We were lucky to catch up with Lisbeth Carolina Arias recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Lisbeth Carolina, thanks for joining us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

I was born in El Salvador but raised in the United States. Growing up, I was always proud to call both countries my home, but as I got older, I realized the countries I identified with, didn’t identify me.

Here in the States, I wasn’t American enough. The food my mom cooked was too ethnic, my hair was too wild, and my skin was too brown.

So I would travel back to El Salvador. There, I wasn’t Salvadoran enough. My Spanish was too broken and my upbringing was too American.

So where do you go when you feel like you’re not enough?

Queue Descalza.

I started Descalza to create a space where we can show our pride and be proud to be from here and from there (or how we say it in Spanish de aquí y de allá). By collaborating with textile artisans in Latino America and local seamstresses in the States, we’re able to empower both the communities we call home. Together we create bold and colorful statement pieces that tell the world we are proud to be de aquí y de allá.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Fashion for me hasn’t really been about the latest trends or what celebrities are wearing. It’s always been about staying connected to who I love. For example, when I was 12 years old, sewing connected me to my mom. When we arrived in this country, my mom went straight to work as a seamstress. She didn’t have time to go to school and learn English; unfortunately, she didn’t even have the opportunity to go to school in El Salvador. So you can imagine how she felt when I was struggling in school and I couldn’t figure out my English, Science, or Math homework. But that feeling changed when I told her that I loved to sew. Finally, we had a subject that didn’t have a language barrier. With joy in her eyes, she was able to teach me everything she knew about sewing. I loved everything that she taught me so much that I decided to pursue this passion as a degree in Fashion and Textile Design at North Carolina State University.

A decade later, fashion connected me to my community. After working in New York City with a variety of brands such as Piece & Co, Vera Wang, and ValentinNicole, I decided to come back to North Carolina and start Descalza. I loved the city, but I knew that if I stayed, I was going to lose my connection to my community. With Descalza, I stay connected to the people I love by working with the artisans in Latino America, the seamstresses in North Carolina, and my customers in the United States (and Canada!).

I’m beyond proud of all the work we’ve been able to do at Descalza, however, what truly warms my heart are the incredible people we’ve had the privilege of designing for. We are more than a clothing brand that makes colorful made-to-measure statement pieces that celebrats our Latinx heritage. Every stitch, every detail is a labor of love, and I feel a deep sense of accomplishment when that resonates with people we’ve never met. To all those who have embraced our mission and intentionally sought us out for their special day, we are here and we are profoundly grateful that you keep us going.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Honestly, my situation right now is a true example of resilience. When I started Descalza, I was young, single, and had no kids. It was easy to control my own schedule and give Descalza 100% of my attention.

Today, my situation is different.

Not only am I tied to financial responsibilities (shoutout to my mortgage), but I’m also a mother of two tiny humans. Never in my life have I worn so many hats and been tested mentally, physically, and emotionally almost every day.

So I asked those around me for advice on how to ease things up, and most people have told me one thing…to part ways with Descalza.

When I get those words, my heart sinks. I understand why I’m getting that piece of advice, but it makes me nauseous just to think of the idea of letting Descalza go.

Instead, I’ve decided to not listen and reroute my schedule. I wake up before the kiddos (I’m talking 4ish in the morning) and try to be as productive as possible. If I have the energy, I stay up after the kids have gone to bed to keep working on Descalza. I’ve also pivoted in certain areas of the business, so I’m more efficient with my time.

This new routine hasn’t been easy, but I think it’s a mom thing to learn how to be intentional with our time. I just know that I can’t let go of Descalza. In fact, I’ve never seen entrepreneurship as a career. For me, it’s always been a lifestyle that I’m creating for myself and my family. Just check out the latest collection we recently released and who it’s for. It’ll give you a visual of what stage I’m in with life.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

I remember when I was thinking about starting my business during my senior year in college, several people gave me money advice. From a friend saying I needed at least 10K in my bank account to a stranger saying I should just ask Mom and Dad for money, I was constantly feeling discouraged to even play with the idea of starting a business.

But even though the hesitation and fear were there, I didn’t listen.

Instead, I sought out advice from people who did care about me and believed in my vision. That’s when I learned about crowdfunding campaigns.

In 2017, I launched my first Kickstarter with a video created by friends. The morning my Kickstarter was live, I messaged over 100 friends on Facebook, emailed over 50 community leaders, and texted everyone on my phone with the simple ask to share the campaign. I knew that if people saw the video and understood what I was trying to accomplish, they would back the campaign. And they did. My campaign was doing great until the last two weeks when we hit a plateau. At that point, I had exhausted my personal network and had to get creative. From having a puppy model one of my products to having a Zumba event where all the proceeds went to the campaign, my community got creative.

One month later, with the help of 269 backers, we raised our goal with over $21K in funds. I had gone through a roller coaster of emotions during that campaign, but we did it. My community came together, beat the odds, and made my dream come true.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.descalza.co
• Instagram: instagram.com/weardescalza
• Facebook: facebook.com/weardescalza
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@weardescalza

Image Credits
Instagram: @maycaudillophoto