Kali Uchis on her clothing brand embodied by Uchis, Colombian jeans and her “Obsesión” movement

While these unique features are what make jeans recognizable, they are often the reason why the style has also traditionally received criticism. “People come to the Bodied page to criticize jeans and create fake accounts just to talk shit about jeans,” Uchis says. “As an artist, I get things like that all the time, but I never thought anyone could feel [so] so much about a style of clothing that they will actually go out of their way to criticize that style. It’s a lot of self-hatred stuff. Sometimes it will also be other Latin girls.”

the hatred Uchis describes is no surprise. Trends created by Latinx communities, and especially those created specifically by brown and black people, are often called “hoochi” either “chonga” contemptuously. That is until they are popularized and adopted by non-Latino white people in media and pop culture. Take for example the “clean girl aesthetic” sleek bun that brown and black women have been rocking for decades but was attributed to Hailey Bieber or the more recent “cherry tail lip” trend that our aunts and mommies have state being used as examples for years.

Rewriting narratives is nothing new. But, for Uchis, this hatred becomes inspiration and even fuel for Bodied. “Being able to wear bold styles that are a little provocative, get people’s blood pumping and get girls talking, I think that, overall, really embodies what the brand was trying to say.”

From jeans to baby T-shirts, Uchis’ line features a single word in each design: “Obsession.” “I feel like a lot of people might have a negative connotation behind a lot of things. of these Latin styles, and part of it for me is just getting them back. Obsession, Generally, it was aimed at people who feel like they’re always causing a stir just by being themselves,” Uchis says. “At first, it can hurt when you’re the target of bullying or people constantly criticizing you. obsession, or obsession, claims it too.”

the success of Uchis’ viral summer song “Muñekita,” the first single from his upcoming Spanish-language album, may have distracted some fans from the fact that Uchis, who finished the first part of his Red Moon on Venus tour at the end of May, he stepped away from the spotlight for a few months. It’s evident that while Uchis took a break from acting last summer, he continued to create. In August, he gave fans more to look forward to than just the start of the second part of his tour, but he’s also been hard at work on the drawing board for Bodied.

Uchis spoke with teen fashion just a few days before the launch of the latest Bodied product, the first long skirt. This new fashion style has the same butt-lifting stretch as the rest of the denim in the line and includes unique details consisting of a fringed waistband, a front slit, as well as the word “obsession” and hearts embroidered on the back.

While butt-lifting jeans are the basis of the brand, the growth that Bodied has had is evident in its catalog. Two years after its first launch, the brand has several successful products. truck driver and bucket hatsmini skirts and now maxi, in addition to their tanks and t-shirts. In fact, when asked for everyday recommendations of the line for first-time buyers, Uchis’ mind doesn’t go directly to denim. “[I’d recommend] our t-shirts, which I just started making. [They] They are very soft and everyone seems to love them. “I have three different color combinations, three different styles.”

Bodied’s expansion may already be palpable, but Uchis doesn’t plan to stop anytime soon. “I’m going to start working on many more styles. I am interested in expanding the type of clothing we can make. Maybe one day we’ll even do a fashion show,” he jokes about the brand’s future.

For now, Uchis is confident in the steady growth his fans have contributed to Bodied. “It’s really nice to see that we have real fans of the brand who love collecting all the pieces,” he says. “We don’t really have many unique buyers; They buy several things as soon as the release comes out. They are recurring customers who feel part of something more. It’s not just about clothes or a brand; they feel part of the obsession motion.“