I’ve listened to Sky’s the Limit so many times, but one day riding my motorcycle, that line really stuck out to me. I was working two dead-end jobs with no plan for the future. This line was such an impact at that moment that I made it a mission to listen to it on repeat for three months straight. The song gave me so much hope. I’d get home tired from my jobs and would blast it. Even though I was working around seventy hours a week, I made it a priority to create every day because of the feeling this song gave me when I’d envision ‘sky’s the limit.’

My girlfriend got me Kanye West floor seat tickets to see the Life of Pablo tour, where I wore my first customized jacket. It was a tan Pablo Escobar denim jacket styled with a custom baseball cap and rare Formula 1 Raf Simons. I know it was a Kanye West concert, but my jacket was the real star of the show (lol just joking). Seriously though, so many people were trying to buy it off my back that at the end of the night, I had an epiphany to create my brand. Once I posted my outfit on my @lordzapata Instagram account and again got repeatedly asked to sell it, it gave me the confidence I needed to set my vision into motion.

I grew up in Medellin during the Pablo Escobar era. I come from a family that has been poor for many generations, and some sought employment from the Medellin cartel to break the chains of poverty. As a result of their involvement with the cartel, my dad and uncles were violently gunned down when I was only 5 years old.
Years passed but the violence in my life continued. Constant threats to my family forced us to flee to the United States seeking safety. It was clear that the amount of violence I grew up with wasn’t normal. Moving to New York gave me a positive outlook on life. I was exposed to streetwear and the sneaker culture I instantly fell in love with. From that moment on, I had a burning desire for years to come to master the art of cool.

In Colombia, I wasn’t exposed to hip-hop and streetwear, so when I moved to New York I was drawn to the music even though I didn’t even know English yet. What I did know was that I loved the styles in the music videos and streetwear worn by the cool kids in the neighborhood. I learned so much throughout the years as I started collecting sneakers, especially Nike SBs. They take a story and incorporate those details in the design of the shoe, which is what inspired me to always incorporate history, details and statement pieces in all my designs.

Luckily, I moved from Colombia to New York, where people walk and play outside all day. I was able to see in person what people wore and listened to, which led me to start watching music videos. I was an avid Wu-Tang Clang listener. I loved everything about them, including the baggy style of clothing, which I often wore.

Throughout the ten years I’ve been with her, Migna always believed in me and pushed me to be better. There were many conversations at the beginning of the relationship where she’d mention how my lack of ambition was stopping me from achieving my full potential. These were very hurtful moments but I understood the reality of it. Once Muse by Pablo gained traction, I always encouraged Migna to join. She is very driven and tenacious, and I knew I wanted her to be a part of it. She implemented a long-term business plan instead of the day-by-day method and slowly got into designing. She was my first muse and now she’s involved in the everyday operations of Muse by Pablo.

I used to daydream a lot growing up as a mechanism to cope with my harsh reality, so I’ve always had a big imagination. Ideas come to me naturally as I’m designing. Contrary to designers that have to sit down and sketch their designs, I turn on my sewing machine and let my mind do its thing. Migna is different from me. She’s more of a planner and likes to have a vision before starting on the design. I do think this causes her to feel pressure a lot more than I do because I know it’ll come to me.

With so many brands that exist, it’s important for us to remain authentic to ourselves. What makes each person different is their experiences, so we make sure to incorporate our childhood, music taste, political views, interests, religion, etc. to create unique designs.

In addition to our statement pieces, it’s the amount of time we spend doing marketing. There’s a lot of traveling involved in the growth of Muse by Pablo. We made an impact in our hometown but we knew that in order to expand we had to have Muse seen in other parts of the county. Networking at events nationwide has always been very important for us and allows us to continue growing. Social media is a huge factor as well since we can show our work to audiences across the world.

Tampa is very special to me and I make sure to rep it everywhere I go. This city was the first to be receptive to my designs and gave me the confidence to expand. Every time I put on a fashion show I make sure to go all out for the city that helped me start living out my dreams.

I don’t think the Latino culture has a lot of representation in the streetwear community. I use my craft to exhibit my heritage and Latin traditions. Everything around me inspires me, which is the reason I named my brand Muse. There’s no teacher like experience and I’m very much inspired by my surroundings.

Take the risk, it’s worth it. Better to try and fail than to not try at all. Don’t be afraid to be your own muse.