Meet Selina Barajas of Mi Reina Mobile Boutique in Tucson and Southern Arizona

Today we’d like to introduce you to Selina Barajas.

Selina, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
In 2016, Mi Reina Mobile Boutique was launched in Tucson, Arizona. Our journey has not been linear. There have been many life experiences and situations that shaped our story; still today. I am a fourth-generation Tucson/Arizonan and my roots have always been here. I moved to Los Angeles and received my Master’s Degree in Urban Planning from UCLA. I have experience advocating for social, cultural and economic development initiatives for the community. The street view, economic (community) development and being mobile has always been something I knew I wanted to combine one day. I also wanted to open a business in my hometown, something that would focus on social entrepreneurship, women empowerment and community.

Since I can remember, my nana Erlinda Gallego used to call me and her granddaughters “Mi Reina” or “My Queen.” From an early age, I knew the definition of what it meant to be a real “Reina.” Reina translates to much more than physical beauty, but strength, wisdom, empathy and compassion. I feel so blessed to be surrounded by women who carry these traits and honor them. I decided to name our mobile boutique “Mi Reina” to pay homage to my grandmother (who is no longer alive) and to carry on her legacy to my daughters, Sofia Luna and Mia Sol. Women|MotherHOOD is what motivated me to open our mobile boutique. I started to think about a mobile boutique concept after I had my first daughter, Sofia Luna.

During this period in my life, I underwent several transitions: physical, emotional, mental, you name it. I remember going to the mall and leaving frustrated and almost in tears because it was so difficult to shop with a baby, to gain a sense of my new style (try on clothes) and I felt like the market could care less about who I was as a consumer. I am also a big advocate for shopping local. When I would visit Tucson, there was an unbalanced amount of small boutique businesess in the area of town where I grew up, southwest side of Tucson. There are retail shops in the area, but mostly big corporations (i.e. Ross, Old Navy) and none in an intimate, unique setting. More importantly, I noticed a need to bring people together.

During one of our many trips from LA to Tucson, I noticed a vacant, broken down vintage trailer parked outside my parent’s backyard. I approached my father, Rene Rodriguez and questioned the future desire for the 1961 Siesta Liner. He had no plans… yet. I asked him if he would be willing to restore it at the same time he was restoring a 1957 Classic Chevy. Thankfully, he was eager to take on another project; he must have noticed the excitement in my eyes. About one year later, my dad and some of his friends were able to have both the 1961 Siesta Liner Vintage Trailer + 1957 Classic Chevy back on the road and Mi Reina Mobile Boutique was born! Mi Reina Mobile Boutique, LLC, is the most unique and innovative way to shop for clothes and accessories in Tucson and Southern Arizona. You can find Mi Reina Mobile Boutique throughout the streets of Tucson, either collaborating at a community event or hosting our own!

Our goal is to make everyone who visits us feel like a queen, inside and out. I want women to visit Mi Reina and feel like they can have the opportunity to share who they are and be able to express themselves through fashion. If someone cannot make it to one of our events, Mi Reina will go directly to them, especially those who are dealing with depression and anxiety or just want to try something innovative. Now, as a mother of two girls, I want to leave behind a strong, positive impression.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Our journey has never been smooth. Like the streets, we have experienced detours, roadblocks, dead ends and new routes. When I first started Mi Reina Mobile Boutique, it was a huge leap because in 2016, my family and I were living in Los Angeles. Our business was true to being mobile. Although we would come back and forth, it was often overwhelming and I was unable to fully engaged. It was a challenge to stay organized and focused. It was also a challenge for us to grow because I could not commit to certain events or networking opportunities here in Tucson. Now, we are back in Tucson, rebuilding and growing. Returning home has allowed us to (re) connect and establish new collaborations. It has been very exciting and inspiring to witness.

However, by not being in Los Angeles anymore, I am no longer able to curate the fashion pieces I once was able to do or meet face-to-face with the team who help design the products. This past year, I started to think how can we rejuvenate Mi Reina? For the first time I ever, I decided to build our brand into our very own first retail item and make original clothing. Our first collection has been our “Reina Sweater,” reminding everyone who wears it, is also wearing their invisible crown. Designing an original piece was thrilling because I did not expect the support it has received. I also did not know what I was doing along the way, but I knew I had to start somewhere. Like the streets, you must keep evolving, moving forward and keep your eyes open.

Please tell us about Mi Reina Mobile Boutique.
We are Tucson’s only mobile boutique that sells new (women’s) clothing and accessories. I grew up shopping mostly at some of these big department stores (i.e. Mervyn’s, Ross) and thrift stores (i.e. Twice as Nice, Buffalo Exchange, Good Will). My mom, Gracie always reminded me to purchase something I would feel comfortable to wear for the entire day (and at a reasonable price). I am not one to identify as a fashionista, but I know what makes me feel beautiful. This is what I strive for when I hand select or curate fashion pieces. I carry majority of sizes (from extra small to 3xl) and different styles from athleisure to formal dresses. When I bring items inside of Mi Reina, I think of the reinas who continue to support our path. I can envision specific women wearing certain items because I am a reflection of them. I have been so fortunate to see some of them wear our pieces to graduations, date nights, speaking engagements, to their job and taking their babies out for an errand. It fills my heart with bliss when I get to see the smile and confidence on their face.

The retail component of our piece is our economic engine. It is what maintains our business from staying open. The other component is the community-building aspect. Rather than setting up my mobile boutique alone, I collaborate with other women, primarily small-business owners, and promote empowerment and we inspire one another. Throughout the year, we host events and pop-ups that highlight other small (women-owned) businesses and believe in the power of bringing people together, especially on the south side of town. We like to invest on Tucson’s south side region because this is the area that helped raise me and where my grandparents and great grandparents raised their families. This geographic location has historically been neglected and we would like to continue to highlight the richness of this community through events, experiences, conversations and collaborations. We like to bring Mi Reina Mobile Boutique into neighborhoods that do not have local clothing boutiques, build community and hold space while supporting the local economy. There is so much value and beauty in bringing the community together in a positive light because this will ultimately contribute to making Tucson a vibrant place to be, especially for future generations.

What has been the proudest moment of your career so far?
There have been several proud moments. I am most proud of the little moments that have meant the most; like seeing my father drive the Chevy he worked so hard to restore while having his daughter and granddaughters ride alone with him, to hosting events, like our annual vision board workshop and seeing family and friends I have known almost my entire life and hearing for the first time a dream they have held inside. I have seen a mother cry as she tried on a dress that fit her perfectly because she dealt with anxiety and did not feel comfortable trying on clothes at a department store. Little moments like this that bring so much pride to our path. Seeing someone, I hardly know where our Reina Sweater in public is something that has brought me joy because I know how much love, sweat and tears when into that product. Having my family experience the journey by myside is something that carries me through, especially on the days I want to give up. 

Another proud moment was when local artist, Mel “Melo” Dominguez from Galeria Mitoria (South Tucson’s first art gallery) painted a mural and included Mi Reina on the wall. This was a surreal moment because both my grandparents raised their families just a few streets down from where the mural is located. It is crazy to imagine, now we are raising our own family and drive Mi Reina through those same streets my grandparents and great grandparents once did! Generations to come will be able to visit the mural and our story will continue! This mural is a cultural blend. It is visual testimony that as part of this society, we are part of its past, it’s present and its future, something that as a people, will always embrace. Returning back home; to my roots has been another proud moment for sure. I have collaborated with other entrepreneurs, some I have just met, yet we share so much in common and drive to support each other. I no longer feel alone on this once scary journey of entrepreneurship. The community-building component, especially for the next generation, for our daughters, is one of my proudest moments.

Our journey has allowed me to encounter so many REINAS who inspire and empower us to keep moving forward. I have been able to (re) connect with people inside (and outside) our trailer. Mi Reina Mobile Boutique has become a therapeutic, self-love, healing space; bigger than us. People have shared their visions, pain, desires, hurts, love and dreams through Mi Reina. I knew Mi Reina Mobile Boutique would take on a magical path, but I would have never imagined the power of community and healing that has grown along the way. I hope the ripple effects will last forever and the legacy we leave will hopefully inspire another. Magic happens when reinas support reinas!

If you had to start over, what would you have done differently?
If I had to start over, this is the advice I would give myself:

First, believe in yourself from the very start. Have more confidence in your vision. Manifest big. Don’t pay attention to the “haters” and others who criticize or critique my dream of starting a business. Be prepared for people to laugh or say it cannot be done. Starting a business can be lonely sometimes because YOU are in control of your destination. However, at the same time find a group or at least one person who uplifts your business. Find others who inspire your path and teach you something new.

Find a mentor/(fe)mentor to help guide you. The support is great and will help you during the days when you doubt yourself but ultimately you have to love what YOU are doing. You have to wake up with a purpose, a bigger picture and fall asleep with a goal on how to get there. One other advice I would have done differently is take time for yourself. Self-care, self-love and mental health is so important along the journey. Take time to reflect and celebrate your small and big victories and milestones. Document those moments and revisit when you need motivation. Because of those moments, you are inspiring others and you may never even know it. We believe in you too.

Lastly, I would have invested in a graphic designer and someone who specializes in websites. This is the next move I am trying to make. It is difficult for me to delegate. In the beginning, I did mostly everything, from creating our first logo to managing our blog, event planning, shopping for our fashion pieces to shipping out items. Now, I am learning the value of local outsourcing and brainstorming ways I can focus on our bigger mission of Mi Reina and the future of our business. Eventually, I would like to go back to the nonprofit sector and help uplift and connect an entire community and city.

Pricing:

• Our items range from $5-$50

Contact Info:

• Website: mireinaboutique.wordpress.com
• Email: mireina.boutique@gmail.com
• Instagram: @mireina_mobileboutique
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/mireinamobileboutique/
• Twitter: @mireina_mobileb

Image Credit:
Rescophotography
Yvonne Marie Photography
Bhava Wellness (Radha)

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