FASHION

DE LA O WAS A SUSTAINABLE FASHION BRAND BEFORE SUSTAINABILITY WAS A THING

From 2006 to 2010, I founded and operated De La O, a fashion company built intentionally outside the seasonal model—treating fashion as a system rather than a cycle of trends. The work centered on manufacture at origin, artisan-led couture techniques, and long-life design, years before “sustainability” entered mainstream industry vocabulary. Production was embedded within cultural and material contexts, prioritizing labor, provenance, and continuity over scale.

Today, my work in fashion is advisory rather than brand-led. I consult with brands, institutions, and governments on how to redesign fashion systems—addressing supply chains, material sourcing, labor structures, and policy frameworks—particularly in Costa Rica, where I work on building regenerative, place-based production models that function as economic and cultural infrastructure rather than extractive industry.

• Founder of De La O (2006–2010), an early non-seasonal, system-driven fashion practice

• Manufacture-at-origin and artisan couture production before industry adoption

• Current advisory work with brands and governments on regenerative fashion systems and policy