Profile: Yvette Martinez

I was intrigued when I learned I was interviewing Yvette Martinez because I had only remembered her as the stylish, quiet girl who sat behind me in my journalism class. I knew I would be uncovering a lot. My preliminary research on Yvette Martinez, prompted me to ask her questions I found on her blog. I felt this was interesting because blogs, like many social networking websites, portray what the person chooses to reveal about themselves.

From her array of off-kilter black clothing, and semi-bleached hair, I determined that Yvette was very conscious of style. I learned later, on her blog (cleverly entitled The Black Market) that she in an aspiring fashion writer. I admittedly, constructed my interview around this idea, which I soon realized was not the appropriate way to go. Her interests on her blog went as follows: “art, music, fashion, culture, nightlife, sports.” Yvette, who grew up in Houston Texas, before becoming an aspiring fashion writer, was an avid sports player. “Yeah, originally I was going to go to college in Texas, and play a sport there.” Yvette stated calmly. “My parents only thought I applied to schools in Texas. When I got accepted to Lang, my first choice, my Dad said no.”

I was finding that, that one little “interest” was opening up many dimensions to this fashion enthusiast’s personality. Yvette’s Father, a track and field coach, eventually agreed to let her attend Lang, allowing her cultivate her fashion sense, which is “constantly evolving.”

Houston, which is a far cry from a fashion Mecca, fostered Yvette’s interest in the industry. “Texas is about two years behind in fashion, but Houston is getting better.” Yvette admits. “I grew up reading Vogue, and just kind of researched from there.” Yvette realizes the un-realistic nature of the fashion world, and tells me that she prefers photo shoots that make pieces of clothing seem wearable and realistic. This sense of realism is not exclusive to her interest in fashion. When Yvette isn’t at school, she’s interning at an unemployment agency.

“There are a wide range of clients, some who are just listed in the agency, and some who have been incarcerated. Sometimes people get mad at me, but I try and stay calm. Its part of the job.”

Yvette further elaborates, that although she’s not out pursuing her dreams in the fashion world, the work at the agency is great practice. “Its administrative work, and communicating with people, skills that can benefit you anywhere.”

With this realism, comes of course, a sense of fantasy, crucial to the world of fashion. At the end of the interview, Yvette informs me of her dream of going to Japan. Although this is definitely not a weekend trip, Yvette is taking it upon herself to learn Japanese. Yvette truly embodies the marriage between the imagination, and reality.