Anastasia Willow Sanchez, 19
From head to toe, what are you wearing?
My entire outfit is composed of hand-me-downs from my mom. They are all vintage pieces that she grew up with or thrifted in the 90s. My shoes were a gift.
How do you express yourself?
Voguing.
What’s the best thing about being young today?
Having the ability to share our art/interests online and being inspired by other people’s work that we wouldn’t have had access to before social media.
Who are your heroes?
Tilikum, the orca. He died the day after my birthday!
How is Venice Beach different from the rest of the country?
Growing up, my dad would tell me about the skate scene that came out of Venice. He moved to LA to be part of the Dogtown scene. Venice has always been home to an eclectic mix of artists and other creatives. Unfortunately, like so many other cities, gentrification has pushed many of these people out. But you can still see the synchronized roller skaters that’ve been skating since the 70s.
Eva Chambers, 17
From head to toe, what are you wearing?
My jacket, shirt, and shoes are from Squaresville (a vintage store in Los Feliz), cargo pants American Rag, sunglasses Urban Outfitters, and my socks are from Uniqlo.
How do you express yourself?
Mind power, not mom jeans.
Who are your heroes?
Kermit the Frog and Rowlf the Dog. They are clever and unselfish.
What do you wish Washington politicians would focus on?
Not letting a large group of old white dudes sign a document regarding a woman’s reproductive health.
Quinn Diaz, 20
How do you express yourself?
I think I best express myself through my art, my clothes, and my stance on politics.
What’s the best thing about being young today?
The best thing about being young today is that the youth are more connected than ever because of the internet. Young adults now have the capability to share their experiences, feelings, views, and are able to reach thousands of people.
Who are your heroes?
Undocumented folk in the US, people affected by the US exploiting their countries, the people in the intersection of being a person of color and LGBTQ+, and everyone who is currently fighting to protect themselves and others from white supremacy.
What do you hope to do in the future?
I wanted to go to college up north. But after being kicked out of my house for coming out as trans, I had to get a job and just figure out how to survive. It was a big setback, but I’m hoping that I’ll be able to go to college eventually.
What’s the biggest misconception about your generation?
The biggest misconception about my generation is that we’re sensitive or “snowflakes”. I think my generation is one of the strongest and bravest ones and that we’re going to make big changes in the world. If being politically correct makes me sensitive, I’ll embrace my sensitivity until I die!
Romy, 17, and Axel, 17
From head to toe, what are you wearing?
Axel: A black Palace cap that my homie gave me after I lost my other hat at a show. A white Supreme x Thrasher hoodie, a Jeff Gordon XL kids costume I bought and got Romy to turn into pants for me, white Palace socks, and cream Ozweegos II.
Romy: I’m wearing my barbed wire choker, my grandma’s Russian cross necklace, my mom’s “Sayonara Tokyo” t-shirt that I cropped, and an XL pink fur coat from my love — it’s my favorite jacket ever and the coziest.
Who are your heroes?
Romy: My heroes include Stanley Kubrick, Bob Marley, John Lennon, Alexander McQueen, Lady Gaga, Rick Owens, Amy Winehouse, my mom, my sister Ella, Snoop Dogg, Axel, and the island of Hawaii. Oh, and Lil B The Based God.
Axel: The main people I look up to are my homies. Most of my inspiration for my music comes from my bros and OGs like DJ Paul and Screw.
What’s the best thing about being young today?
Axel: Websites like SoundCloud and Instagram making your art and brand way more accessible to people.
How is Venice Beach different from the rest of the country?
Axel: She’s shameless and unforgiving.
Gabby Alas, 19
From head to toe, what are you wearing?
A faded black Harley Davidson tank top with a long-sleeve mesh shirt underneath it. High waisted black slacks that are short enough to show off my Virgin Mary socks paired with my black platforms. My satin backpack has a fake Chanel logo on the front of it.
What’s the best thing about being young today?
I feel like being young is an excuse for us to not take life so seriously. Which is something that I’d say is prominent in my generation.
What are your hopes for 2018?
My News Years resolution is to be more punctual. I’m always running late.
What do you wish Washington politicians would focus on?
Education! The whole education system needs change desperately.
What’s the biggest misconception about your generation?
A lot of adults assume this generation is extremely materialistic. They think all we care about is our phones or taking a “selfie”.
How is Venice Beach different from the rest of the country?
I think Venice Beach is unlike anywhere else because of how diverse it is. On the boardwalk you can see the original skater/surf/hippie scene. Just a street up on Abbot Kinney you can see the money-driven side. There’s a ton of tiny overpriced stores and restaurants that are trying to change the weirdness of Venice Beach.
Pearl de Luna, 21
From head to toe, what are you wearing?
Sunglasses from a vintage shop in LA, my dad’s old polar neck (which I cut up), an Opening Ceremony cardigan, a corduroy black shirt (which I also cut up), Chinese burgundy silk trousers from Chinatown, my great-grandmother’s ring, and a ring my mom made when she was younger.
How do you express yourself?
I’m a musician, so mostly through music and writing. I also love to draw.
What’s the best thing about being young today?
I think the best thing about being young today is that we have access to so many opportunities, from traveling to meeting people and being heard. There are so many more platforms available to get to where you want. It’s more direct and means we don’t have to rely so much on third parties. We can just do it ourselves.
Who are your heroes?
Lee “Scratch” Perry, George Clinton, Yayoi Kusama, and Nina Simone.
How is Venice Beach different from the rest of the country?
I feel like Venice Beach has almost created its own little microcosm. It almost feels as if you’re in a bubble. Everyone is just living in the moment.
Amindi K. Frost, 17
From head to toe, what are you wearing?
My earrings are handmade by my good friend Olivia Maybank, my shirt is a sort of parody of classic hood swap meet tees! Keanu is on it — I love that movie and I love Key & Peele. My pants used to be overalls, but I cut the top off! My shoes are classic eggshell Vans Sk8-His. My jacket is one of three. The only other people that own one are my best friends who I started my clothing line with — it’s called Mindsets Against Setbacks (MAS for short). It’s a positive movement and initiative we’ve had going for about four years now.
Who are your heroes?
My parents, my fearless friends, and myself.
What do you want to do after high school?
I want to make music until I die. I want to be able to make a living off of being creative. I want to be able to touch people and help them in whatever I do.
What are your hopes for the future?
I want recognition and love. I want to be so surrounded by love to the point that I’m overwhelmed! I want to feel like a big ole’ eight-foot deep pool of accomplishments (which is wild because I’m 5’1 and can’t swim.)
How is Venice Beach different from the rest of the country?
It feels a bit freer than other places.
