Check Out Jesse Flores’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jesse Flores.

Hi Jesse, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I traveled back to Mexico just days after being born and spent the first twelve years of my life living in Cuauhtémoc, Chihuahua, with my parents, Patty and Rodolfo, and my two older brothers, Fito and Cristopher. I was raised in a family deeply involved in a business run by my grandmother, which strongly emphasized the importance of having a loving family. All of my family members are still involved in the business today.

Being the youngest with two older brothers from the ’90s meant that I was lucky enough to become a bit of a sponge for whatever my brothers enjoyed. Thanks to the internet, they found ways to stay connected to whatever was popular here in the U.S., which kept us out of the loop in Mexico but in the loop with trends here. That would eventually help me a lot when I moved back. They introduced me to ’90s music, movies, TV shows, video games, and so much more. Looking back, I believe that everything my brothers shared with me ultimately shaped who I am today and what I do.

Growing up, my brothers and I spent a lot of time together, and they influenced almost every aspect of my life. We would all draw together, but over time, we each found our own niche in art. One of my brothers became a tattoo artist, and the other developed into a talented artist. As for me, I discovered a passion for clothes and fashion.

Eventually, things changed with the family business, and my dad seemed forced to choose a new path for himself and his family. We ended up moving to Denver, where my mom’s sister welcomed us into her small apartment in Commerce City, Colorado. It took us a while, but after eight months of all five of us sleeping in the same room and putting in a lot of effort, we finally found a basement nearby to move into. My dad found a job, and my mom started working at a hair salon. My older brother went back to Mexico to continue college, while my middle brother and I began going to school here.

Despite middle school being a rough year, high school would be a complete 180. I continued to pursue art, took all the art classes offered by my school, and spent some of my off periods in the art room. I also found my first solid group of friends, most of whom I still talk to today and pursue similar dreams. I owe a lot to my friends; I believe that they taught me lessons and things that families don’t usually show you. My friends and I spent a lot of time skating, going to thrift stores, and videotaping and taking pictures of everything. It was a relationship based on unconditional support. We all genuinely enjoyed spending time with each other and supported our dreams and goals. I’m really glad I made those friendships, and even though I don’t talk to all of them, I still think about them all the time.

Into 2019, after graduating high school and feeling lost in my direction in life, I decided to take a year off and work. My idea was to go back to college right after a gap year, and it was working out for a while. I had a job at Ross, where I worked for about a year and a half. After the lockdown began, I lost my job and found myself looking for a way to make ends meet. Luckily, my thrifting habits continued from high school, and I began reselling and selling some of my collection online.

After being in the vintage community for a couple of years, I decided to pursue my dream of starting a brand, focusing on upcycling clothes, and combined my love for vintage and customizing into my own art project. I began by screen printing my own designs on vintage items like t-shirts and jackets. Eventually, I started upcycling jeans by adding patches, flair, distressing, and dyeing, as going through a manufacturer didn’t make sense for my budget. I also believe that one-of-a-kind personalized items carry much more meaning than mass-produced products.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It actually hasn’t been an easy path. It has been a challenging and rocky journey for me and my family, and it still is to this day. It’s tough not having a solid structure where you live. Despite my parents both going to college, I believe it’s hard for them not to work jobs they thought they would never be doing. Trying to build a family has been rough, as not only are we starting from zero and making a lot of mistakes due to unfamiliar surroundings, but also because we don’t have a structure back home. Everything we knew changed, and it’s not the same. These challenges make it harder to be guided in the right direction when trying to figure out what moves to make in life—especially when navigating life while trying to run a brand and being inexperienced in the business and financial world.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?

I actually got started by creating one-of-one screen-printed pieces. I would handpick certain garments and vintage blanks I found at thrift stores and screen print my own designs on them, like t-shirts, and hoodies. I also got a 1960s straight stitch Singer machine from my mom, which she received from her mom when I turned 16. Despite trying to use it multiple times, I didn’t know how to use it properly, which meant I would only sew from time to time in high school. Once I started my brand, I decided to take it seriously and realized I needed to invest in a better machine.

Today, I specialize in custom headwear which is what I’m personally most proud of and can’t wait to expand on, pants like jeans and sweatpants, like our Couplet Pants which are a fan favorite, and other miscellaneous objects. I believe that while apparel is important for any brand/project, uniqueness will ultimately make your brand stand out with a variety of different accessories. This is why I’ve been focusing on various aspects of fashion, like headwear and house items. My brand continues to evolve as i continue to explore life

We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
I think that I’m a lucky person in many aspects of life. I’m grateful to be here today and to do what I love, even though it might not be a major source of income yet. I appreciate having the time to pursue my passions in my free time, and I can’t imagine doing anything else. However, I grew up believing that you have to earn every day, and luck isn’t something that just comes your way; days aren’t just given to you. While luck may not have been a significant factor in my life, I’ve found that moments of good fortune often overshadow the bad, and many obstacles I face are due to inexperience, which is always a part of the journey.

Pricing:

• T-Shirts start at $10!
• Our Couplet Pants starting at $45, Currently sold out
• Custom Headwear Ranging From $40-90

Contact Info:

• Website: Misslanded.com
• Instagram: @Misslanded / @Linz_7771
• Youtube: Misslanded
• Other: https://linktr.ee/linz_msld?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaZCABKNpakRDZgKPXOEMu4qiK6lGS5VKlqfRQUCiSXAf0BQB2SqekyVbl4_aem_ITF3VaZYsEomMGgKcXsqvA

Image Credits
@feedthazombie