The founder of South Florida based clothing line Color Latino says he creates clothes that define the culture, fashion and lifestyle of Hispanics in the U.S.
“We wanted to be the ambassadors of Latin culture in fashion,” founder Alvaro De Jesus said. “Our culture is one that perhaps is best described by colorfulness.”
De Jesus began working on the clothing line in his native Venezuela and finally brought Color Latino to Miami last year.
“Due to the number of Latinos in the States, we decided to open for business in Miami,” De Jesus said.
Color Latino clothes consist of numerous t-shirts with prints from Mexico, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guatemala, Brazil and other Latin American Countries. The shirts vary in colors and come in different designs for men and women.
But it has been the clothing line’s social media strategy that has helped spread the word. With each purchase, Color Latino gives out a pair of sunglasses, intended for Instagram photos. Customers are encouraged to be creative with the sunglasses and take pictures using the hashtag #ThroughLatinEyes.
“When we started trying to figure out the specifics of Latino Culture in the U.S., we thought it would be a good idea to have people post pictures of what the Latino lifestyle meant to them,” De Jesus said.
The company has given away over 400 pairs of sunglasses and has in turn received a variety of pictures.
“It’s a way to keep in touch with the consumer, keep the conversations,” he said.
The clothing line targets Latino millennials and is currently being sold online, in Bayside Marketplace and by catalog in local universities.
“Latino millenials as opposed to previous generations think about the Latino heritage in a very pragmatic way,” De Jesus said. “They are 100 percent American and 100 percent Latino and they can shift depending on who they are with.”
De Jesus said his brand has a unique style that targets a growing Latino population that likes to engage and show it on social media.
“Latinos are party people, we like to dance, we have a certain lifestyle,” De Jesus said. “It’s typical for us and that’s why the name of the brand is Color Latino.”
