Today we’d like to introduce you to Eva Dominguez-Peralta.
Hi Eva, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I am a serial entrepreneur that uses various mediums to express my creativity by merging fashion with progressive activism. My story began with a needle and thread; I learned how to sew from my mother who learned it from her mother, so it’s kind of the family tradition. It began out of necessity but it provided me a new way to express my creativity. I developed a few hobbies in childhood such as writing poetry and short stories. Drawing was another favorite hobby of mine, I especially loved drawing clothes. In my 20s, I discovered the channel “Fashion TV” and fell in love with the shows and the idea of becoming a designer myself one day. In my late 20s, I learned graphic design and discovered jewelry making and that is how I started as a local jewelry designer. I also began blogging and started building my network in the Miami fashion industry in 2014. I write about diversity in fashion featuring disabled models and local designers and events. Now in my mid-30s, it’s all coming together like puzzle pieces and I was finally ready to launch my own brand Haute High Fashion in 2020 right before the pandemic hit. But I don’t just sell clothes and accessories online; I founded a lifestyle streetwear brand that inspires people, women especially. Haute High Fashion stands for “Haute Styles for High Standards” a Miami Fashion label. My other brand, Posh.Life.Miami stands for Think Posh, Speak Life, Inspire Miami and it’s a boutique graphic design & marketing agency. Via P.L.M, I have had the opportunity to collaborate and sponsor local organizations such as DOC IT Foundation, an ovarian cancer org which I assisted in organizing fundraising fashion shows to create awareness of the disease within our community. I was featured by the Miami Girls Foundation for my work with DOC IT Foundation.
Growing up, I saw fashion through the male gaze but as I grew older, I developed my own vision, one that didn’t consider their gaze at all. One that focused on my body’s own needs, such as comfort, functionality and that transmitted a message because I had a lot to say, after all – I am a fashion journalist. By experimenting with ways of reducing our impact on the planet, we could in theory conjure up a new historical change in fashion much as the industrial revolution did in its own time. My brands are much like me, looking to inspire, curious, experiential and always evolving. I have one more piece missing though and I’ll be starting school soon for my AS in fashion design. Once I develop my pattern-making skills, I will begin the next phase of my fashion brand which involves working with vegan leather, hemp rather than cotton and installing eco-friendly solutions to the process. My 3D printer is patiently waiting to be included into the design, I’m excited for that part as well. The long-term goal is to purchase a local factory in Hialeah, employ locals and push myself into going as eco-friendly as possible, I have BIG ideas I can’t wait to share when the time comes. I got here today by pure grit and support from the community that has grown around my brand’s vision. But I’m just part of a bigger movement, one determined to leave the fashion industry better than we found it and possibly be a part of its evolution starting right here in Miami.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has been a decade-long bumpy journey which I had to pivot the whole way through. One of the pivotal changes was switching from working with inventory to “Made to Order” as a more eco-friendly way to handle production & test out the market. Another struggle we dealt with was pricing, with fast fashion’s hold on the market we had to find a different way to compete. By focusing on using only high-quality materials and merging it with eco-friendly means of production and wrapping it up with empowering messages, we created our own lane with our own set of prices that sets us apart from cheap fast fashion. It has been our curiosity and grit that has allowed us to evolve into a better version each year. We are driven by the desire to evolve and inspire change in our city and industry. The best way to handle a challenge is to find the opportunity in the setback. You have to be open to change and not be afraid to reinvent yourself.
We’ve been impressed with Posh.Life.Miami & Haute High Fashion, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Posh.Life.Miami is a Social Entrepreneurship Lifestyle company on a mission to make our fashion culture & industry a more progressive one. Haute High Fashion is a lifestyle brand which inspires and is in turn inspired by various Miami subcultures whom we strive to represent. Our first fashion show was in Summer 2021, a year after we launched. It was produced by Fashion Happy Hour at the Moxy Hotel in Miami Beach and the event was covered by local TV segment Deco Drive. Our brand put community first and was born to provide a solution. To represent and redefine the Miami Girls’ identity and the lens from which we view ourselves in this patriarchal and sexist industry. We want to sell the clothes, the dream and the lifestyle – not the girls. We are most proud of the feeling our looks evoke in our customers. One of our models remarked how she felt powerful and confident walking down the runway in one of our looks that consisted of a sheer black chiffon bathing suit dress with a cropped houndstooth vest and wide black leather belt. The chiffon & leather was a symbolic representation of our softness & strength, this is our version of femininity.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
I consider myself a lucky person but I define luck as being ready for an opportunity at any given moment. As far as bad luck, I have bounced back many times but I see setbacks as a part of life. A successful person is one who has enough tenacity and determination to not just get back up but one who can grow stronger off of the wisdom learned from those setbacks.
Pricing:
- Lower price items range from $10 – $35
- Mid-priced items range from $40 – $70
- High ticket items range from $100 – $250
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.poshlifemiami.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/poshlifemiami/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PoshLifeMiami/
- Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/poshlifemiami/
- Other: https://www.hautehighfashion.com/
Image Credits
Fashion Happy Hour Fashion Show photographer, Victoria Machin Photography.
