How Sita Abellan Is Rethinking The Word “Influencer” For Hispanic Women

Sita Abellan epitomizes “Jack of all trades.” Throughout the course of the last decade, she’s worked as a model, a designer, an Instagram Personality, and a DJ — and frankly, she’s pretty damn good at all of the above. That said, even for someone with as much raw talent as Abellan, success hasn’t come easy. 

Growing up in a small city in southern Spain, she recalls feeling decidedly othered. “I was being judged by some people — and I was very insecure,” she says. “I had to fight hard to get noticed.” And in industries like fashion and music, where women can often feel like outsiders, it can be especially tough to get a foot in the door. 

That’s why Refinery29 is partnering with Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Apple to produce Valiente Y Fuerte — a video campaign designed to amplify the voices of creative women who inspire us every day. Watch the video above for a better look at the ways Abellan is changing the mold for Latinx and Hispanic women in male-dominated industries across the globe.