Today we’d like to introduce you to Christopher Martinez and Lesly Blandon-Lasa.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Christopher and Lesly. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Both Lesly and I grew up in Miami and we went to the same high school. We always say we are friends first and then business partners. Lesly was always interested in design and went on to study fashion design at IFAC in Miami. I was working in a national media and entertainment company in Miami and Lesly was at Michael Kors in New York when I took a life-changing trip to the Amalfi Coast and I returned really inspired to pursue something different. I reached out to Lesly and it was apparent very quickly that we both wanted to venture into something of our own. We envisioned a line of men’s shorts that felt very authentic to the Miami lifestyle yet incorporated an edgy New York style. We began with a small capsule of four shorts, three years ago, which were well received and we are now finalizing our 6th Capsule which includes 23 different styles of shorts and eight styles of cotton and linen shirts.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It was not a smooth road by any stretch. We quickly learned the difficulties of managing budgets, reaching stores and getting men to wear shorts that they are not familiar with. I also think one of our biggest struggles was the many opinions you receive from everyone, although well-intentioned. When you are creating something that is very personal to you, you want to maintain it as authentic and true to your vision. So, the biggest struggle of any up and coming brand is to stay true to the ethos and aesthetic you envisioned while adapting to the market.
OGUY (Our Generations United Youth) – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Lesly is the design force behind the company. He creates patterns, sources fabrics, sketches and manages production. I manage sales/marketing and together we finalize all design decisions. We really work as a team and understand what needs to be accomplished while supporting each other in reaching our goals. One particularly proud moment is a collaboration we did with a local men’s store “OFY” in Miami where we created a luxe leisure version of our shorts using a ponte di roma fabric. The shorts did very well and have now become a permanent offering in our collection called the “Luxe Leisure Core.” Listening to your customers, adapting and making enhancements or changes while keeping your aesthetic authentic is something that is very important to us both and we feel makes us different.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
We keep referring back to our customers but it’s truly how we feel. Our proudest moments come from all the text messages, pics, testimonials and referrals we get from our customers. Creating something that someone loves, buys and wears in their daily life is what keep us motivated. There’s no better feeling than seeing someone you don’t know wearing our shorts.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.oguyapparel.com
- Phone: 786-246-7667
- Email: info@oguyapparel.com
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Fro Rojas, Simplistic Beauty
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