Today we’d like to introduce you to Jasmin Rodriguez.
Jasmin, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I was born and raised in New York City and was always very artistic so I went to High School for art & fashion and tried to get into F.I.T. (one of the best colleges for Fashion in NYC) but they wouldn’t accept me no matter how much I tried. That closed-door inspired me to start a fashion blog in 2008 when fashion blogging wasn’t as popular as it is now, and I ended up cultivating a huge following overnight that eventually lead to many great opportunities within the corporate fashion world. I have worked for designers like Christian Louboutin, Betsey Johnson, and various other brands wearing many hats. I even worked as a contributing writer for various online publications for New York Fashion week as well.
Even with all of my accomplishments, I felt like I was running on a hamster wheel to nowhere for years in NY with no real growth and still felt like the black sheep of my industry until I moved to Las Vegas at 27 to be a part of a subculture that felt more like home (The Rockabilly subculture). I became a buyer for a big retro/pinup company for a few years (and worked other retro fashion-related jobs) until 2019, the year that I started my own journey as a fashion designer of my own brand. Thankfully, my business has been on demand ever since. Even during a pandemic, which is absolutely shocking, but I feel incredibly fortunate.
My designs are made in Los Angeles so its become a second home and on days when I am not working and sourcing fabrics, I wander around LA visiting the best vintage shops, restaurants, and art exhibitions.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
My life has always been an obstacle. I grew up in New York in a bad neighborhood. I had a very troubling childhood that took a toll on my mental health throughout my life and I still struggle. For the past 14+ years, I burnt myself out working for other companies and brands with no appreciation. The Fashion industry could care less about what “some Puerto Rican girl” contributed so long as I just did the work and after a few years of burning myself to the ground, moving to Las Vegas felt like an escape and a blank canvas for a fresh start. But it meant that I had to move far away from my family, which was the biggest obstacle. I just knew I had to make a change and I had to promise myself that if I left NYC that I would eventually start my own business and turn Vintage Vandalizm into a real brand…
I didn’t have a lot of money when I started my brand so my first six months in business, I worked a second full-time job in the medical field (something I was never actually interested in but needed the money & couldn’t find a job in my field at the time) because I needed to still be able to survive. I put every dime I had into this. I spent almost every day off driving to California to oversee production and pick up shipments just to save money. Thats 4 hours to and from California every other week and then running to work, sneaking into the restroom to answer customer service questions, sleeping in my car on my lunch breaks, and shipping packages before and after my shifts. I was exhausted.
It wasn’t until January 1st of 2020 that I decided to leave my full-time job to devote myself to my business entirely and it has been really amazing ever since. But I’m still a one women show where 95% of the time, I’m doing production, packing & shipping orders, modeling & booking models, handling all press and answering customer service questions at all times of the day. I have one person who helps me from time to time and I can’t wait to be able to hire a full-time staff to help me expand and keep my brand alive so I can finally breathe a little. It’s a lot of work.
Vintage Vandalizm – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Can’t really cook but fashion is my thing lol. It’s what I do best. Vintage Vandalizm went from being a simple personal fashion blog into a full-blown clothing brand. I never knew that I had been planting seeds this whole time. I never knew that it would be this successful. I just followed my heart.
I started this brand, determined to empower women and to honor the seemingly forgotten ethnic pinups from the past. My whole life, I have always spoken to people through my personal style. I have always celebrated individualism. Clothing has always empowered me. But the dream was to see women wear my designs and become empowered too. Ultimately, my goal is to illustrate my passions through clothes as one of the few Puerto Rican designers in the world.
Im not designing “safe” or “modest” clothing. My designs are bold and elegant and I think that’s what I’m known for now and what separates me from the norm. I’m helping women get out of their shell and I am showing them that fashion isn’t limited to a size. I carry XS-4XL and I can’t tell you how fulfilling it is to hear women, from all over the world, tell me that my clothes make them feel beautiful.
What also sets my brand apart is that I have a close connection with my customers & I make sure they are treated like family. This is less about the money and more about creating and connecting with the people who support my small business and making sure that I support them as well.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
I think success is living your full authentic life. Its pretty revolutionary in our day and age to be 100% authentic to who you are and what you want to do and accomplish in life. To create your own path, one that may not have a map and still go for it. To follow all of your heart’s desires. That’s success to me. So many of us live a routine life we don’t love. Success is taking the road less traveled and turning it into a beautiful journey of self-discovery. It’s how Ive always chose to live my life, despite living underneath the weight of the world’s unrealistic standards of who I should be, and I am so happy I stuck to my guns and did everything my way.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.vintagevandalizm.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vintagevandalizm/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Vintagevandalizm
Image Credit:
1st image on the sand is a photo by Matt Cull. The rest of the images are by Daniel Rodriguez. Red head model is Lucy Lux. Black model with black hat and floral romper is Victoria Stewart. Other black model with hoop earrings is Coco Jenkins. All of the other models are me Jasmin Rodriguez.
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