Rising Stars: Meet Frankie Rivera

Today we’d like to introduce you to Frankie Rivera.

Hi Frankie, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I grew up and live in a small town called Castroville here in Texas. Currently, I am a junior majoring in fashion design at the University of The Incarnate Word. I have always loved fashion as a young kid because when my grandma would babysit me, we would spend hours watching shows such as Project Runway or Say Yes To The Dress. My mom also sparked the interest of fashion in me at a young age because as a child she would have me help her pick out her clothes for work every day. My mom inspired me so much because has always encouraged me to be myself and not be afraid of what others think.

When I entered college, I was still trying to find my own personal style. I believe that majoring in fashion at the Incarnate Word has helped me with that. Around the end of my sophomore year of college, I decided that I wanted to start making content on TikTok and Instagram since that is the most popular for my generation. Ever since, I have been creating content on both platforms and trying to grow. I feel as though I am still learning and growing when it comes to creating content, but I have been enjoying the process. So far I have worked with small brands such as TIJN Official and ThreadedTingz. TIJN Official is a company that specializes in nice accessories and ThreadedTingz is a small business that creates amazing embroidered shirts.

Just recently I have gotten the opportunity to be on the PR list for Ralph Lauren Fragrances. This was super exciting to me because they reached out asking if I wanted to be on the PR list because they saw my content on my social media. My goal is to continue to create content and have a platform that is based on positivity and good energy. I want to continue to grow on both Instagram and TikTok and use them to share my ideas and put out content that people will enjoy. I am still learning but I feel like learning and growing is the best part of life.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has been a bit challenging but overall I have enjoyed the process. I think the most challenging part has been learning to juggle school, work, and still have time to create content. Currently, I have three jobs while being a full time college student. Sometimes I am not as consistent at creating content as I want to be, but I have learned that it is okay not to be and to not be stressed. Life happens and no one is perfect. It is okay to not be super consistent at posting especially when life duties call. The best thing is to enjoy the present and know that everything is going to be okay.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I guess you could say I am a content creator. I am still growing but I post content on both Instagram and TikTok. Currently, I have been posting a lot of fashion style videos and get ready with me videos. I am proud of the process I have made. I am at 26K followers on TikTok and 5k on Instagram. This might not seem like a lot to people when compared to others but honestly, I am proud of the progress I am making. Progress has been a bit slow but either way, I am getting to create content I love. I would say what might set me apart from others is that for my fashion content I really love to play with both the masculine and feminine elements when it comes to fashion. I am not afraid to try things out. My goal is to grow more on my accounts and send a message to those following that it is okay not to dress exactly how society says you should dress based on your gender, etc. I want to send a message that you can wear whatever you want as long as you are happy with yourself.

Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
Years ago if you asked if I was a risk taker I would have said absolutely not. However, now I have definitely grown and learned that it is okay to take risks no matter what that might be. You miss 100% of the chances you do not take. For myself, I would say the biggest risk for me was dressing how I wanted to dress. I went to high school at Medina Valley and the town is more on the countryside. This meant that how I dress now I would not have dressed back in high school. Everyone tends to dress a little more country and for the guys, they all dress masculine. When I entered college I still dressed how I did in high school but I was not happy because I was not being my authentic self. So I took the risk and decided to start wearing what I wanted to wear whether that was crop tops, funky printed pants, boots, and more. This made me a lot more happier and I feel that if I just dressed how every guy dresses then I would not be the person I am today.

Contact Info:

• Email: frankiexrivera@gmail.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/frankiexrivera
• Other: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZTdHBfpMK/

Image Credits
Toni Kennedy
Emily Nguyen
Fany Castro
Arlette Benavides