Eva Mendes: ‘Esmeralda mostly speaks Spanglish right now, it’s really cute’
Sophia Bowman Here are some photos of Eva Mendes launching her latest collection for New York & Co. Her latest collection includes a plus-sized extension, because that’s the new mass-market thing this year: brands finally understanding that there’s an untapped market for clothes larger than size 14. Anyway, to promote her latest collection, Eva chatted with several outlets about clothes and about her family. Eva is so quiet and undercover these days, this is the first time in months that she’s even granted an interview about anything. Apparently, she’s raising her two girls – Esmeralda Amada and Amada Lee Gosling – with a heavy emphasis on their Cuban roots. Some assorted quotes:
Creating a plus-sized line: “Being Cuban and being raised in a very typical Cuban household influences everything I do. My mom and two sisters — us 4 girls — all have completely different body types, and I love that about Latin culture. Under this beautiful umbrella of being Latin, are many shapes, colors, and sizes. I grew up with everyone looking so incredibly different from one another. It’s part of my heritage and culture to embrace all different kinds of body types.
Whether she’ll take her family to Cuba: “I can’t wait to go! I’m waiting on the OK from my mom. She’s the matriarch.
Whether she’s raising her kids in a Cuban household: “Oh, yeah. Esmeralda mostly speaks Spanglish right now. It’s really cute. She’s definitely bilingual, and it’s really important for us to make sure that she’s not only just familiar with the language, but also with the culture. My mom, who lives 15 minutes away, makes it is easy because she speaks to the girls in Spanish and cooks them Cuban food. And we’re always listening to Cuban music. It really is a big part of our way of life. I wouldn’t have it any other way. My dad, who has been here for 45 years and still doesn’t speak English, is a real asset. It’s so cool because now that I’m trying to make sure that my girls speak Spanish, it’s like, ‘Ok, Dad, take them,’ because I know that all they’re going to speak with him is Spanish.
Her style tricks for busy moms: “For me, and it’s not just ‘cause I’m selling dresses (‘cause it doesn’t have to be my dress), but for me, it’s a dress because it’s simple. For me, jeans and a T-shirt are already too much. Those are two articles of clothing you have to get on with having two babies. That’s too much.”
Turbans & such: “I know it looks like a lot of work, but a turban saves me from washing my hair and from styling it,” she added. For me, it’s just an easy way to throw it up and just kind of like try to make it look like I’m kind of put-together.”
Working out: “I work out begrudgingly. Every time, I complain through it. I have a trainer…but I always try to talk her out of it.”
It is still fascinating to me that Eva Mendes and Ryan Gosling are together and raising their family this way. I think it was always going to be this way for Eva – she was always going to have babies and raise them in a Spanish-speaking household, within her Cuban-matriarchy framework. That doesn’t surprise me. What surprises me is that Ryan Gosling, a milquetoast Canadian dude, is like “cool, let’s raise our daughters that way.” Gosling is overrun by Cuban women and he loves it. Who knew? As for Esmeralda speaking Spanglish… I’m sure that will upset some people, but I think it’s awesome. Esmeralda and Amada are going to be bilingual, which is a great thing.
Photos courtesy of Getty.
