We recently connected with Ari Jogiel and have shared our conversation below.

Ari, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

Back in 2017 when I launched my fashion brand, Leopardet, and started manufacturing in Los Angeles, I quickly realized bringing my ideas to life and creating garments be quite challenging. In the midst of trying to figure out how to position my brand for success, stay relevant, handle online orders, wholesale orders, and do customer service, I had to find pattern and sample makers, source materials, cut, sew, buy materials, embellish, and so on. It didn’t take long for me to recognize a significant gap in the market—a full-package service that could support brands to conceptualize and produce their designs from start to finish.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I was born in Mexico City and moved to America in pursuit of a better life. I arrived here at a young age and followed the traditional educational path. Attended Community College, obtained a Bachelor’s degree, and then went on to Business School. During my first job experience in corporate America, I quickly realized that it wasn’t the right fit for me. While I had always known I wanted to run my own business, I wasn’t certain about the direction to take.

I had a childhood dream of becoming a fashion designer. I decided to take action and make hats, committed to do whatever it took to sell them. I ordered 100 hats and sold them within weeks. This encouraged me to expand my brand into men’s collection and eventually women’s collection. I felt like I was onto something big, but leaving my 9-5 job was a challenging decision.

One day, my boss informed me our project was dropped, but there was an opportunity to move to a different project. It was at that moment that I felt like life was urging me to pursue my dreams. I made the bold choice to quit my job and devote myself full-time to Leopardet. I relocated from San Diego to Los Angeles and discovered a manufacturing world I didn’t know it existed.

I launched a Kickstarter campaign and raised $25,000 in 30 days, but more importantly, I put myself out there on a platform to promote the beauty and quality of “Made in America.” Following this, a golf brand from Pittsburgh approached me and asked me to design and manufacture for them. Although I had reservations initially, I believed in my potential to help numerous brands achieve their dreams and grow my “Made in USA” movement.

So, that’s where House of Ari Jogiel was born, and fast forward six years, and I’ve transformed into the kind of person I could’ve really used when I was just starting out.

I’ve built up this company that’s all about helping fashion brands on their unique journeys. We offer a wide range of services, you name it: strategy, development, design, material sourcing, pattern and sample making, graphic design, fittings, cut and sew, and much more. And we’re proud to say it’s all “Made in Los Angeles.”Today, we work with over 250 fashion brands, and I take pride in being a factory owner with an incredible team by my side.

Over the years, we’ve had the privilege of working with many talented brands, both up-and-coming and established, including Rachel Zoe, Michael B. Jordan, Tommy Innit, The North Face, Pacsun, Penguin, Open Air, and Chloe Rose.

And although there is still a lot of work left to be done. I can say that I am a living testament that perseverance can get you pretty far. Arriving here not knowing anything about the fashion industry (I didn’t even know what a single needle machine was) to working with many brands I grew up loving. I can tell you that anything is possible and you can’t lose if you never give up. I have made a lot of mistakes, grown, matured and although a lot of things around me have changed, I am still the same kid from Mexico City with a thick accent that is hungry to leave a legacy behind “Made In Freaking Los Angeles”

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Excellent customer service, hearing what my clients have to say and delivering the best possible product I can. Above all, I have learned the importance of communication and following through with your word. I am fortunate to have learned those values from playing sports and luckily, they have translated to the business world. My company was founded on the Four Agreements (don’t take anything personally, always try your hardest, don’t make assumptions, and be impeccable with your word) and till today we still follow them in our every day operation and interactions with clients and suppliers.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

When Covid-19 hit, we received orders to shut down our operations. At that moment, I thought I had finally overcome the challenges, and my company was on stable ground. Projects were flowing smoothly, I had an excellent team, and we had a beautiful space in the heart of downtown.

However, on that day, my landlord delivered a devastating blow, saying, “You have 24 hours to evacuate and take everything because we don’t know when we’ll be back.”

I was devastated and spoke to my board. Feeling low and questioning the possibility of declaring bankruptcy and closing down, I asked them for advice. One of our members, responded with encouragement, saying, “Ari, you’ve overcome challenges before, and I have every confidence you’ll overcome this one too. Keep believing in yourself.”

Over that weekend, amidst uncertainty, I brainstormed ideas, but one clear path emerged: making face masks. I relocated my sewing teams to their home garages and moved my operations team to my apartment. We were on a mission to design and make prototypes, eventually creating what would become known as “The Vanguard Mask,” celebrated for its exceptional quality and craftsmanship.

We sold + donated over 50,000 masks to frontline workers. Our efforts garnered nationwide recognition, with features in Vogue, Forbes, NBC, GQ, Esquire, and various other media outlets, establishing us as one of the best mask manufacturers in the country.

Though our country faced a decline during that challenging period, we emerged stronger, with a more resilient team, an expanded network, and a reputation as one of the top players in the manufacturing game.

Thank you for giving me this space to share my story!

Below is my contact information to learn more about House of Ari Jogiel and get in touch with me.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.jogiel.com
• Instagram: jogiel.com/AriJogiel
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/arijogiel

Image Credits
images shot by bernardo montgomery