Marlene and Maira Delgadillo, twin sisters, remember their ninth birthday celebration with great detail. They recall the identical cheetah print clothes they wore, the dance floor they built up in the living room, the two pink cakes they had, and the matching pink pi ata they demonstrated to their friends.
You might wonder what made this party so unique. Growing up, it was their sole birthday celebration.
According to Maira Delgadillo, our dad’s side of the family was Catholic, while our mom’s side was Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Thus, we didn’t commemorate any holidays, birthdays, or other special occasions. Delgadillo Marlene added.
Despite the fact that their Alief household did not celebrate birthdays, the sisters may have tended toward celebrations as a result. As they became older, they took on the role of unofficial party planners for their extended family and, in 2020, they opened their own party décor business, Culture Confetti.
In order to address a gap that emerged as they grew up balancing two identities—one based on their Mexican ancestry and the other on their American life—Marlene and Maira Delgadillo, both 28 years old, decided to start making party products in Spanish.
Growing up and not seeing any of this available is the primary issue for us, Marlene added. It seems like it’s just getting started. Some of your t-shirts are in Spanish.
“Yes,” Maira remarked, “you would never see a shirt with something like pan dulce on it when you were growing up.” It did seem like you were trying to disguise the fact that we are really Mexican.
In order to appeal to the many Houstonians who speak Spanglish and have similar cultural backgrounds, they now design and sell glittering, rhinestone-filled, colorful tiaras and sashes for every occasion, from birthday themes like Cumplea era and Es Mi Cumplea os to bridal themes like La Novia or holidays like Feliz Navidad and Feliz A o.
Puro pinche hustle
During the pandemic, the twin sisters, who frequently complete each other’s sentences or begin the same idea together, decided to use their ingenuity and started creating their own headbands.
Using a Cricut machine that they purchased to begin product testing, Cultura Confetti created their first design, a Puro Pinche Party headband. They put some of their proven products up for sale on Etsy, an online marketplace that lets artists open a virtual store and sell directly to consumers.
According to Marlene, we also performed other Valentine’s Day songs, such as Amigas Por Vida and Yo Perreo Sola (headband). Additionally, we received a few orders, mostly from friends.
They discovered that no one was producing the goods they had in mind when they looked them up online. They claimed that the few headbands they could make themselves sold out fast.
They sensed that many individuals wanted to make their virtual festivities feel more special, even though they were mainly confined to their homes at the time. A headband added a unique touch to an on-screen celebration in addition to being aesthetically pleasing.
Although they enjoyed making these goods, their ultimate goal was to see them on store shelves. They were aware that their do-it-yourself approach would not work.
According to Marlene, if they were manufactured by hand using the Cricuit, they wouldn’t seem good enough for retail establishments.
Maira continued, “And, like, glued on with hot glue.” They had to resemble a final product more.
They stopped producing these things at home and looked for manufacturing firms that could enhance the appearance of their goods. They eventually located a company capable of producing small quantities, and now they serve local shops such as Sew Bonita in Corpus Christi, Ozziry’s Boutique at the Ironworks, and Miradela on Navigation.
All of Maira’s and Marlene’s items are still packaged at home. It provides them with a chance to assess quality. Additionally, it enables them to keep employing themed packaging with custom printing that conveys a little message from them to their client.
According to their message, “We hope our band can help our community feel valued, inspired, and connected.” incorporating culture into your festivities in a genuine way.
Celebrating cultura
The two sisters were raised in a world with two cultures, just like many young Latinas and Latinos in the United States. They claimed that they frequently felt the need to act less Mexican because their entire identity didn’t always fit in outside of their home.
Their brand is an invitation for others to embrace their complete selves without apology, and the items they make are a celebration of what it means to be who they are.
For whom are you producing goods? reads a brand-related social media post. The younger generation? Of course, yes! Additionally, there was the generation that had nothing. similar to our mother. This is also for you.
Photos of their customers wearing Cultura Confetti goods to celebrate their special day abound on the company’s social media accounts. The posts feature ladies of all ages wearing headbands and sashes from the Cumplea era, Es Mi Cumple, or La Novia.
The twins stated that each picture is unique and helps them feel more connected to their neighborhood. However, it seems much more satisfying to see pictures of older generations using their items.
According to Marlene, the daughters typically purchase them for their mothers. I think that it makes them feel extra special, like healing their inner child, in a way, because maybe they didn t grow up having that.
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