What's in my Bag? Interview #10: Lorena C.
I would love to have a glam squad and wardrobe squad at the ready in case of a mishap on my outfit
Q: What are the non-negotiable items in your bag right now and why can’t you leave the house without them?
Lorena: A must-have and non-negotiable item in my purse are my keys. I have my lip balm attached to keep my lips hydrated during the harsh Chicago winter weather.
Q: What is the most special item you carry in your bag and why?
Lorena: I would say my phone, not the phone itself, but I always place my fortune cookies on the back of my phone and I like to look at them when I’m feeling low.
Q: What is your go-to snack to carry in your bag?
Lorena: My go-to snack to carry is a bag of cranberry raisins. I have a sweet tooth and love getting my craving fix from natural sweets in hopes of starting some healthy habits.
Q: Is your bag more for utility or for style?
Lorena: I would say both. I like my purses to be on the smaller side as I don’t typically carry much more than the necessary items, and I love the look of a small, cute bag.
Q: What is your favorite bag in your collection, OR your dream bag?
Lorena: I can’t pick a favorite because I love all of them. It’s also hard to pick a favorite because there are such special backstories for each one of my purses. I have acquired many bags through visiting different states, country, or the bag being passed down from generation to generation.
Q: What is your favorite way to accessorize your bag? Or do you prefer to leave it clean and simple?
Lorena: I typically don’t accessorize them, but will pick smaller bags to go out or party, and the larger ones for running errands.
Q: What is your dream design feature that you wish more bags could have?
Lorena: I would say a portable charger! My phone is always on the verge of dying, and it usually happens with no notice, and I would hate to not have a battery. I would also like a compartment for a hidden Apple AirTag in case someone steals it or just for security purposes.
Q: What is an unconventional material you wish more bags were made of?
Lorena: I would love more bags to be made of recycled materials. I love seeing how @paula_votteler meticulously creates some of the most beautiful, beaded projects utilizing bottles.
Q: What is one unrealistic item you wish you could carry in your bag?
Lorena: I would love to have a glam squad and wardrobe squad at the ready in case of a mishap on my outfit, such as accidentally wearing the same outfit as someone at a party, or an accidental spill. This would also be great in instances where you feel over or underdressed for an event.
Q: What is your favorite style of bag?
Lorena: I love a small baguette bag! I love how compact and close to the body this bag is. It makes me feel safe and that I’ll be less likely to get pickpocketed.
Q: Who is your favorite bag designer?
Lorena: I love Dior’s bag designs, but I most enjoy finding unique and one-in-a-million purses while thrifting.
Q: What movie, book, and song are you bringing with you to a deserted island?
Lorena: Bad Bunny’s albums would help me enjoy being stuck on an island!
Q: Who are your style icons?
Lorena: My style icon has to be Selena Quintanilla. As a young child, I fell in love with her music, and when I got older, I learned about her fashion endeavors and loved how she pushed the boundaries of fashion but always kept it real and classy.
Q: Which three celebrity closets would you raid?
Lorena: I would love to raid Lupita Nyong’o’s, for her bold use of colors and playfulness in her wardrobe. In contrast, I love the baggy and comfortable but classy looks of Katie Holmes and Hailey Bieber’s styles. It allows for comfort and professionalism.
Q: What is an activity/sport/hobby you want to try that you have never tried before?
Lorena: I would love to dabble in content creation and working with brands. I think it would be fun to meet and network with people in a diverse array of businesses—learning and growing with them as creatives.
Q: If you could travel anywhere right this second, where would you go and why?
Lorena: I would love to go to Puerto Rico—it is such a beautiful island with so much life and love and most importantly, the most gorgeous beaches. I’m due for a good vacation!
Q: What is your current hyper-fixation/“roman empire”?
Lorena: My current hyper-fixation is learning more about financial literacy. Seeing my parents moving into retirement, I want to prepare myself financially to not only take care of them but also ensure I can take care of myself when I’m their age!
All about you…
Q: Where do you call home and what do you love most about it?
Lorena: Chicago is where my home is. Some of my favorite things about being in Chicago are that most of my family is here and the fact that you can see all 4 seasons very clearly from one place. I also love the community and how Chicagoans care for their people.
Q: What color do you associate with yourself and why?
Lorena: Pink! It seems like the color was assigned to me at birth by my dad, as he did with my two older sisters. Since then, I’ve been gifted all things pink and luckily, I love it. Pink is considered to be a girly color, but for me, it is more than just that—the color shows kindness, softness, uniqueness and most importantly, it isn’t for everyone, and that is what makes it special to me.
Q: What activities make for a perfect day and night?
Lorena: A perfect day would be waking up early and getting my day started with some soft tunes as I get ready. Go to the gym for an arm or full-body workout. Hit up a Latina-owned coffee shop and get a warm, sweet drink. Then working on my passion projects, such as content creation or on a pattern for a special garment. A dance break. Possibly go thrifting and then head home to cook dinner and eat with family and friends while watching “The Office” and playing a few rounds of “New Phone Who This” and then doing my night routine and going to sleep at 10 pm.
Q: What are your top three films/tv shows/songs?
Lorena:
Films:
Love, Rosie (2014)
Pride and Prejudice (2005)
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)
TV Shows:
The Office
The Mindy Project
Modern Family
Songs:
No Me Queda Más by Selena Quintanilla
Love Goes (ft. Labrinth) by Sam Smith
Anything Left by Samuel Aaron
Tell us more!
Hi, my name is Lorena Castro, a recent graduate of Columbia College. I would consider myself a creative. I love to create digitally and physically, from fashion design to scrapbooking. My most recent work was titled “Esta Es Mi Casa” and if you would love to see more of my work, follow me @fashion.by.lorenaa on Instagram!
To expand my newsletter’s “what’s in my bag?” segment a little further, I created a questionnaire for my closest friends and family to answer that I have now translated into interviews. The questions may be all about bags, but the answers unlock what makes each of us unique!
We carry all kinds of things in our bags. Our keys, our wallet, our phone… several crumpled receipts from long forgotten shopping sprees… the list goes on. But the most important thing we carry in our bags? Secrets! The secrets to who we are at our very core. These might not be tangible items, but as I like to say, if the eyes are the windows to the soul, than taking a look inside someone’s bag is like unlocking a hidden art gallery where all the exhibits are a piece of that person’s style and personality. While the bag we carry can say a lot about us from the outside, it’s all about what’s inside. Our bags are often filled with the items we can’t be parted from. Just like how we collect memories, we collect little pieces from our adventures and slowly build a puzzle that reflects who we are. Opening our bags is like opening the doors to our inner-creative worlds.
If you enjoyed this interview, please like and share this post, subscribe to my Substack if you haven’t already, and if you would ever want to be interviewed for the segment, please leave a comment below and I’ll get in touch with more details!
Ciao for now,
