna’s ‘80s-era lace and neon layering with a thoroughly modern swagger.
Luvali Convertibles • These 3-in-1 bags by Jacqueline Dinsmore and her mother, Shirley Durk, take multi-tasking and versatility to the next level. Each base bag is made of leather that can be covered with a reversible ‘slip.’ Now you can change your bag as often as your outfit.
