MANIFESTO

For the first portion of my life I wanted nothing more than to fit in, for fear of being condescended and rejected for defying the social norms and not being cool. Cool is the ultimate goal: a voucher for happiness at a point where the opinions and judgements of your peers hold the most weight. It wasn't until a couple years ago that I started to slowly realize that the highest level of cool is only achieved when you are fully and unapologetically yourself. There is no switch that goes off when suddenly you adopt this principle as true—rather it must be learned and practiced.

A critical part of this for me was how I chose to dress. There was an evolution that took place from middle school, into high school, past college and now to this point in my life, where I've settled into a style that's more expressive and true to myself, not dictated by trends or external sense of what cool should look like. In itself, choosing fashion as a primary medium for self-expression was huge for me, and soon I became extremely passionate about the world of fashion and curating clothes that tell a story: my story. 

Here's the bottomline—the important part: if you have a dream, don't worry about if it's cool enough. Don't worry about how much money it will make you. All you have to do is evaluate how it makes you feel and really how excited you get just by thinking about it. I fully believe that if you are energized about a profession or craft and have a dream to pursue it fully, you'll commit yourself so passionately that it can become lucrative. But the key there is not to just sit back and hope. Take real actionable steps to making it happen, and with each inch of progress, you will build a sense of fulfillment and ambition that with continue to fuel the very thing you have set out to pursue.

UPBRINGING

I am grateful to be a blend of both of his parents' personalities, which speaks to the value I see of a balanced skillset and aura. My mother is an independent designer of almost five decades and is a huge source of inspiration. My father on the other hand represents a more left-brain mode, paired with kindness and generosity.

I grew up in the Bay Area in a smaller town called Mill Valley just across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. Looking back, my upbringing in this type of cloistered setting was not as formative, beyond my appreciation for living in a more natural, sylvan environment.

Really my four years of high school was much more impactful, having attended the Urban School of San Francisco in the heart of the city. Going to school everyday in the Haight-Ashbury—the storied neighborhood at the center of the Summer of Love era—exposed me to a more eccentric community. People unapologetically expressed themselves to the fullest and took pride in expanding the city's culture and range of identity through their own individuality.

Being immersed in the urban domain of wonderful, zany San Francisco was huge for me. Seeing so many people owning their own style and character made me compelled to do the same and explore who I wanted to be and how I wanted to exhibit that.

[  nate.e.stern@gmail.com  ]