DREAM-CHASING TRAILBLAZERS: MARTÍNEZ TWINS

WORDS BY EBONY WILLIAMS

PRESENTED BY LULU KNOWS

Photographer LESTER VILLARAMA @shotbylester

Stylist NIKKO PANTI @misterbaks

Grooming STEVE O’HARA @steveohara

Video JORDAN @reel8scenes

Styling Assistant ADRIANNE MONIQUE @_adrimon

From Catalonia, Spain, vloggers Ivan and Emilio, aka the Martinez Twins, have garnered over 60 million followers across social media platforms while taking fans on an unforgettable journey of life and adventure. From breaking free of old relationships to transforming into confident dream-chasing trailblazers, the 19-year-old twins are quickly making a name for themselves with the seductive song “Paraiso” and the highly-anticipated release of their latest short film, The Flu, set to premier on YouTube later this year.

During quarantine, you decided to create The Flu, a short film based on a real story. When can we expect to see the project?
We created The Flu during the pandemic in Spain and it will be coming out this year, but we’re just not sure on the date yet. It was so much fun to create. We were the directors, the writers, and the producers while our friend operated the camera. We can’t wait for our fans to see it.

What has been one of the best pranks you’ve ever pulled on someone?
Our best pranks were the ones we did on each other early on in our career. We were new to pranking and it was so much fun. At that time, it was easier to prank each other because we couldn’t see it coming. Now, sometimes it’s harder because we know at any moment, that one of us could be pulling a prank on the other.

When it comes to music, who are some of your idols?
Emilio: I love Michael Jackson! My parents had a record player and they bought a Michael Jackson vinyl. When I first heard him, I was like, who is this guy? From then on, I watched every music video and everything he ever did. I looked up to him and I listened to him when I was traveling. I’m in a peaceful place when I listen to him.
Ivan: For me, I like Enrique Iglesias. He’s from Spain, but he worked to make a name for himself and move to the U.S. When I was in Spain I would listen to his music and wanted to be in the U.S. too. Now I am. I’m a big fan of his music and career.

You have included a variety of fantastic hoodies and face masks to your clothing line. What more can we expect from Team Ken?
We have a few new items coming out in a few months. It’s been a little hard because of COVID-19 and shipping, but around the end of summer we will have new items and hope to expand on our clothing line. We’re also very excited because we are doing a Christmas line for the holiday.

As two very fashion-forward individuals, who are some of your favorite designers?
Emilio: Dolce & Gabbana. We wear a lot and we love the brand. We’re also models for them.
Ivan: Balenciaga is one of my favorites. I love the designs and how everything looks and fits. Also, Inditex brands like Zara and Pull & Bear are a couple of my favorites.

What inspires you to keep moving forward in the business and building your career?
Our fans and family, hands down. We love to help people and when we chase our dreams and accomplish them, we can help others achieve their dreams. We believe that when we help others, we are ultimately, helping ourselves by watching them grow.

You both have broken free from toxic situations and are now fiercely finding paths of your own. What piece of advice would you give to your younger selves? Don’t give up. There was a time in Spain when we needed our family. We needed to sit back and think about everything. I (Emilio) wanted to give up and take a break from social media, but taking that break only allowed us to realize that we really wanted to do this. We want to travel the world, we want to see our fans, we want all of this. If you have a dream, you have to chase it.