Today we’d like to introduce you to Yulexis Argota.
Yulexis, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Born in Havana, Cuba and a lifelong self-thought artist who has been painting since the age of five, I wanted to express my creativity through a different medium so I began to teach myself cut and sew and fashion design essentials. I had so many ideas I wanted to show the world and wanted to convey what it is like to dress like myself, to dress like YULEXIS. My unique take on style and fashion through my eyes and personal art pieces. Crafting every piece with the finest materials sourced around the world like Japanese mother of pearl buttons, Japanese selvage denims, trimmings and jacquards from Barcelona Spain and Japanese Supima cottons and Japanese french Terry fabrics every collection has been designed to show timeless classics in a modern way.
All art is hand drawn by me in Miami, Florida and printed in Hialeah by Hialeah printing Co, a local MIAMI print house located in Hialeah, the first city I lived in when I moved to the US from Cuba which holds a special place in my heart. The fit of the clothes is different and tailored to the modern gentleman with a flair of art and style. As a two-year fashion house, we are still building our name to compete with the high-end houses of the world like Louis Vuitton and Chanel. Our quality is better than most of the major fashion houses now we just need to build on our reputation. We are investing to move into women’s wear and a couture runway show in New York City that will put YULEXIS on the map as a major fashion house.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Well you can’t build anything from the ground up without running into some major obstacles. Coming from absolutely nothing and with no connections and the working class pretty much everyone has ignored me and my ideas. But no one can deny talent and more and more people are starting to realize the quality of my work.
I have emailed, DMed, reached out to so many editors to write about my brand and my story and how I invested my life into following my dreams and very few have answered, I constantly email art galleries to exhibit my work and very few even reply. Everyone waits to be famous to tell their struggles because they are embarrassed to say the work it takes to become that overnight success while they are going through it because of fear of not sounding important enough or being perceived as a failure. I am real now and today because one day, when I am the next Picasso and Christian Dior, I can say how I always kept it real even in my first interviews.
The truth is that all the kids with connections don’t always have the best art, but they have the best connects so their work travels fast and blows up while most of the kids who are immigrants and come from where I come from get ignored, but this is why I keep working and not giving up, I do it as the voice of people like me, who come from nothing and have nothing but dream of everything and know that while the road might be tougher and the obstacles bigger with passion and determination they too will make it!
We’d love to hear more about your business.
What sets YULEXIS apart from any other fashion brand in the world is that I design what I like not what’s a trend or cool. All the art is actually painted by me, I don’t copy designs and don’t chase as the kids say “clout” I do this for me and for those who appreciate great quality w unique designs. We use the highest grade fabrics and it is all made in the USA, in Greenpoint Brooklyn and Miami, Florida. We don’t make a single piece outside the USA, employing Americans and giving back to our economy.
Yes it’s ten times more expensive than if I went to China but it’s so much more meaningful and rewarding. My designs are printed in a city I love (Hialeah) and cut and dawn in the biggest city in the US, New York City. All from Miami, Florida and influenced by a community of immigrants like my self, a diverse community of Cubans, Haitians, Venezuelans, Russians, Chinese and all the diversity I find in my city of Miami that inspires all I do.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
My very close family. Truth is I can count the amount of “friends” who have purchased my designs, most of my sales have been to strangers. I guess the Instagram quotes were right! Haha
Pricing:
- T shirts $125
- Jeans $900
- Track suit $1000
- Short suit set $2500
- Silk shirts $1200
- Silk shorts $800
Contact Info:
- Website: www.yulexis.com
- Phone: 7862392870
- Email: info@yulexis.com
- Instagram: @yulexisofficial
Image Credit:
@brendanwixtedphoto
Brendan Wixted
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