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Hispanic Heritage Month: Ivan Marquez

Lifestyle

Beyond the Surface: Ivan Marquez on Style, Heritage, and the American Dream

Sep 12, 2025

When it comes to model Ivan Marquez, his heritage is woven into every aspect of his life, from the pieces he wears to the food he eats, and the values he upholds.

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It's a proud identity he carries with him wherever he goes, literally, on his sleeve. "My tattoos and personality are one of my best ways I express my heritage," he says. "No matter where I am or what I wear, I'll wear my roots on my sleeve, and I take pride in that."

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That pride is also reflected in his fashion choices. For Marquez, gold jewelry is more than an accessory—it's a link to his past. "I was rocking my gold bracelets since I was a baby," he shares.

For Latinos, he explains, gold is a mix of "deep tradition, religion, and culture. It’s seen as sacred, valuable, and a symbol of pride passed down through generations." When it comes to his overall style, he draws inspiration from a close source: his older brother, Benjamin. "Looking up to him, he always had that 2000s swag," Marquez says.

He takes that influence and makes it his own, "implementing my roots and culture into my fashion."

While his style is a clear expression of his roots, Marquez's heritage also comes to life through the food he eats. He says he always keeps Hispanic culinary traditions alive in his daily life. "It feels great knowing people love our dishes and expand a little piece of that culture globally no matter where you may go!" he notes. When he's looking for a taste of home, he reaches for a favorite street food: queso birria tacos. "There’s no feeling like dipping it in some delicious consomé and spending time with loved ones while enjoying this amazing dish," he says.

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Marquez also uses his platform to support others who share his vision, especially small, upcoming brands that gravitate toward Latino culture. "I can’t do anything but respect people that have a vision and pursue something great for their lives," he says, "that’s the American dream." His perspective is captured perfectly by his favorite Spanish phrase, "Muy bárbaro," a saying he uses when "good" simply isn't enough to describe how amazing something is.

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For Marquez, a key message he wants to share is the diversity within the culture itself. "One big thing about Hispanic culture is that it’s not at all the same," he explains. "People often think it’s one group, but really, it’s made up of many countries, each with their own food, music, traditions, and even different ways of speaking Spanish."

This understanding of diversity and hard work is at the heart of what Hispanic Heritage Month means to him personally. For Marquez, the celebration is a form of appreciating "all hard-working Latinos that get up every day and work hard to make a better life for themselves and their families," as well as "those who’ve made achievements that will go down in history forever no matter what circumstances they are faced with."

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