Rachel is the owner of L.A. Styles–a wedding and quinceañera dress store located in the heart of Toppenish. Her personal, cultural understanding of a quince (15 years) celebration as an important rite of passage heavily informs the way she approaches different levels of her business. From guiding young women and men through selecting clothing, symbolic and traditional accessories, meaningful backdrops and other personal touches–Rachel empowers her costumers to find in their quinceañera celebration a voice of their own, marking their transition to adulthood. “Make this YOURS” she often advises them.
We were fortunate to interview Rachel multiple times during the 2018 Cultural Traditions Survey. We are currently working to edit some of the video with her*, so you can learn more about quince celebrations and Rachel’s part in pulling them off in the Yakima Valley. Check back soon!
*Production assistance provided by Western Washington University student interns Mickey Wells and Amber Holloway-Cook.
The Yakima Valley Cultural Traditions Survey is generously funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts: Art Works (2018) and by the Yakima Valley Community Foundation (2018, 2019).
