My Fashion Design Story

For a long time, I thought my path would lead me into environmental studies. I cared deeply about the planet and wanted to make a difference, but it wasn’t until my sophomore year of high school, sitting in my environmental science class. Everything shifted. My teacher, Mrs. Jodi Minion, showed me that fashion and sustainability weren’t mutually exclusive. She taught me that I could embrace fashion as a form of self-expression and still keep my values intact. That connection between creativity and responsibility was the moment it all clicked for me and it’s when I knew I wanted to go into fashion.

I had already been sewing since middle school, originally just modifying garments to feel more like myself because the clothes on the shelves didn’t fit my personality. That realization in class turned my personal hobby into a bigger purpose: I didn’t just want to make clothes, I wanted to create fashion that celebrated individuality while keeping sustainability and circular design in mind.

The People & Experiences That Inspired Me

Heritage & Who I Am

I grew up in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, a place where conformity was the norm and there wasn’t much space for people who didn’t fit into traditional molds. As a Mexican American and queer man, there was never a single box that could contain me. Fashion became my rebellion, my language, and my way of carving out space for myself.

That rebellion came with challenges, but it also gave me clarity about who I am. Today, I design with intention blending my heritage, identity, and belief in sustainability to create garments that encourage others to exist fully and authentically. My work is about more than clothes; it’s about giving people permission to wear who they are and do so in a way that respects the world we live in while also telling their story.