SAN JUAN, Texas (KVEO) — One San Juan resident is looking to the past for inspiration for her future, garnering over 29 thousand Instagram followers through her ’60s and ’70s inspired outfits.
By the time we are in college, some of us have long forgotten our middle school obsessions. For 21-year-old San Juan resident, Lupita McCartney, her obsession carried on and grew into a persona with a large following on social media.
Lupita is not afraid to stand out from the crowd, from her looks to her name, she pays tribute to an era that most only appreciate through music and photographs.
“The Beatles [pretty much] paved the way for the person I am today,” said Lupita, as she points to the numerous posters around her bedroom walls.
McCartney is not Lupita’s real last name, it’s the name she chooses to go by as a tribute to Paul McCartney, co-vocalist and bass player of The Beatles.
She not only honors them through her name but through her vibrant retro wardrobe that she tops off with the appropriate hairstyles and makeup.
“Once I started getting older, I wanted to dress like their fans in the ’60s, like how they did back in the day. So that’s pretty much how I started dressing up vintage,” said Lupita.
To find the unique pieces, Lupita says she shops at thrift stores and she has also had some custom made by friends and herself.
She says she has collected so much retro clothing that she does not have any more ‘normal’ clothing. “Even my pajamas are retro. I even have socks,” she said.
She began posting her look on social media five years ago. Her social media photos and videos are of her dressed in retro looks, often holding flowers or wearing quirky earrings.
Recently, her Instagram page saw significant growth because of one video that was viewed eight million times.
That growth however, came at a price.
She explained that a lot of engagement that was driving the growth was negative. Some of the people who were commenting believed the ’60s and ’70s were bad times due to the war and racism that existed and should therefore not be ‘glorified.’
“There were people defending my video, like, ‘no she just likes the aesthetic,’ so I feel like it was a combination of people hating me and people defending me that made the video blow up so big,” said Lupita. She modestly explains that there was nothing in particular that stood out about that video in comparison to her other videos.
“There’s always going to be so much negativity out there, and if you’re not prepared to take it, it’s going to be really hard. I remember the month before that video blew up, I was doing really bad mentally like I couldn’t even look at myself in the mirror,”
The online trolls attacked Lupita’s appearance as well, but she is thankful that she had learned to embrace herself before all the hate came.
“I’m so thankful that it blew up just in time when I was mentally more stable and more accepting of myself.”
Lupita feels that her social media presence is a way to encourage others. Not just for those battling self esteems issues, but also for those who do not feel included. She recalls being one of the only Hispanics in the scene and feeling like an outsider.
“[The scene] has grown so much and I feel like now I’m able to be an inspiration for other Hispanic women in the community because when I first started there was no one to look up to,” said Lupita. “It really makes me happy because I’ve been seeing the diversity grow in it as well.”
Lupita can be found on YouTube, Tiktok, and Instagram.
