We recently connected with Hugo Acevedo and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, HUGO thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?
One day, I was riding the train on my way home from a show in DTLA and suddenly saw something that caught my eye. I immediately recognized the style of hand embroidery, it was the kind I’d seen many times before on different pieces while I was growing up in Oaxaca, Mex. It was a familiar sight, yet it felt somehow out of place. The piece was a pair of canvas high-top tennis shoes from a trendy US brand. The person wearing them wasn’t a Latino, which piqued my interest even more. I assumed by looking at the amount of work and detail it had that this piece was either a commission, part of a series, or a collection created at a studio somewhere in Mexico.
I couldn’t help but confirm, at least, that the embroidery technique was similar to those used by Oaxacan artisans. So, after a brief introduction, I asked Jake, and he said he’d bought them at a store in Oaxaca City on his last visit. He also told me that even though he was proud of himself for finding and acquiring this unique artisanal piece, he wished he could’ve found a pair that looked just as authentic as the one he was wearing but without worrying about damaging the embroidery, removing permanent stains, or replacing them. Shortly after this exchange was over, I realized that up until that moment, I hadn’t noticed that new markets and niches were being created organically at a pace not seen since the ’90s and that the Mexican folk art scene was changing and reaching a wider audience by adapting to the specific demands of a new generation of consumers.
I knew that some of the challenges that artisans in my family have faced commercializing their products are that their one-of-a-kind pieces can’t be easily replicated or consistently produced, people find artisanal products inaccessible or unaffordable, or the demand for their products is highly localized. Taking this into account, the next day I started to entertain the idea of finding alternatives to the elements of the designs made up of hand embroidery, hand-painted motifs, and traditional textiles. I decided that using digitally created patterns and illustrations could be the solution. The next step would be finding blanks made of a material that was both durable and required little or no special care, but versatile enough to be printed on. Since the beginning of the process, I intended that the final products wouldn’t directly compete with or aim to substitute artisanal pieces, instead they would fill a gap in the market. One of the most challenging aspects of creating ethnic-inspired fashion is striking a balance between capturing the magic of Mexican folk art and respecting artisan’s original claims to their designs.
The stories I have read about people starting their brands are filled with technical and confusing references that were not easy to understand because I did not have a fashion design background, retail marketing training, or product development experience, so I knew I must become familiar with the basics of this industry before I attempt to create my first product. Once I drafted my business plan, the first step was to formalize my business. I did this by applying to obtain a business license, a seller’s permit, and a street vending permit. Next, I listed the skills I needed to create original artwork and the types that could be used on most promotional products. I found that learning how to create vector graphics was fundamental because of its properties and excellent results for print. My first project was to create a pattern and print it on a hoodie and a pair of matching canvas high-top sneakers, which led me to discover that I needed to learn about printing techniques. After deciding what printing technique I would be using, I finally felt confident to produce my samples or prototypes.
I had many ideas for my first collection; however, when I looked around in 2020, I only saw products that featured some stereotypical versions of Mexican American art designed by transnational companies that did not have any meaningful connection to the culture they were profiting from. Most of the graphics, motifs, or details used by them lacked authenticity, accuracy, and diversity. Having this in mind, I put together some collages, my visual version of brainstorming, and tried to imagine apparel that would showcase the most representative and colorful aspects of Mexican folk art and at the same time would stay true to the Day of the Dead celebration.
I officially launched my business in October 2021 at a Santa Ana, CA popup event. From that day on, every collection I have put out has been inspired by my cultural heritage and issues affecting my communities, such as street vending. “Dignify Street Vending” was the first collection that focused on using my platform, events, and business to educate the public and vendors about the history of street vending in California, their rights and obligations as business owners, and the process to formalize their operations. I have offered one-on-one consultations, distributed relevant literacy on the subject printed by the city of Los Angeles, and done community outreach and engagement. I have connected those first-time aspiring entrepreneurs with specific needs for their business ideas with some local and reputable nonprofits and community centers I worked with.
HUGO, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I’ve been living in this country for a little over 15 years and like many immigrants who came before me, I knew little English. In addition to the language barrier, the cultural shock I experienced was significant. Adapting to my new home took a while because I was unfamiliar with US norms, laws, and regulations. I made it my priority to follow the rules and become a productive member of society. After working a couple of months, two jobs, and sometimes three to afford to live in Los Angeles, I realized that being an employee was something I did not want to do for the rest of my life. I yearned for something else, something better. To accomplish my dreams, the first thing I needed to do was learn the language. Truly, I never listened to people who told me I would never become fluent because learning a new language is hard, if not “impossible” at my age. I was willing and eager to fail as needed to learn from my mistakes. I figured the worst thing that could happen to me was feeling embarrassed or inadequate when someone did not completely understand my broken English or faulty pronunciation. Keeping this in mind, I carried on. I enrolled in a fast-track program to earn my high school diploma and finished in one year. Seeing that all my hard work paid off boosted my confidence. If I accomplished something that most people I knew hadn’t, I might as well see how far I could get. Originally, I planned to go to trade school because college looked unattainable at the time. My conversational skills were not as good as my reading or writing. Little did I know that my grades and research would pay off, in less than two years after I graduated High School from a learning center in Venice, CA, I was taking college classes.
As a non-traditional college student (over 25 years old, Mexican immigrant, and underprivileged) I saw my education from a different perspective. I realized early on in my journey that I had to pick a major that could guarantee I could become employable and able to make a living right after graduation. That would mean that I had to study something that could allow me to make a living, but it also had to be flexible enough to try different paths if needed. I chose business as my major. I became interested in social entrepreneurship mainly because I wanted to make a difference in my community in addition to turning a profit. One of the recurrent issues that I identified was the disconnect between stressing the importance of small businesses in local economies and the access to resources by first-time entrepreneurs and aspiring business owners. Among the most common struggles that many small business owners in my community faced were the lack of opportunities, language barriers, and poor planning. I started exploring some of the existing business models that have successfully incorporated social goals into their missions, so I could come up with one that would help aspiring business owners in underserved communities.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
In my last semester of college, unexpectedly, my younger brother passed away in the city I grew up. I couldn’t travel back to Mexico because my Immigration process was pending. Losing a family member and being unable to grieve with my family was one of the worst fears I ever had. I had to gather all the strength I could find in myself and others who were part of my support system to continue my educational journey. I also learned that finishing the most intensive and difficult part of completing my degree was crucial if I ever wanted to apply to graduate school.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
The most important lesson I have learned from living, working, and being educated in this country is that at some point one has to separate from the herd by creating one’s unique pathways. Unfortunately, there are a lot of misconceptions that have become popular about what immigrants can offer and contribute to this country, even within immigrant and ethnic communities. This became clear every time I shared my plans to go to school, I was quickly shut down by well-intentioned but ill-informed people who thought that the only thing I, or any other immigrant in this country, could do was low-skilled work. In my heart, I always knew that I could do more because I wanted to be able to give back. It has been part of my mission to find ways to engage with members of our communities at every level. By creating a strong sense of community, getting involved, and working together, we could solve many of the social problems we are dealing with, from the proliferation of unhoused people on the streets to the unfair treatment of farm workers.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.xonaxi.com
- Instagram: xonaxi2021
