Meet Leslie Fuentes of Modern Woman LA

Today we’d like to introduce you to Leslie Fuentes.

Leslie, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I am a Multi-Media Designer raised in South Central, LA but born in Mexicali, Mexico.

I have memories of my childhood from before we immigrated to Los Angeles in 1998, that heavily influenced my present-day passions. I first found out that I wanted to be some kind of creative when I was in pre-school in Mexicali, Mexico. It was my first experience with arts and crafts, and in that moment, I remember falling in love with creating. I will forever be grateful for that moment. At a very young age, I knew I had an instinctive direction about what I wanted to do. Schools in Mexico at the time were a bit strict on how you treat your school supplies, I remember getting in trouble with my teachers because I would draw in my homework notebooks. As you can see, I have been defying the norm since before I could truly comprehend authority. I’m sure my mother recalls this very well.

I take a lot from my mother. For as long as I can remember, she always encouraged me to develop business ideas or have me contribute to her own creative endeavors. When I was around 10-13 she got me involved with her tattooing and mural businesses. She always called me the “idea person.” I often helped her sketch out ideas and she would execute them. We have truly done so much together.

A lot of people don’t know this but I’ve actually been designing since I was 13. I was in Mexicali, Mexico and one of my aunts asked me what I wanted to study. She’s always been the one to support my academic ambitions so one day she said, “I’ll pay for it,” and as she said that, I remember passing by this design academy in Mexicali called Designio, which would be the first sort of technical training I’d ever receive as a creator. The irony of it all is that I actually wanted to learn to design so I could make MySpace backgrounds. After that, I got a part-time job when I turned 15 selling menswear/streetwear at the Slauson Swapmeet, which honestly I feel influenced my current vision for my own brand Modern Woman. I was drawn to the strong silhouettes and fabrics usually found in menswear, and I’ve always mixed men’s pieces into my own style.

During this time, my family and I experienced a tribulation that shifted our lives forever. Our home was raided and my step-dad fled back to Mexicali. I talk about this experience very openly now because it launched a series of events that lead to a lot of trauma but also a lot of healing, and ultimately inspired the kind of creator, leader and founder I aspire to be. This experience also led to a new medium of creation for me. I was around 15-16 when we moved to El Centro, California. I was away from my city, my friends, my hobbies and was living in a Women’s Shelter, so I searched for a creative outlet.

I was a Communications Magnet student in High School and took classes such as New Media and Film. But I moved away from Los Angeles and ended up at a new school and new city. At this new school, I found myself searching for something similar. I found it through Photography and actually won an award for my exhibition in Calexico’s City Arts and Culture event.

I had developed so many advanced creative skills at a very young age and this lead to an internship at Insomniac Events before I even finished high school. The summer after turning 18, I started helping with Insomniac’s street promotions and quickly turned that opportunity into a Marketing internship with a leading event company in the U.S. Within a year I settled in by creating my own role in their Marketing Department, which in hindsight, truly set the tone for creative branded content within that industry. I recall very vividly reaching out to people before the term ‘influencer’ had ever been coined and developing stories for our content on Tumblr! I also developed a plan with an in-store collaborative installation between one of the events and a major beauty retailer. Those types of partnerships never really happened before, but now there are major companies like Beautycon and Instagram Museums using this same formula. All this put into perspective where my mind has been from the start, and these are the kind of moments that continue to inspire me and motivate me to follow my instincts and execute my crazy ideas.

My work experience with Insomniac leads to many more opportunities. I scored an amazing Multi-Media Specialist role at a Fortune 500 Marketing Agency called Infinite Communications based out of Sherman Oaks, CA. This role taught me everything I needed to move forward in my career as a Multi-Media Designer. The Creative Director helped me structure my technical skills for Advertising Design and really taught me how to Design for Marketing campaigns. He influenced my creative perspective by saying, “Wouldn’t be the designer I am without my marketing background, wouldn’t be the marketer I am without being the designer I am.”

While work seemed great, deep down I was going through personal changes within me and randomly reached out to Linda Nguyen, the founder of LoveMade. I didn’t have any real expectations for her to respond I was just so lost. But, she actually did respond to my message through social media and we started to connect. Through Linda and Tammy Le, her founding partner at LoveMade and LoveMade Events, I gained the opportunity to join the FlyGrls movement.

LoveMade’s mentorship would eventually lead to me joining the Adidas Entertainment and Influencer Marketing Department. This has definitely been one of my career highlights thus far. It married everything I am – creative thinker, strategist, pop culturist, music and fashion aficionado. I became the Office Manager of the department, which honestly helped me learn influencer strategy from an iconic, global brand at a bird’s eye view.

Around the same time, I had been hired as a contributing Creative Director at The Well. One of the highlight events I got to work with them was the Skyline Festival, which challenged me in every way, but I knew this was the kind of work I wanted to continue doing.

My stepdad passed away in November of 2017 and that same month my at the time ten-year relationship would come to an end. I remember bottling all these emotions and focused on diving myself into work in December 2017. I had an emotional and mental breakdown and decided to take a break in January 2018.

I went through such a dark time but also a very transformative one. I moved to Westmorland, CA and surrounded myself with new energy. One night, I inspiration hit me and I emailed a content strategy proposal to Ladies First Events, a woman empowerment and leading spiritual event creator based out of Los Angeles. I had already developed a professional relationship and friendship with Ladies First but this strengthened our connection and lead to me assisting them with content for companies such as RARE GLOBAL, Woman’s Choice Awards and their own brand.

Since August 2019, I’ve been contributing my efforts as a Content Manager at Gasolina- a leading Latin-American event brand based out of L.A. With the ever-growing Latin-American market, my eye for potential and my ever-developing technical skills, I have ambitious dreams for the brand. Make sure to keep an eye out for Gasolina!

On top of this major project, I still continue to contribute time, love and support to FlyGrls, a showcase event featuring creative women in music, art, performance and dance. I’m busy but I love everything I do and everything I am aligned with.

Has it been a smooth road?
Oh, the obstacles! My life has been nothing less of a rollercoaster. I’ve had to think creatively to overcome all of this. It makes my life that much interesting and making me that much inspired, strong and passionate. After my transformative period in 2017 though, I’ve learned to appreciate everything I am and embrace everything I’m not.

We’d love to hear more about your work.
I was inspired to bring Modern Woman to life during the first Women’s March in 2017. Up until that point though, I had a couple of other company concepts but I felt my most aligned with this one. It represented everything I am. I love unconventional female leaders but for the longest time, I didn’t think I was equipped to be one. But through growing or the development of my brand I have learned that maybe I could be, even if it’s through teaching and executing these workshop-type events that I dream about creating one day, that itself would help pave the way for many women and creators. The resources I never had, and for that, I accept my purpose and the brand helping me figure it out.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Los Angeles inspires me every day. Present-day I am thankful for my time spent int Watts and South Central. The sense of community and loyalty to each other is different.

Contact Info:

• Website: ModernWomanLA.com
• Email: leslie@modernwomanla.com
• Instagram: @fuentleslie

Image Credit:
Virisa Yong
Magybet Mendez
Donna Vo

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