We were lucky to catch up with Selina Barajas recently and have shared our conversation below.

Selina, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Naming anything – including a business – is so hard. Right? What’s the story behind how you came up with the name of your brand?

Since I can remember, my nana Erlinda Gallego used to call me and her granddaughters “Mi Reina” or “My Queen.” From an early age, I knew the definition of what it meant to be a real “Reina.” Reina translates to much more than physical beauty, but strength, wisdom, empathy and compassion. I feel so blessed to be surrounded by women who carry these traits and honor them. I decided to name our mobile boutique “Mi Reina” to pay homage to my grandmother (who is no longer alive) and to carry on her legacy to our daughters, Sofia Luna and Mia Sol.

In 2016, Mi Reina Mobile Boutique was launched in Tucson, Arizona. Our goal is to make everyone who visits us feel like a queen, inside and out. I want women to visit Mi Reina Mobile Boutique and feel like they can have the opportunity to share who they are and be able to express themselves through fashion. If someone cannot make it to one of our events, Mi Reina will go directly to them, especially those who are dealing with depression and anxiety or just want to try something innovative. Now, as a mother of two girls, I want to leave behind a strong, positive impression just like my grandmother left on us.

Selina, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Mi Reina is a renovated, vintage trailer that has been offering fashion — and more — since 2016. We are proud to be Tucson’s only mobile boutique that sells new clothing and accessories. Each item we bring into Mi Reina Mobile Boutique is hand-picked, curated and designed for the reinas. I grew up shopping mostly at big department stores (i.e. Mervyn’s, Ross) and thrift stores (i.e. Twice as Nice, Buffalo Exchange, Good Will). My mom, Gracie always reminded me to purchase something I would feel comfortable to wear for the entire day (and at a reasonable price). I am not one to identify as a fashionista, but I know what makes me feel beautiful. This is what I strive for when I select each fashion piece or accessory item. I carry the majority of sizes (from extra small to 3xl) and different styles from athleisure to formal dresses. When I bring items inside of Mi Reina, I think of the reinas who continue to support our path. I can envision specific women wearing certain items because I am a reflection of them. I have been so fortunate to see some of them wear our pieces to graduations, date nights, speaking engagements, to their job and taking their babies out for an errand. It fills my heart with bliss when I get to see the smile and confidence on their face.

The retail component of our piece is our economic engine. It is what maintains our business from staying open. The other component is the community-building aspect. Rather than setting up my mobile boutique alone, I collaborate with other reinas, primarily small-business owners, and promote empowerment and we inspire one another. Throughout the year, we host events and pop-ups that highlight other small businesses and believe in the power of bringing people together, especially on the south side of town. We like to invest in Tucson’s south side region because this is the area that helped raise me and where my grandparents and great grandparents raised their families. This geographic location has historically been neglected and we would like to continue to highlight the richness of this community through events, experiences, conversations and collaborations. We like to bring Mi Reina Mobile Boutique into neighborhoods that do not have local clothing boutiques, build community and hold space while supporting the local economy. There is so much value and beauty in bringing the community together in a positive light because this will ultimately contribute to making Tucson a vibrant place to be, especially for future generations.

For our next adventure, we would like to expand into a more permanent space; a commercial development venture that will allow our community of reinas to meet daily and cultivate the relationships we have witnessed. I do not know exactly what it will be but we would like to one day open a brick and mortar one day; a space that will truly allow us to invest in the geographic location we love. Our goal is to build generational wealth for our family and community. A safe space for the reinas to celebrate their uniqueness and a place where we can all dream!

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

As a fourth-generation Tucsonan, my roots have always been here, even while I was away. I moved to Los Angeles in 2008, received my Master’s Degree in Urban Planning from UCLA and spent a decade of my life learning and growing from the various communities I worked and lived in, from Santa Monica to Inglewood. These life experiences shaped my perspective on advocating for social, cultural and economic development initiatives with the community. The street view, economic (community) development and being mobile is something I wanted to bring to Mi Reina Mobile Boutique. I also wanted to open a business in my hometown, specifically on the southside of town – something that would focus on social entrepreneurship, women empowerment and community. I learned so much while I was away and when I moved back to Tucson in 2018, I was able to apply everything I learned and experience to our business.

When we opened Mi Reina Mobile Boutique, the community embraced us because we are the community. I am the demographic market I shop for. So, it comes natural and authentic when I think of items to bring or events to host. I have a huge family and cousins everywhere I turn! I know these Tucson streets really well because generations of my family have cruised on them. My parents, grandparents and great grandparents have lived in the areas we now return to. Because of this, others already felt connected to Mi Reina Mobile Boutique before we officially launched. Their stories are also our stories.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

We strive to stay innovative and transparent with our community of reinas. Our journey has never been smooth. Like the streets, we have experienced detours, roadblocks, dead ends and new routes. In our social media platforms, we strive to showcase the ins and outs of our journey and not everything we do has a beautiful filter. It is important for us to showcase each step of our adventure. In the beginning of Mi Reina, it was important for us to have the original renovation images of our 1961 Siesta Liner and 1957 Classic Chevy; the images of the trailer with a gutted floor or of the truck with no door. My dad and others worked on the vacant, broken down vintage trailer and truck parked outside my parent’s backyard for a whole year before it was back on the road. We did not wait to start our social media account to display what you see today, the beautiful, glossy turquoise Chevy and trailer. Rather, I wanted to illustrate the backstory of Mi Reina on our posts, IG stories, Facebook, Twitter and now TikTok accounts. This is how we started to build our audience base, our social media viewers. We wanted them to witness the complete restoration process and celebrate the success and momentum with us.

When I first started Mi Reina Mobile Boutique, it was a huge leap because in 2016, my family and I were living in Los Angeles. Although we would come back and forth, it was often overwhelming because I could not meet in person with the majority of our supporters, so I heavily relied on social media in our early days to stay connected and relevant. I would share pictures of our journey from the trailer, to the fashion items we were selling, to a special quote, to someplace I was visiting with my family. I wanted the reinas to see a glimpse of my life and the why; the holistic story of Mi Reina Mobile Boutique. Now, we are back in Tucson returning home has allowed us to (re) connect and establish new collaborations, some that I have met via social media. These collaborations are so important to share on social media; it shows the power of connection. It has been very exciting and inspiring to witness.

Here are some tips I have learned throughout these past five years:

-Be authentic in everything you share.
-Correspondence is key! Respond to each message, post, and story.
-When you share, make sure it fits within your brand.
-Follow others who inspire you and strive to collaborate with them.
-Stay innovative and do not follow the trend; be you!
-Post and share daily (at least try).

Contact Info:

• Website: www.mireinamobileboutique.com
• Instagram: @mireina_mobileboutique
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mireinamobileboutique/
• Twitter: @mireina_mobileboutique
• Other: Tik Tok: @mireinamobileboutique

Image Credits
Karissa Morales, Vanity of Images @vanityofimages Captured Candids LLC @capturedcandidsphotobooth Oldies But Goodies Photography @oldiesbutgoodiespix