Building a fashion empire from scratch, Luis Velez, Guillermo Bravo

I'm always struck by the creativity of the independent business people I meet, but even by those standards, Luis Velez of the indie fashion brand Guillermo Bravo, stands out.

I first met Luis last year. He was just about to go to Italy to have a prototype made of a new pair of sneakers that he'd designed. He showed me a bunch of drawings and renders and they didn't look quite like any shoes I'd ever seen before.

In the year since then, Luis has gotten even more shoes designed and made, has extended his line to include apparel, and has continued to build and refine his vision--all while holding down a full time job.

Luis is a great example of how passion can drive you forward. He's also someone who understands the essential importance of finding the right mentors, allies and other people who can help you make your dreams real. Finally I think the work he's doing is a powerful reminder that contract manufacturing is changing the opportunity that all creative people have to make products in ways that would have been unimaginable only a few years ago.

Be sure to check out Guillermo Bravo's full line at their website and on Instagram.
https://guillermo-bravo.com/
https://www.instagram.com/guillermo_bravo_/