— PROJECT
VLY GRL
— ROLE
Owner
Branding
Design
Illustration
Social Media
Layout Design
— TOOLS
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Photoshop
Procreate
Big Cartel
ShipStation
— DATE
2016-Present
Inspired by my hometown, the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County, I created VLY GRL to smash stereotypes while flexing my design and illustration skills. The Valley gets a bad rap thanks to 80s pop culture, but our stories are unique, multidimensional, and far more nuanced than Hollywood has portrayed. So I started making pins, stickers, and apparel for femmes like myself who wanted to represent their hood on their own terms. I started a movement to redefine the term "Valley Girl," and it caught on.
Taking it further, I kicked off the VLY GRL Zine, a collection of visual art, poetry, short fiction, and essays by creative women and gender expansive people from or residing in the San Fernando Valley. There are currently three volumes, and it has been a platform for the VLY GRL community to share our unique lived experiences and let the world know that we’re more than just an outdated cliché.
In 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, vlygrl.com garnered a 74% conversion rate increase (8% compared to 4.6% in 2019). In July 2022, VLY GRL received a Certificate of Recognition from the California State Legislature for our partnership with the Getty Museum and their 25th Anniversary Celebration.
Through the sale of certain VLY GRL products, VLY GRL has been able to donate a percentage of proceeds to various organizations. In 2020 alone, we raised $168 for Rainbow Railroad, $66 for typhoon relief for Kids for Kids Philippines, $78 for The Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES), and $56 for the Black Trans Advocacy Coalition's COVID-19 Relief Fund. In 2021, we raised $372 to donate to AAPI Women Lead, Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, and Asian Americans Advancing Justice.
VLY GRL at the Getty Museum's 25th Anniversary Celebration in Reseda, CA in July 2022. Filmed by Jeff Estrada
Alisa at Los Angeles Zine Fest in 2024
Collaboration with A Kid from the Valley, November 2022
Collaboration candle with Valley Girl Apothecary, January 2021
Collaboration with Meet the (818), August 2021
Bookmark for Tia Chucha’s Centro Cultural & Bookstore’s Celebrating Words Festival, May 2021
VLY GRL at the inaugural Valley Fest in Canoga Park, CA in August 2021. Filmed by Jeff Estrada