WE ARE WORLDWIDE: LUIS PERALTA X WORLDWIDE MAGAZINE

VOLUME 4, ISSUE 4. SPRING SUMMER 2023.

TALENT LUIS PERALTA ★ PHOTO BY HIP TORRES ★ INTERVIEW BY ANDYOMO ★ INTERN EDITOR HANNAH MAINS

ANDYOMO: Hi Luis! 

LUIS PERALTA: Hi Andy! 

Can we start by having you tell me a little bit about yourself, like your age and where you're from, and how long you've been in New York City? 

I'm 31. I will be 32 on May 21st, and I'm originally from the Dominican Republic. I moved here when I was eight to Astoria Queens, Woodside actually, and grew up there. And then I moved to the Bronx in 2016. I went to, The High School of Fashion Industries in Chelsea, and then after that FIT where I started on women's wear and sportswear.

Wow, that's so impressive. And at what age did you realize you wanted to make fashion and design and art a profession? I know it's been something that's been around in your life for a long time, but when did you know that you wanted to head in that direction? 

So I would say it was always around me, cuz my mom was a fashion design teacher at a trade school and she also had her studio in a portion of the house. So like, while other kids were spending their afternoons playing and stuff, I was in my mom's studio, picking up fabric scraps or going to her evening classes with her cuz she couldn't get a babysitter. So it was always around me, but I think, in my teen years when I moved to New York and the whole Y2K and fashion was saw, like America's, next top model, all these things. I just saw it like as an actual industry and it was an insight [that], these are actual jobs and there's a career in this field. Along with my creativity, I always tell my friends like, this is all I'm good at. The areas where I felt more comfortable were when I was designing and like safe. So it was pretty much like in junior high school like I started to take it more seriously and cause I was applying to a high school So around then. 

That's awesome. No, I mean, I completely understand coming from like a creative mindset where it's kind of like always been with us, right? But kind of moving into those moments of, wow, I can do this. This is something that I can do for my life. And so that's super awesome to see. Growing up in the DR, was there a lot of art and fashion outside of working with your mom or going to your mom's work? 

Yeah, what was great about my small town, it was like a center of art because one of the Dominican renowned painters, Cándido Bidó, had his art school there and it was in the center of town. And then carnival season was always a big deal. My mom was always making costumes for different dance schools and performers. So there was always that art around me and in my town, and I'm kind of seeing it on a larger stage. Even though it was a small town at the time, I don't know if it was an inspiration, but it was just more like admiration. And now that I look back at my work, I see similarities between colors and things that just unconsciously popped into my mind from those times. So now I consider it like an inspiration.

I completely do see it in the colors and the styles that you do put out. I see that it's very prevalent in the DR and the Caribbean. Moving on, I know that you got a lot of influence from growing up in the Dominican Republic, but are there any specific stories that you look to share with your work coming from the DR and then [moving] here to America?

So the older I get, I've learned working in the American sportswear industry, I believe the clothes not only should look good but should be wearable for people, that's just my motto. And that's something that I learned. I mean, my nine-to-five job is more working for a brand for like a certain consumer that is expecting a certain type of product. So kind of tapping into that, but bringing in my creativity and seeing it in my way. I love great designers that you can tell their look from a mile away like you can tell Ralph Lauren or Walt Disney as a brand. And that's something that through these years where my brand is at its baby stage, as I call it, I'm saving these images and inspirations of things that reflect our time and seeing how our community is just here, because our styles are borrowed and used all the time, it's just not acknowledged. 

Yeah, I completely see that. Growing up as a POC man in fashion, did you find that doors opened up easily or were there some struggle and push and pull within the industry, specifically here in the States, but also just throughout your entire experience?

At the time I didn't, I think because it was in the early 2010s and wokeness wasn't going on, I wasn't really seeing it, but now that I look back, I was the only person of color in a lot of these rooms where I was interning or doing fashion week stuff. And obviously the older I got, the more I started to question it. Maybe I did have to put more work than other people for these doors to open up, whether it was like showing off to professors in the sense of simply having my work done on time and then them having to make me walk around the classroom and make sure that everyone's sleeve was set in right or collar. And I'm like, okay. That was because it was a skill that I had since I was younger. So being in college, I almost felt like I was just trying to get the degree to get the jobs. While other people were getting funds or were making it happen overnight. I kind of detached myself because of just observing the way that the industry is a monopoly in a way like any other industry. But yeah, it's made me work harder, and proceed with caution of who I'm working with. I'm thankful. I mean, I'm thankful for the opportunities that I've had. It's just that it does feel like there, could be more. More opportunities provided to other people of color and paid too. That's a thing that I've experienced finding out while I was doing more work than other people even in the educational system, like, damn, I'm not a tutor here. I don't get paid for this. But at the time I was just more naive and more about doing it. You're put in situations where you're young and you don't think about it. But now, well into my thirties, I'll protect my craft.

I think a couple of key things that you said that stood out to me while you were talking were the idea of overnight success from other artists and being an artist, especially in a city where there are so many artists in the same industries as you, it can feel like, where's my turn? Where's, where's my door? I'm putting in this work. I'm showing up. I'm showing all the way that I need to and that these other people are, and still not being recognized. So I like, think that our readers are gonna be able to relate to this idea of working extra hard just to get that bare minimum of attention. And also understanding that We're not playing the short overnight game, we're playing the long game. And the longevity of it is what creates us as artists, and informs us into having real opinions and not this fast-paced, trendy, mindset. 

One thing that I can say to younger artists who are experiencing this kind of like, damn, I'm doing all the work, or I'm doing these shoots, I'm putting in the hours and I'm kind of expecting more, you shouldn't move like that through life. If it's an art, if it's a love you have, it's okay to just keep developing, make it for yourself, make it for your friends. Make it for your community. Other people are already doing it to sell you something. Do it to empower people. I think I took that approach in the past years and more doors have kind of opened because there's a kind of honesty when people look at my work. And just recently, like a friend called me outta nowhere for a Met Gala project, and like when she called me she's like, what are you doing this weekend? It was raining like crazy and I'm like, nothing and then she tells me and I immediately got up. But while I was there, in the room and they flew in their whole team from Paris, I was with these people that I fucking watch on YouTube and like admired their craft and work, I'm like, damn, if I could go back to myself who would like, get frustrated about things, I'll be like, just keep doing the fucking work. Keep doing the work. Show up for yourself first. And then you can show up for others and like, don't expect.

I think that's one thing too. And from my personal experience within art, I find that sometimes, especially growing up Latin, I can find that I was taught to run after my passions, run after your passion and go with it and make money off of it because you, you love it. And I think as I've grown up too, I realized that like, We don't need to make money off of all of our artistic expressions. These things are what make us human and what makes us enjoy life. And when we do try to make things marketable, sometimes we lose a little bit of that authenticity within a brand or within what we're trying to say.

So what you're saying is very relatable, at least for me, and I know other people as well. Yeah. Kind of diving in a little bit more for that. Do you want to talk to us a little bit about the kind of person you design for? I know you mentioned it a little bit, but I'd love to dive a little deeper.

Yeah. The person that I design for is someone who appreciates art, music, food culture is conscious of what's going on in the world and. Likes to have things in their closet that isn't just seasonal, like a great lace shirt that they know they're gonna pull out every time it gets warm and can make it like more relaxed and kind of timeless. People who appreciate timeless pieces. I want the clothes to not overpower them overall, like just add, add to their beauty already, like dress their best and accentuate that. 

To it. Right. That is a really good point about being a designer is kind of like Trusting other people to make it more personal to each customer. Yeah. That's awesome. Do you have any other favorite custom pieces that you've ever created? 

This is kind of messy, but I love it. During the pandemic for Wendy Williams, I did Custom masks, that was fun. Some of my favorite projects are custom bridal, and I do them randomly when I have the time. Because they take a lot of meeting with the client and shopping and fittings. I've had a girl who came back with her mom's dress from the 1980s and wanted me to use the materials from it Wow. And modernize it to her liking and this kind of more fairytale look. And that was fun.

True. Sustainability can come in many different forms. So that's awesome. Getting closer to the end. Do you have any other creative outlets besides designing? 

Other creative outlets. I love illustration like fashion illustration, even though that's part of the design, there's something looser to it. Like visual art, collaging love that.

That's awesome. All right. Some of our readers want to know a little bit more about what goes into the creation of a piece from conception to walking down a runway. Could you kind of dive into that a bit?

So what I would say is that 70% of the time, the first thing you make is not what's gonna make it down the runway. I call that a prototype. And from developing a sketch, getting at least a mockup, to getting something on an actual body. Dress forms are good, but they're more of an easel for you to balance your work. But when you're working with real movement, you know, if a person raises their arm that's gonna expand or hips that are gonna widen when you sit people. That's a tip that I recommend. Like even if you just sew it with raw edges, for a friend to try on or someone you trust, you consider your body type or your muse for your brand to start somewhere. And then after that, once you are satisfied, you can get into the sewing or sewing scraps of the fabric to see how you want to finish it.

No, I like that. That's awesome. And I think that our readers will resonate with that. Last two questions. And these are more about the community specifically within being POC and being a queer creative. How can we create more space and representation through the diversity and the creatives of the fashion industry? 

Well, [Worldwide Magazine] is already creating space, I think. We're making our agencies and I feel like we should have our call book of sewers and beaders and photographers and models, and I feel like with projects like [Worldwide] magazine, my brand, other artists we're creating this connection, just like people say, oh, you have to know someone to get there. Oh yeah, I know someone. And on top of that, they're a POC, they're supportive. They've worked with me. They understand not only where I've come from, but what I can do. So just the same way that other people have systems we can do it too. And we're just as good because we've been in those rooms and they're inspired by our work. They're looking at our stuff. 

No, I like that, it's doable and I think that in an industry that honestly when you do walk in a room and you're the only person of color or you're the only person that is queer, I do think that it is more comfortable to create spaces ourselves, especially when half the time we're knocking on doors and they're not valuing you for what you bring to the table. I think it's finding that balance of, you know, understanding your worth and what you have to offer while also taking that time to say, what can I learn from this situation and how can I move forward in a place that does benefit me? All right, last question. What's next for you? What can we expect to see from you in the upcoming future? 

Well, I. I've gotta keep up with one show a year so that's definitely in development. I can't release the date. I can't be like Rihanna. I can't release the date on the album, but that's definitely in the works this year. And I mean, I'm hoping for a lot more. I mean, it's kind of started well. Like I had my first experience working on something for the Met Gala, which was incredible. So it's only up from here, as I say, 

I love that. And we're here to watch your journey and watch your growth as well. I appreciate you taking the time to talk with us, Luis! 

I appreciate this too and for you documenting my work!