Eliza Romero is a style blogger/photographer/pop culture critic at Aesthetic Distance. She publishes outfit photos every week 
within a personal blog post about her feelings about race, especially when it comes to Asian American issues, fashion, gender, politics, anything really. Eliza also shoots fashion editorials for her blog using her own personal style aesthetic and she always tries to book male and female models of color. These editorials are usually submitted for publication in a fashion magazine. She is doing her little part to get people of color better representation in the media, which is one of Eliza’s missions with her brand.
Eliza shares how stepping out on her own instead of conforming to society has led her to creating her successful blog that now serves as a community and a calling.
Bio
Eliza Romero is a style blogger/photographer/pop culture critic at Aesthetic Distance
Cultural Background
Eliza is of Filipina descent.
Favorite Self Confidence Quote
Beauty is a social construct amplified by race.
Definition of Self Confidence
Self confidence is to support other women and to take more risks. Eliza loves hearing stories from her followers about how they decided to travel by themselves or start their business or get an apartment by themselves in a new city.
Her Life Before the Discovery of Self Confidence
Eliza grew in a predominantly non-Asian culture as a child. Living in Baltimore, the population was mostly caucasian and she assimilated with that culture which had a major impact of how she saw herself growing up.
The “AHA” Moment
Eliza experimented alot with her self from her clothes to her to hair which sometimes ended up conforming with the crowd. She also landed job where she had to dress more conservatively and even thought about removing her tattoo which made her unhappy. What was worse that her family and friends applauded Eliza for what she was doing.
Eliza quit her job and ran off to Austin, TX, away from everyone where she could just be herself on my own terms. She bounced around a lot during her early twenties but somewhere along the way, she read that quote that she mentioned earlier: beauty is a social construct amplified by pop culture.
This really inspired Eliza. That was her AHA moment. She realized how much of what we think and do is controlled by what we look at in the movies we watch, what we see on TV, who is popular at the moment, what clothing is in style, the political climate and so on.
Her Life After the Discovery of Self Confidence
After Eliza’s discovery, she didn’t just suddenly pick up and start blogging and taking pictures. She finished grad school, she got my MFA in photography and digital video. She was a stay-at-home mom for a while. It was still a years-long process of really finding herself and she thinks she is still evolving.
Eliza didn’t start her blog until she really felt comfortable in her own skin and her mission. Now every decision she makes fits into her mission and worldview.
The One Self Confidence Tip For the Listener
You have to do things on your own, be alone for a while. I think they’re also afraid of what people will think of them. Do the exact thing that you are afraid of doing.
Interview Links
Would you like to make a donation?
Click here to make a donation to support the podcast.
