I was scrolling through TikTok, as one does when all of a sudden I was struck by the perfection of this one video. I was reading the caption, “But what if no one likes my Latin-inspired gaming decor?” when, as if on cue, the TikTok audio swooped in with the line “Just trust me you’ll be fine” before showing me genuinely the cutest Latina-inspired gaming gear I have ever seen. We’re talking concha-shaped headphone holders, Day of the Dead mousepads, and so much more! That day my For You Page really said for you, and as a Latina and gaming enthusiast, I just knew I had to reach out to find out more.
@calastudios.shop Your sign to follow your dreams 🫶🏻✨ meet our new headphone holders 🎧 #latinagamers #mexicaninspired #gamingmousepad #headphones #headset ♬ suono originale – 𔘓 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘢𝘺s 𔘓
This was a TikTok from Cala Studios, a Colorado-based business that specialized in bringing “the rich culture and traditions of the Mexican, Latina, and Latino communities to the gaming world through high-quality, stylish, and functional gaming decor.” When I reached out I was pleasantly surprised to discover their owner, Cala, was more than happy to share all about her journey starting the business. Before her interest in creating gaming gear came her interest in gaming, “I started getting into gaming my freshman year of college or sophomore year of high school, I found that it was very entertaining. I started playing Fortnite, and I was like, hey, this is pretty cool. I was really bad.” The now-streamer jokes, laughing warmly, “I was horrible. Like, so so bad. I couldn’t aim. So I was there for the vibes.”
That slow start introduced Cala to the world of gaming, and soon she started playing another game, VALORANT, “I was like, woah. This is really fun. I liked it.” She liked it so much that she even sold her PlayStation to build her own gaming PC piece by piece, falling in love with the more technical aspects of gaming, “What is the CPU? What does it do? What does the RAM do? All of that really caught my interest.” From there, Cala delved into the fandom and even began creating VALORANT cosplays to share online, “I started making hoodies and stuff, and I was like, this is fun, but it’s not mine. This belongs to Riot Games, you know? What can I make in the gaming industry that represents me, that it’s a part of me, and that I know other people can relate to?” And thus Cala Studios was born.
For Cala, the idea of combining girly aesthetics and gaming gear was a no-brainer, “I feel like a lot of stuff isn’t catered to females. In the last 2 years, it’s been a lot more catered because we are a big audience for tech gear and stuff like that. But finding a pink monitor was impossible a few years ago.” When I told her I had to paint mine pink even a few months ago her eyes widened, “Me too! My first ones.” Items that are sold pink, such as monitors, headsets, or even computer mice, are often sold at a higher price, “I don’t think you should be paying extra for something pink. So I was just like, you know what? It’s something that should be tapped into and I felt like I didn’t belong because there weren’t products that were for me.” So she decided to make those products.
As for the Latino side, well, “There’s nothing really out in the market. So I was like I’ve always really been obsessed with making products.” Cala even studied architecture and digital design at Colorado University in Denver, “I don’t know what it is. Like, the product design is just fascinating to me and the marketing side of it too. I’ve always wanted to make a product that I was proud of, so adding my culture to it was just the perfect touch.”
The initial inspiration for Cala Studio’s designs came from a lack of diversity in the girly gaming department, “When I was looking at mouse pads, like, pink ones. They’re cute, but they were either Hello Kitty or Sailor Moon, very themed. And I was like, there’s no culture. There’s no sazón, you know?” Once she started creating her concha-shaped headphone holders or Pan Dulce deskmats it all started coming together. The response Cala Studios has garnered online, and especially on TikTok, has been nothing short of life-changing, “I just felt so happy that I was connecting with other Latinas and Latinos. And it felt amazing to be a voice or like I had that power to say hey. There’s also representation in the way that you decorate your room. Because at the end of the day, it’s your room. It’s where you live. It’s you, your personality. You could showcase it through your decor, and that was kind of my goal.”
Now Cala Studios is a full-fledged business, selling adorable coasters, headphone holders, desk mats, and even selling special Latino-inspired collections like their Lotería Collection, where you can buy everything all with the same pastel Lotería theming. As for Cala’s favorite product at the moment, “The headset holder. Mostly because I really fell in love with how you can do the swappable faceplates.” You can switch out the different colored conchas or replace them with different faceplates altogether, “I am someone who loves changing the whole color of my setup every, like 6 months or so. So with these swappable faceplates, it’s really easy to just pop it off and put a different color concha or anything, you know?” After fangirling over how beautiful these headphone holders were, Cala even offered to send me some, and I cannot wait to use them!
Gaming is a huge industry that goes beyond the literal console into the world of entertainment, streamers and professional gamers alike can gain a following, though the representation is pretty scarce. Growing up there was really only one well-known YouTuber who was Latina and a gamer, Tifffy Quake, “I took a lot of inspiration from her. Seeing her and her now husband’s content has just been very motivational because my boyfriend does actually help me with behind-the-scenes stuff. He’s the one that does most of the 3D modeling because I don’t have the expertise in that. It’s kinda like we’re a team. And I feel like I relate to Tiffy Quake in that.”
Unfortunately, we can’t talk about the wonders of the gaming industry without mentioning the toxicity. Throughout our conversation, Cala was candid about the harassment and hardships female gamers face, “First off, I feel like female gamers in general go through a lot. It’s not easy to be in this industry or have it as a hobby. You have to have very thick skin.” When I asked if Cala had experienced any negativity first-hand her answer was quick, “Yeah. A lot. Even as a streamer. I’ll be streaming and then someone comes in chat and says either something about my weight, me being a woman, or me being Latina because my username is Latinatechbestie on Twitch. So people instantly know that I’m Latina and, sometimes it’s good and bad.”
Even when Cala’s not streaming, plenty of toxicity comes just from turning on her microphone. As soon as they hear a female voice come through the hatred begins, “I feel like at the beginning, I was really scared to talk, and I still am. There’s days where I don’t feel like talking. I don’t wanna deal with this negative energy or put myself in a situation where I’m gonna have to deal with someone toxic.” Most of the girls Latinitas service are Latinas and gamers, during clubs and camps they talk on and on about their favorite video games. Given what Cala just mentioned, I had to ask what advice she’d have for our students who are debating turning on their mics, “I would say that just remind them that anything that is said towards you is always a projection of the other person, and it’s never actually about you, but instead it’s about the person who’s saying it.”
“I feel like you should be mentally prepared to have a little hate, but if you tolerate it, there’s more good from it. And it sucks that I have to say you have to tolerate it, but if you have the confidence to stand up for yourself, do it. There’s also moments where it’s better just to mute and not even let them have your energy. I feel like you should definitely ease yourself up to it and make it a goal to speak in games. Don’t stay with muted games all the time because that’s not how they should be. That’s not how you should play a game. And at the end of the day, just have fun.”
Towards the end of our conversation, I asked her a bit of a silly question, if she could make a video game what would it be, “I love that! I feel like because I’m so into decorating, it would be kinda like a game where you decorate your online room or your kitchen and live in it, maybe? You water your plants every day. Something like that!” And it was in this moment that I was struck by one notion. Cala was Cala Studios. Her bubbly personality and upbeat presence embodied her products to a T. Cala Studios offers unique Latino-inspired designs for headset holders, mousepads, blankets, coasters, and so much more. Checking them out, I was truly blown away by the adorableness and just the authenticity that surrounded the brand, and this conversation only strengthened those initial feelings.
If you’re a gamer looking to spruce up your setup, I encourage you to check out Cala Studios, and follow them on TikTok and Instagram!
And if you’re interested in catching one of Cala’s streams, follow her on Twitch, Instagram, and YouTube (yes, she makes YouTube videos as well)!
