MAKERS@Home with Karla Martinez de Salas

Karla Martinez de Salas, Vogue Mexico Editor-in-Chief, joins journalist Lilliana Vazquez to discuss her move from El Paso, Texas to enter the world of magazine publishing in New York City. From W to Elle, and now “Vogue Mexico and Latin America” Martinez de Salas has made strides in promoting the LatinX culture and voice, especially with such daring and revolutionary covers as putting the first-ever indigenous person on a “Vogue” cover, Yalitza Aparicio.

Video Transcript

LILLIANA VAZQUEZ: Hey, everybody, and welcome to another edition of MAKERS@Home. My name is Lilliana Vazquez. I am a host and producer on "E! News," and I am very fortunate to be here at MAKERS Women today.

Dyllan, our fearless leader, has very generously shared this platform with me all during Latinx Heritage Month, and for that, I'm so incredibly grateful. I'm also grateful for all of you that are joining. I see all of you coming in now. Hello, everyone. Welcome to MAKERS@Home.

I'm going to be joined by Karla Martinez de Salas. She is the Editor-in-Chief of two magazines, "Vogue Mexico" and "Vogue Latin America." She is a true champion for diversity and has led the way when it comes to diversity in mainstream media, specifically with a cover that I know you guys all saw and rooted for. It might have moved some of you to tears, and that was the cover of "Vogue Mexico" with Yalitza Aparicio on the cover back in 2019.

We are going to be chatting with her about what it means to lead this industry that has historically been very exclusive and how Karla is using her identity-- Karla is Mexican like I am. She grew up in El Paso, Texas-- and how she's using the power of her identity and her culture to ask and demand for change in this industry. She has been an incredible pioneer. Her story is inspiring, and I cannot wait for you guys to get a chance to know her a little bit better.

Hispanic Heritage Month or Latinx Heritage Month, it has two names in this country. Here at MAKERS Women, we like to say Latinx Heritage Month because we find the word more inclusive.

Latinx Heritage Month runs from September 15 through October 15 every year, and not only is it important to people in the Latinx community but it's even more important, I think, to the greater community. And that is because at MAKERS, we believe that our allies and advocates are here to help and especially help communities that are underrepresented across all industries.

And even though we are almost 60 million strong in the United States, we are grossly underrepresented across so many industries-- an industry that I'm a part of, which is media, but also in politics, in business, in venture capital, in beauty, in fashion. And that's why Latinx Heritage Month is so important because it not only amplifies the incredible work and the amazing contributions that Latinx communities have contributed to the United States but it lets the rest of the world know that we are here and that our success and splendor should be part of this country in a way that hasn't made room for it in the past.

So that is why Latinx Heritage Month is so important. I hope you'll join us in our celebration. This MAKERS@Home series is just one of the ways that we celebrate everything that it means to be Latinx.

There she is.

KARLA MARTINEZ DE SALAS: Hi.

LILLIANA VAZQUEZ: Hi.

KARLA MARTINEZ DE SALAS: I'm so sorry. My phone went bananas and kind of locked me out. And, of course, when you-- like, I was staring at the apple for so long, and I was like, oh my God. This is going to take forever. How are you, Lilliana? Nice to see you.

LILLIANA VAZQUEZ: Karla, it's so good to see you. You look beautiful. I am so excited for this conversation. And I was saying-- I don't know if you caught this, but in my role at E!, I do get to interview some amazing men and women, but I have been looking forward to this conversation with you for so long. So thank you for saying yes to this interview, and thank you for being a part of the MAKERS Women family.

KARLA MARTINEZ DE SALAS: Thank you for inviting me. When I put it on my Instagram, my friend Joseph and Tanya Ortega were like, oh my God, Lilliana. It's so nice that you're going to be together. So that makes me really excited and really happy that two Latinas can be on Yahoo MAKERS. That's so exciting.

LILLIANA VAZQUEZ: I know, and not just two Latinas, two Latinas Mexicanas, both Texas girls.

KARLA MARTINEZ DE SALAS: Yeah. Where are you from?

LILLIANA VAZQUEZ: I am from Fort Worth, Texas.

KARLA MARTINEZ DE SALAS: Oh wow. I'm from El Paso, kind of the forgotten child which I like to say because everyone always used to say when I was growing-- when I moved to New York everyone would be like, where are you from? Like, El Paso. They're like, yeah, I drove through there when I was going to Disneyland once, you know, or Mexicans when they were, like, going up to Colorado to ski or something, you know?

I feel like it's-- now I love going back, but when I was growing up there, you know, it wasn't like Dallas where you had a million things to do. But now I kind of appreciate that more, right?

LILLIANA VAZQUEZ: Absolutely. And I think I read in my research for this that when you were first applying to jobs in New York City, somebody asked you in HR what's a girl from El Paso doing in New York City wanting to work in fashion?

KARLA MARTINEZ DE SALAS: Yeah, it's crazy, right? I mean, I was like, wow. You're in HR. You're not supposed to be asking that. But, you know, I feel like we're getting there. You know, we're coming-- we've gone a long way, right?

LILLIANA VAZQUEZ: We definitely have, and I'm so excited because I think your journey has been so inspiring. And, you know, it's in an industry that personally, you know, I've worked in for many, many years, and I faced a lot of those same questions when I was first starting out in fashion. You and I are also both "W" magazine alums, so we actually share a lot.

KARLA MARTINEZ DE SALAS: We have so many things in common.

LILLIANA VAZQUEZ: I want you to tell everybody, how did you get that first big break in the industry, especially coming from El Paso and moving to New York? And, you know, I can tell you all this. Texas to New York City is not just like 2,000 miles away. It is like a world away.

KARLA MARTINEZ DE SALAS: Exactly, especially El Paso. I mean, it's a small town. I went to school in Arizona in Tucson, which is also another small town. And I remember my friend Loretta who lives in New York now was like, oh, I'm going to do an internship at Nicole Miller this summer. And I was like, what am I going to do? I don't want to, like, do filing at my dad's office again.

So I literally opened "W" when it was like the huge, you know, newspaper format, and I called every, like, you know, ad, like, agent-- like every advertising-- you know, it said, like, office in New York, and I called.

And I like to say that that was kind of my first big break because someone picked up the phone and someone was like, you want to intern here? And I was like, yeah. They're like, can you send your resume and fly to New York? And I was like, of course. And my mom was like, what? What are you going to New York for?

And I remember she, like, called her friend's-- like a friend of hers from Florida, because my parents lived in Florida-- her daughter and was like, can my daughter stay at your house? I mean, really, like, now that I think back, I think of, like, someone calling me to ask if their kid can, like, come stay with me because they have an interview. I think it's insane.

But I ended up getting that first internship, and I think that kind of really opened the door. So I always think of like when people email me or call me or now in like the case of a DM, I always-- I always, like, write back and say, like, email me or-- the ones I don't write back to are the ones that just say like hi. And you're like, OK. Like, who are you?

Like, introduce yourself. Don't make it like-- I'm sure this happens to you as well because people, like, want to, like, talk to you, and they figure like the DM is kind of like the new--

LILLIANA VAZQUEZ: Yeah.

KARLA MARTINEZ DE SALAS: --I guess--

LILLIANA VAZQUEZ: It's the new cold email.

KARLA MARTINEZ DE SALAS: Yeah, exactly, or like the new kind of cold calling and then someone that's, like, nice picks up the phone. So I always like to respond to them.

LILLIANA VAZQUEZ: Hope someone's nice. And, Karla, once you got to New York, you were able to really find your footing and find your success. What would you say was one of the biggest and most unexpected challenges that you faced when you finally got to New York?

KARLA MARTINEZ DE SALAS: Well, I think, you know, once you live in New York and once you get there-- I was super, you know, lucky that I had parents that were really supportive. And my dad was a doctor, and he was-- he came, you know, from Mexico and did his residency in Orlando. And, you know, he was given, like, a lot of opportunities, and so he always kind of reminded me of that. And, you know, they let me do, like, crazy things like go to New York for an interview and really supported me.

But I think just once being there, you know, you know what it's like. It's like going to this big city, you think, you know, you can afford everything and, you know, be able to pay your rent and go out every weekend because of course you have to meet people. And that was, you know, a real challenge is kind of like being like, oh my God. I don't have money in this paycheck. What am I going to do, sit in my apartment all day? And yes, you know, you had to sit in your apartment and kind of--

I have a friend that was really, really good at always being like, well, I won't meet you guys for dinner, but I'll meet you guys for drinks. You know, and I was always the dumb one that was like of course, you know, I'll go out to dinner and, like, then at the end of the month didn't have any money, you know?

LILLIANA VAZQUEZ: Yeah, food's expensive.

KARLA MARTINEZ DE SALAS: Yeah. Going out is expensive. So that, I think, was one of the biggest challenges.

I knew that when I moved there that I was going to go and work crazy hours and probably get coffee for people that, you know, weren't very nice, but I kind of just was so excited to be there that I took it with stride. And in the end, I think those are all learning experiences that we all get so much from, right?

LILLIANA VAZQUEZ: Absolutely. And let's talk a little bit about what the face of the industry looked like when you first started versus how it looks now. As somebody from El Paso, Mexican, did you see your face reflected in the workplace when you were starting?

KARLA MARTINEZ DE SALAS: You know, not so much. Like I definitely remember, like, when I worked at "Elle," for example, Nina Garcia was from Colombia-- is from Colombia. And she was one of my bosses, but I worked there briefly. And then I went to work at American "Vogue," and certainly, like, there were very few of us that even spoke Spanish. And even the ones that did speak Spanish didn't look like me, you know?

And yes. I mean, I think in the workplace there were definitely few Mexicans, few Hispanics in general. I think that has changed quite a bit.

When I worked at "W," you know, Alex Gonzalez, who was the creative director, is Cuban, and his partner Raul Martinez is now the creative director of all of Condé Nast, and he's also Cuban. And I think that's amazing, and he's been in the industry for a while. But I do think that I was always excited to see, like, another Spanish speaker and someone that looked like me.

And, I mean, I'm sure that you can relate, but, like, even in magazines, like, you know, we kind of just accepted it in a way. Like, I was always-- I was super excited when we shot Salma, but that was it. You know what I mean? It was just Salma or just J.Lo, right?

LILLIANA VAZQUEZ: Yeah, and I think that's what I think we're finally understanding is that it's not OK-- nothing against these women. They're incredible and each iconic in their own way. But we need to expand our view of who should be on a cover, and I think that's the point of view that you brought in your role as editor-in-chief of both "Vogue Mexico" and "Vogue Latin America." So how have you created personally more opportunities for talent, specifically Hispanic talent and Latinx talent in the two magazines that you run in addition, by the way, to being an awesome, kick-ass mom to twins? Because you really are doing it all, and I want to highlight that because it's important, I think, for young women to see women like you not running one magazine, running two, running her family, and being an amazing role model to your two daughters.

KARLA MARTINEZ DE SALAS: Thank you. Well, that's kind of why I was late because my daughter said they wanted to move in with a friend of mine, so I ran out of the house before they got stuck on that point.

But I think, you know, with the team here at "Vogue Mexico" and in Mexico City specifically, you know, I always say this, and it's no offense to the, you know, wonderful eight models and diverse faces that we've seen. But I think, you know, a lot of the times we would ask for a model, and a lot of the agents would be like, well, I don't have, you know, Bella, but I have this model.

And, you know, I kind of felt like, you know what? She is not really relatable to my audience. And so I kind of felt like they were winning but we weren't getting, you know, what we needed out of it.

And so, you know, with all these up and coming models and Dominican faces especially-- you know, I remember there being, like, eight Dominican models at the Valentino show one season. I said if we aren't shooting these girls, who is shooting these girls? You know, what covers are they getting?

LILLIANA VAZQUEZ: Oh, thank you for that.

KARLA MARTINEZ DE SALAS: And so then we expanded that into, you know, celebrities, musicians, actresses. And I-- you know, we found that, like, shooting these girls gave us more than shooting, you know, a super famous kind of blond Insta girl with 20 million followers. You know, people couldn't relate to that, and they saw that in other magazines.

LILLIANA VAZQUEZ: Well, and I think that's what's so important. It's like not only are you somebody who's advocating for relatability, which I think we are all asking for, but in its own way, relatability is just authenticity. Your audience wants to see someone who is authentic to their culture, authentic to their journey on the cover of a magazine. I mean, that's the point, right, is to be able to see parts of you and parts of your story on the cover of "Vogue Mexico" or "Vogue Latin America."

And kudos to you for being so brave and saying, listen, you're trying to give me a model that doesn't service what I'm trying to do here at a magazine. And I think people-- sometimes we get stuck in these one-way relationships, and we forget--

KARLA MARTINEZ DE SALAS: Yes.

LILLIANA VAZQUEZ: --the relationship has to work in both directions. And where did you find-- where did you find the bravery to say, stop it right. That's not going to work for you because I imagine that there were naysayers-- because you don't get to decide on the cover all by yourself. We don't work in silos. So--

KARLA MARTINEZ DE SALAS: Right.

LILLIANA VAZQUEZ: --when you were pushing forward that decision, did you have naysayers, and how did you get everyone on board?

KARLA MARTINEZ DE SALAS: I think, you know, obviously the directors here were always super supportive about who we thought was important. And, you know, for example, like a Leneisy who we gave her first-- no, maybe second "Vogue" cover to Leneisy Montero and those girls, and then last year, we did the Afro Latina cover-- Afro Dominican girls on the September issue.

And I think maybe there was some resistance, but in the end, like, I always worked for incredibly supportive people that are like, OK, this is your magazine. It's up to you. If you believe in these girls, let's do it.

And, you know, we found just through-- in our social media, which now you know immediately, right, what works. And also some people just love to be haters and-- you know.

And it's funny. Like, we gave Mariana Zaragoza her first cover, who is a Mexican beautiful girl with blond hair and green eyes. And people were like, why can't you put real Mexicans on the cover? And we're like, she is a real Mexican. You know what I mean?

And so people are-- I would say that sometimes we're our own worst enemies and we're really quick to, like, just hate. And so I feel like you have to take those comments always with a grain of salt. But yeah, I mean, I do-- from that moment when we first-- you know, when we did Leneisy and I remember-- I think it was 2017. And then we did Camila Cabello in 2018. That was the first kind of big Latina-- Latinx celebrity we had done. And she kind of blew up our internet.

And so from that point on we were like, why are we-- why are we trying to go after these, you know, insanely kind of inaccessible girls because we also have like low-- lower budgets here? And, you know, the Rihannas of the world are on American "Vogue" and on, you know, other Vogues, so why don't we show talent to our readers that they can't see anywhere else? So that was the approach we took, and it's been working, I think. You know, we--

LILLIANA VAZQUEZ: Karla, it's working. Let me tell you. And it's worked so much that I can't even imagine the response that you personally got to putting Yalitza on the cover. When you put the first-ever Indigenous woman on the cover of "Vogue"-- was it January 2019?

KARLA MARTINEZ DE SALAS: Yes, exactly.

LILLIANA VAZQUEZ: January 2019. I remember waking up that morning, and I am not a crier. I mean, sometimes I cry [INAUDIBLE], but I'm not generally a crier. I shed tears over that cover because it was the first time-- and I'm 40 years old. I'm not young. I'm 40. I'm not 20.

KARLA MARTINEZ DE SALAS: Yes you are.

LILLIANA VAZQUEZ: It was the first time that I had seen what I think is some of the most beautiful art in terms of the clothes she was wearing but also some of the most beautiful faces of Mexico on a global stage saying this is beauty and this is authenticity and this is real, and it moved me to tears. So I can only imagine the kind of response. What was the most surprising [INAUDIBLE], and who did you hear from that surprised you the most when you put [INAUDIBLE]?

KARLA MARTINEZ DE SALAS: Everyone. You know, everyone from, like, other magazine editors to, as you said-- like, because. I guess I didn't realize the magnitude of-- I thought maybe the first Indigenous Mexican women in "Vogue," but it was really in the world. And so I was-- I had comments from Indigenous leaders in the US, in Asia, in India, like just really out of this world. I mean, it was really a very, very, very special moment I think for Indigenous women.

And I remember one of my bosses said don't put it on the cover of "Vogue Latin America" because it's not-- she's not-- she's Mexican, not Latin American. And I think that was a mistake because I feel like it was so celebrated everywhere, and she really represented women everywhere.

And I think-- I have a friend named Audrey Ponzio who's one of my best friends from growing up. I think she was like one of my first friends in El Paso. I met her when I was 12. And she said to me, thank you so much for putting someone that looks like me on the cover. And that right then-- like, I even get, like, kind of a knot in my throat when I think about that because it's like for all these girls, especially growing up in El Paso when more people looked like-- you know, it's, I think, more than 50% Hispanic, and we still didn't have people that, you know, looked like us on the cover.

But it's precisely what I'm saying is that, you know, we were so trained from Hollywood, from editorial to see a certain type of beauty, right? And so for us to challenge this and to say, OK, we're going to put her on the cover-- and I remember when Regina Montemayor, who's the girl that covers culture and celebrities in the magazine, said to me, like, let's put Yalitza, it didn't even occur to me, like, she would be the first Indigenous. It was just that no one knew who she was, so I was a little scared. I was like, how am I going to put someone that no one knows who she is on the cover?

And then I went to New York in September for Fashion Week, and an editor from another magazine said, oh, what are you doing with "Roma"? And I said, I think I'm going to put, you know, one of the girls from the cast. And they're like, oh, you would never put Yalitza on the cover. And I was like, yeah, yeah. And I was like, but why not? And I called Regina.

Just the fact that, like, someone thought that what was right for, like-- that it wouldn't be right for "Vogue Mexico" was like, you know what? Yes it is. Yes, I am going to put her on the cover. And I called Regina. I said, like, put her on exclusivity now.

And for three months I was shaking because she was going out a little by little, but no one was really paying attention. And she was even on the cover of "Chilango," and I was like, ugh. She was on the cover of "Vogue" first.

But anyway, like, not that, you know, that kind of people talked about, but I think the fact that it was "Vogue" and what-- you know, everyone has this idea of "Vogue" just being a fashion magazine when, in reality, like I've never thought "Vogue" is just a fashion magazine. It's always been so much more, and I've always read it to be so much more than, like, where I get my cultural information.

But the fact that we-- so we finally released the cover in December. And I remember looking at my Instagram, and it was like 3,000 likes. And I was like, oh my God. Like, I had never gotten more than, like, a thousand, you know, for anything.

So it just-- it was this kind of gift that keeps on giving in that sense. And, you know, once-- I feel like there was definitely like a before and after in as far as, like, the magazine. Like, I knew that we would always, you know-- that this was what we did, and we had to continue speaking-- you know, breaking these stereotypes that we all are so familiar with, right?

LILLIANA VAZQUEZ: Yeah. Well, I think that's one of the things that especially exists in the Latinx community is I think because the images that we've seen for so long have always reflected this kind of Eurocentric standard of beauty, whether it's in advertising, in our magazines, in the TV shows that we watch, we almost forget how diverse we really are and how beautiful that diversity is throughout all of Latin America.

So I want to know, OK, so since then, you've also had Lorena on the cover--

KARLA MARTINEZ DE SALAS: Yes.

LILLIANA VAZQUEZ: --which was a beautiful cover. And how has that decision to say to somebody who said, well, why would you put her on the cover? in terms of Yalitza and you said, well, why not? How has that decision shaped future issues, and how will it continue to create opportunity for diverse Latinx talent in your magazines?

KARLA MARTINEZ DE SALAS: I think we always think about-- you know, that was for the 20-year anniversary, and that was hard-- a hard sell, I have to say. You know, like-- you know, I did get a lot of this is not "National Geographic." And we thought about what it meant [AUDIO OUT] you know, what it meant to be 20 years. And so we wanted to really celebrate artisans, indigenous women across Latin America. So we did the cholitas, the Bolivian cholitas.

But no. I mean, we really wanted to celebrate 20 years of beauty and fashion in Latin America. And, you know, we had a meeting today, and as a colleague was saying, you know, we don't have-- in Latin America, you know, we're known for fashion, but the root of our fashion is in artisanal fashion and, you know, these amazing artisans that we have across the region. So we wanted to find a way to celebrate that.

And so we chose Maria Lauren. We chose the Bolivian cholitas that wear these beautiful skirts and climb mountains, are wrestlers, like, all in skirts, you know? So this idea that, like, women in skirts can do so much-- even run marathons, you know? We really wanted to celebrate that, and it's something that we think about.

And that's not to say, you know, that we would-- you know, we love-- we've worked with Bella. We've worked with Gigi. We've worked with models like Nora Attal. We love working with, like, obviously the top models, but we also really want to be true to our region.

And I feel like now, you know, a lot of the celebrity agents, like, that are working with young Latinx Latinas are like, well, what do you guys think of this girl? Do you guys want to break her out literally, you know?

So our November cover is like a real surprise because it's not-- you know, she's famous, but she's not that famous, even though we'll speak in December and see how famous she is then. So it's always like-- you know, I think it's exciting that now people look to "Vogue Mexico" to see what's next, right? And I think that that's-- that's not to say our December cover is-- she needs no introduction. So, you know, I think it's just a matter of a balance, right?

LILLIANA VAZQUEZ: Yeah, well, and good for you for being so strong in your convictions. When you're having a day and if you have them-- I know I personally do-- when you kind of doubt and you're feeling, like, frustrated or you're feeling like I'm tired of fighting the fight. I don't know if I can do it today. Where do you find [AUDIO OUT] inspiration to keep at it?

KARLA MARTINEZ DE SALAS: I think, you know, it's funny because I thought that I was the only one. Especially these past, like, nine months, right, have been like where do you find the-- but, you know, through these stories, through, you know, people-- little comments on Instagram that are like, you know, this changed me or this helped me and, you know, I saw this in "Vogue" and I'm so inspired. I think constantly, like, just reminding ourselves, right, that even if you-- even if you, you know, change one person's perception of beauty, of what, you know, they thought "Vogue" was but are really surprised and happy that they saw this in "Vogue," I think that's kind of what keeps me going.

I love storytelling. I love imagery. So literally every time a story comes back, you know, after we've spent, you know, weeks producing it, that makes me really happy to see the final product.

LILLIANA VAZQUEZ: Well, it's so true, and I think you never realize, you know, the greater impact. You know, you think you do. [INAUDIBLE] close the issue. You move on. But then when it actually hits the newsstands or we get it, our digital copies, like, it lives and breathes in us, you know?

KARLA MARTINEZ DE SALAS: Yeah.

LILLIANA VAZQUEZ: I read somewhere that you never throw away a magazine, and I'm the same way.

KARLA MARTINEZ DE SALAS: Yeah. I'm like a pack rat.

LILLIANA VAZQUEZ: Yeah, so am I when it comes to that stuff. And I think it is because it's living and breathing. And you also never know when a story that was written six years ago or five years ago is going to hit you differently, and I think that's what's so beautiful about storytelling is you can never really predict the impact that it's going to have because it means something to you when you read it in the moment. And then you come back to it, and it has a whole different meaning.

And I think that's how the covers that you've so beautifully executed and led are going to feel to us now but also to the generation that's coming up behind us, and I just applaud you and thank you for doing that. We need more leaders like you at the heads of these magazines in mainstream media making space for these stories and for these, you know, beautiful women and men who deserve representation.

I have to wrap because they're telling me that I have to wrap up. But before I let you go, do you have, like, [INAUDIBLE] minutes to do, like, a quick association game with me?

KARLA MARTINEZ DE SALAS: Yes. Yes, of course.

LILLIANA VAZQUEZ: OK, let's do it. OK, three words that describe you.

KARLA MARTINEZ DE SALAS: Ooh, this is funny. Three words-- I would say energetic. I'm very curious. And my colleague-- I'm at Pujol, actually, and my colleague always says that I'm very humble-- very human I guess I would say.

LILLIANA VAZQUEZ: I always say I think always let Latinos are [SPANISH] in a way that is just [INAUDIBLE].

KARLA MARTINEZ DE SALAS: Yes, [SPANISH]. Which is funny, because I feel like humble in English sounds a little different, but [SPANISH] sounds better.

LILLIANA VAZQUEZ: It doesn't translate, and there's so many words like that because I think--

KARLA MARTINEZ DE SALAS: Yes.

LILLIANA VAZQUEZ: [SPANISH] is a different sentiment than humble. So I'll fill in the blank, [SPANISH].

KARLA MARTINEZ DE SALAS: Exactly.

LILLIANA VAZQUEZ: One of your favorite books or motivational reads.

KARLA MARTINEZ DE SALAS: Oh, you know what? I've actually-- I didn't-- it's funny because I keep telling my friend I didn't make-- you know, I didn't write a book. I didn't do, like, anything productive aside from just work and my job, which is already productive, during the pandemic. But I've actually read, like, 22 books, which is a lot for me because I used to read a book a month. So I read-- I've been reading like two to three.

And I would say-- I just read "Americana," and I loved it. And it's funny because it's about this African American woman who moves to the US. And it's funny because, I mean, I'm not African American, but I'm Mexican, and I always felt kind of a little left out and a little out of place in a way. And I read this book, and it was just so amazing, and it's this-- kind of the immigrant struggle is so real, right, and everyone lives in a different way. So I loved it, and I highly, highly, highly recommend it for anyone because it helps you be so empathetic, no, like to people's struggles-- to my own and others'.

LILLIANA VAZQUEZ: Right. It's incredible. OK, what is the biggest fashion splurge in your closet?

KARLA MARTINEZ DE SALAS: Oh lord. I would say I think this necklace. It's funny. I always wear it on my lives. It's by my friend Sara from Dessau, and it has a little heart from Dolce Amore and this CVC stone. But it was a splurge because it was actually like the real piece of jewelry that I bought myself. You know, like as a woman, like, you kind of like-- you remember the first expensive dress you bought. You remember the-- you know, what you bought yourself.

But this I bought myself, and so it's kind of like a proud moment, right? Like when you invest in like a piece of jewelry that you're like, OK, should I buy the blazer or should I buy the necklace? And I think it's like the neck-- the piece of jewelry that you'll have and kind of becomes like an heirloom.

LILLIANA VAZQUEZ: Well, and investing in your friend and supporting her as an incredible artisan, which I think is always like a win-win for everyone.

KARLA MARTINEZ DE SALAS: Yes, exactly.

LILLIANA VAZQUEZ: This one's very specific to Mexicanas or Mexicans. OK, if you're picking [SPANISH], are you picking a [SPANISH] or a [SPANISH]?

KARLA MARTINEZ DE SALAS: Oh, a [SPANISH] for sure.

LILLIANA VAZQUEZ: Oh yeah, for sure. OK, I thought so. I just wanted-- I wanted to me--

KARLA MARTINEZ DE SALAS: Especially-- even though I do like-- I do like a good [SPANISH], but I do-- ever since I moved to Mexico, my mom used to always, when she came to Mexico, used to be like, [SPANISH]. I'm like, why does she like those? Now I love them.

LILLIANA VAZQUEZ: Because it's on another level there. Like--

KARLA MARTINEZ DE SALAS: Yes.

LILLIANA VAZQUEZ: --a warm [AUDIO OUT] fresh from a bakery with meat and, like, a bottle of Coke, forget it. I'm done.

[LAUGHTER]

And then this one is tied back to something we're doing here at MAKERS. So on October 27 on PBS, the MAKERS documentary "Not Done" is finally going to be available for all of you to see. So, Karla, fill in the blank. What are we not done with?

KARLA MARTINEZ DE SALAS: We are not done speaking of all the amazing Latina talent that there is out there.

LILLIANA VAZQUEZ: Oh, I love it. Well, I am so sad that we are out of time because I could literally talk to you forever. Thank you for being here.

KARLA MARTINEZ DE SALAS: Thank you so much. And I'm so happy. I hope one day we become, like, real live friends and not just Instagram friends.

LILLIANA VAZQUEZ: I mean, here's hoping, right? I really don't just want to be your Instagram friend. I actually [INAUDIBLE] in real life.

So thank you to everyone who joined us today. And I also have to say, as always, a huge thank you to MAKERS for sharing this platform with women like myself and Karla who are here celebrating everything that is the Latinx experience. We thank you guys so much.

Don't forget to follow Karla on Instagram, but also follow "Vogue Mexico" and "Vogue Latin America." Thank you guys so much.

And I have to remind you all-- I would not be doing my duty if I didn't-- please vote. We are so close.

KARLA MARTINEZ DE SALAS: Please vote.

LILLIANA VAZQUEZ: Please, please vote. We will leave you with that. Thank you so much, Karla. [SPANISH]

KARLA MARTINEZ DE SALAS: I hope you can still vote in Texas.

LILLIANA VAZQUEZ: I can't, but I'm voting here.

KARLA MARTINEZ DE SALAS: OK.

LILLIANA VAZQUEZ: Thank you. Bye-bye.

KARLA MARTINEZ DE SALAS: I'm going to vote. Great message. Thank you.

LILLIANA VAZQUEZ: Bye.

KARLA MARTINEZ DE SALAS: Bye.