Scene Kids of the Rio Grande Valley pays homage to the subcultures nestled in Brownsville, a town located near the border
of Texas with Mexico, and the unique hairstyles that emerge from it. One hairstylist in particular--Draven--dominates the scene.
The first time I saw one of Draven’s haircuts in the wild was at Baby Arcade, a small clothing shop in McAllen, Texas. The employee
ringing up my items had vibrant pink zebra stripes casdaing from their roots; instinctively, I asked where they had gotten their dye
job from. Seeing such a hairstyle in a smaller town bordering Mexico immediately generated a real curiosity towards the underbelly
of the region. That same night, after encountering several others at a local music who also revealed that they were Draven’s clients,
I realized there was a story to tell.
I’m fascinated by this intersection between hairstyles reminiscent of iconic silhouettes from Japan’s Visual Kei
or Shamate in Southern China and those rooted in Mexican emo culture--so influential that their legacy has gone viral
(see #ParaRecordar: El día en que emos se enfrentaron a punketos en la Glorieta de Insurgentes on Youtube). I associate
many of these hair shapes and patterns with East Asia as a result of my proximity to its subcultures, and to see them
reimagined on diverse bodies within the landscape of the South feels both fresh and groundbreaking.
Not only am I intrigued by the narrative itself, I believe Draven deserves great attention for the construction
of life he seems to be contributing to. Beyond the artistry if the growth of a culture that brings vibrance to
The Valley as a hotbed of adolescent angst, societal rebellion, and idiosyncratic personal expression.
