We were lucky to catch up with Luis Perez recently and have shared our conversation below.
Luis , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.
As artists and entrepreneurs we are constantly taking risks, whether it be the risk of failing or the risk of following your dreams. Sometimes, something as simple as making a post to put yourself out there can seem like a risk because of how judgmental people are. You’d be surprised at the amount of people that never take a risk on themselves because they can’t get past that nagging voice in their head that always discourages them, or because they’re too worried about what others will think. Taking the risk is always more fulfilling than being filled with regret because you didn’t even make an attempt to take a chance on yourself. When you take a risk at, least you can say that you tried. That is always more respectable in my eyes. I’ve always heard people say “high risk, high reward” but there’s always a chance things won’t go as planned. I believe that every time you take a risk regardless of the outcome you gain experience to learn and grow from. There’s nothing like the feeling you get when you know everything is on the line and you’re taking a chance on yourself, knowing that your fate is in your own hands. One risk I took recently was taking a trip to New York. To get things into perspective, I am an up and coming designer/ musician from Jacksonville, Florida. At the time one of my best friends was in New York and he was telling me about all these amazing experiences he was having and he told me that if I could do it, then I should definitely take the trip. I didn’t have much money at the time so it was a huge risk. I wasn’t really sure if I should do it or not. I had never really been to New York and putting yourself in a new uncharted environment can always be risky. Even so, New York is the fashion capitol and the mecca of hip hop so it was always a place I dreamed of traveling to. What it really came down to was me in my head thinking “if I don’t do this then I’m going to wish I did”. That’s the worst feeling to me so I knew it was a risk that i was going to have to take. I ended up buying bus tickets to make it up there and I brought some hats that I just had made so that maybe I could make some money while I was there. I wholeheartedly mean it when I say every second of that 28 hour bus drive was completely worth it.
I was only in New York for about 3 -4 days so I knew the pressure was on to make something happen. Being in the concrete jungle, under all the bright lights, in the city that never sleeps; every thing felt so right. It really gave me confirmation that this is where wanted and needed to be. While I was there I met so many amazingly talented people and made a lot of bonds that will last a lifetime. That alone made the trip worth it to me. In those few days, I also managed to sell all 20 of the hats I brought along for the ride so I left with more than I came with. Not only was I able to meet new people but I also managed to get my brand out there to the point that people I had never met were telling me they needed a hat asap or just telling me that they supported the movement. They always say if you make it in New York you can make it anywhere. Even though I’m still nowhere near where I want to be I felt like I made it. At least I knew that I could actually do it. I knew that if I continued to put the work in, one day I would reach my goals. I took full advantage of the opportunity and thrived under pressure. This trip took me out of my comfort zone and was truly a life changing experience. I accomplished a personal milestone and took a leap of faith that paid off.
I’d like to give a special thanks to two of my best friends Joshua Morris and Jonathan Bernadel because this trip wouldn’t have been possible without them. I encourage every one reading this to be brave and take a risk on yourself because it is truly worth it in the end. No regrets!
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
My name is Luis Perez, I am a designer / recording artist from Jacksonville, Florida. I was always into fashion since I was young but didn’t decide to take it serious until I was a senior in high school trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. That was when I decided to make my brand “Iris” and I started making music as well. Ever since then, I’ve been on this journey following my dreams and even though it’s still a work in progress I wouldn’t change a thing.
People usually tell me that my designs are edgy and unique. I think what separates me from the millions of other artists out there is that all my creations are original ideas. My eye for fashion and ear for music have always been very distinct. I just want to keep creating things I like. With fashion, my goal has always been to create something that makes people feel unstoppable. I just want people to be confident and feel good about themselves when they put on “Iris”.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
For me the most rewarding part about being a creative is having people that actually support me and my art. The best feeling to me is when I see people wearing my clothes. Over the years I’ve realized that nothing makes me happier. It pushes me to keep creating pieces that push boundaries. Like I said before I just want people to feel good about themselves when they’re wearing anything of mine. I love seeing how people wear my clothes because everyone’s style is different. That has always been something that fascinated me. I love when people tell me about all the compliments they get when they’re out wearing a piece of mine. The joy on their faces really makes me feel as if I’m serving my true purpose in life. I appreciate everyone that has spent their hard earned money on my brand “Iris”. I’m just so grateful that people even buy my clothes and actually like my brand because I really put my everything into it.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
One time me and a friend took a trip to Atlanta in hopes of being in a 2 Chainz music video. My friend Monandro Moncrieffe is a model and was invited to be in the video. I also model so this opportunity was a big deal to me. When we arrived at the set, the day before the shoot everything seemed like it was going well. First they called my friend to try on an outfit and then they called me shortly after. I tried on the clothes they had and all the stylists were telling me how cool I looked. I thought for sure that I’d land a spot in the video and be able to tell all my friends back home about how I got to be in a 2 Chainz music video with one of my best friends. They told me to come back tomorrow and that I’d be able to be in the video.
However, the next day when we showed up to the set they told Mo that they wanted him for the video but they told me that I was no longer needed. I was upset because just the day before, they were telling me how good I looked and all this other stuff that didn’t really matter in the end. This was one of my first experiences of getting to know how wishy washy the industry can be. I know there are plenty of models and other artists that have stories similar to mine. It was honestly a terrible feeling but I was still excited that my friend got to be in the video. The whole next day I was just on set sitting around. I still got to meet 2 Chainz so that made it still feel worth it. Not a lot of people can say that. I took a risk and even though it didn’t end how I envisioned it was definitely a humbling experience that I learned a lot from.
I could have easily given up on modeling after this experience, but it really made me more motivated. I wanted to go even harder so that something like that wouldn’t happen again. I’m also grateful to have friends in my corner that encouraged me to keep going at it. I’ve still been modeling since then and I know I’ll get another opportunity just as big, if not bigger one day. I feel like it’s important for all artists to keep going even after going through a discouraging experience. It’s all part of the story and has helped me gain more knowledge on what to expect when I do things like this. I also want to tell artists not to let an experience like the one I went through make you feel like you’re not good enough. If you stay resilient and keep going you will get your shot one day.
Contact Info:
- Website: new website coming soon
- Email: Evol-Iris.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/428hz_/ , https://www.instagram.com/evol.iris/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Evol-Iris-Studios-104392272186889/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/428hz_
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoWEGdfXOnwpV3B6OsxqMtA