Growing up in Los Angeles was the best. There are so many different cultures, lifestyles, and subcultures. Anything you're fascinated or curious about comes with its own world, culture & lifestyle here.

Being from Boyle Heights I was fortunate enough to grow up so close to downtown. My environment definitely shaped me into the creative I am today. From a young age I remember being a sponge, just taking in everything I was exposed to aesthetically.    

My sisters cultured me from a young age. They were heavily involved in the Chicano party crew scene. I can remember from an early age people gathering in my backyard and dancing along to a not so sizable speaker. I would people watch from a window and take everything in, the atmosphere, the culture and most importantly the outfits.

I also remember having an obsession with hip hop magazines. I recall hiding my sister's vibe subscription issues. As soon as I saw it in the mailbox it was off to the stash it went. I built up quite the collection, I would reread and reread the same issues and articles; I wanted to be a hip hop encyclopedia at that age.  

In my teen years punk rock changed my life. After going to my first backyard concert, I experienced a culture shock that I will never forget. I can still vividly recall the events of that evening, I was hooked since then. I embraced, participated, and loved the scene. Going out to different music shows and art shows exposed me to things I didn't even know existed. DIY culture flipped my world upside down; I loved everything about it and everything it stood for.

I later became employed by American Apparel, this is where I guess you can say I officially began my creative career. I started as a stock employee and moved my way up to creative. Merchandising was effortless for me, I was a natural. Coming up with outfits was something I've subconsciously been doing most of my life anyway, so when it came to product displays and targeted merch I already had a jist of it. As part of the creative team I was able to shop and source for style references; these would be used for product development and upcoming styles. Along with style development, I was also able to style the menswear for the online store. Here is where I discovered my niche, and the rest has been history ever since.