Luis G. Vélez Talks Fashion and upcoming Sonics Was Taken Event happening 4/20
Photos by Jordan Somers
Visionary fashion designer Luis G. Vélez, the creative force behind the Guillermo Bravo brand and now the Creative Director of Sonics Was Taken, stopped by The Day With Trae to share insights into his journey in the fashion industry, the evolution of his clothing label, and the exciting upcoming event dedicated to celebrating the Seattle Sonics' legacy through fashion and design.
For Vélez, this event represents a convergence of his deepest passions, tracing his childhood and beginning a life in the United States.
"Being an immigrant and coming to the US and trying to fit in. It was a nice way to have a sense of armor and a sense. You go to the thrift store, pick up some cool pieces, get to school, and then kids are like, 'You look cool.' And you're like, 'Oh, I guess I feel cool because I look cool.' And then from there, it's just like a slow development of ideas and a sense of style," Vélez said.
He continued, "With that came playing a lot of basketball. You get into sneakers with basketball. And then those two things converged to fulfill little by little dream."
This dream has culminated in the creation of Sonics Was Taken. Teaming up with designers and artists Neal Sotelo and Olivia Neal Howell, the trio has orchestrated the event scheduled for April 20th. Offering an immersive experience complete with food, music, and artistry, including Sotelo's signature pixelated art style, attendees can also look forward to a pop-up store, adding an extra dimension to the gathering.
"It's been interesting as we tell people that are like, 'What is this?' It's a lot of things, and there's different departments. You have your fashion department, which is like that tunnel walk that you'd see where players are going from the locker room home or their car to the locker room," Vélez said. "You're seeing that more and more kind of rise of players doing crazy stuff with fashion, and then also, how do we show basketball in a way or in a lens that's super artistic? What is that? How do we make an installation about basketball where it is very gallery-esque? Turn that lens so it's not like, 'We're just gonna throw some hoops up.' No, we want to be museum-like in that sense."
In addition to his involvement with the upcoming event, Vélez has been furthering his clothing brand, Guillermo Bravo. Drawing inspiration from streetwear and Japanese fashion, Vélez reflects on the development of his label since its establishment in 2018.
"It's a slow evolution [from] when we first started with streetwear, and then we started to do more tailored stuff. I like a lot of tech wear as well," Vélez said. "I think now we're in this great place of tailored pieces that have subtle tech and then subtle street vibes to it."
Named after his father's and mother's maiden names, Guillermo Bravo epitomizes Seattle's fashion landscape, offering a range of unique pieces available here.
For Sonics Was Taken, secure your tickets here for the upcoming event on April 20th. Velez describes the upcoming experience as a fusion of "creativity, athletics, and sheer passion for design" converging into a single space.
"I think it's opening the eyes of people being like, 'Oh, this is how you put basketball on?' Yeah, this is how we put Sonics and basketball on," Vélez said.
For more stories about artist and creatives putting Seattle on the map, tune into Trae every weekday at 11 a.m. on all Converge Media platforms and The Day With Trae YouTube Channel.
