ABOUT US

WHO ARE WE?

We are a digital publication, an E-Magazine concentrating on fashion, lifestyle and culture topics.  

We promote freedom.

We promote peace.

We are a gossip, bullying and negativity free publication.

Our digital publication is free and independently operated by Giselle Trujillo.

WHAT DO WE DO?

We do things differently.

We share knowledge and bring awareness relating to fashion, lifestyle and culture topics.

We brings the hottest revolutionary trends and greatest cultural stories from around the world.

We share, we truth.

We are your destination for all things unconventional & revolutionary.

FOUNDER

Giselle Trujillo, Editor-In-Chief - Creative Director - Brand Content - Publisher & Artist

WHEN

2008

Giselle Trujillo Bracelets

GISELLE TRUJILLO

FOUNDER, CEO, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, CREATIVE DIRECTOR,

BRAND CONTENT, PUBLISHER

www.giselletrujillo.com

WHAT ELSE I DO

I HAVE ONE LIFE TO LIVE AND AS LONG AS I DO THE GOOD THINGS, I WILL LIVE IT DOING EVERYTHING I WANT TO DO,  NOT WHAT SOCIETY DICTATES.

I’m a full blown artist with entrepreneurial skills.

I’m giving up some of my personal website and turned it into an E-Magazine in order to share, help and promote the careers of unique individuals and business who are true to their craft.  This E-Magazine is not a blog or a gossip publication, I’m here to bring the positives and not promote the negatives. 

ME & FASHION INDUSTRY

Born in the 20th Century of the 2nd Millennium of the Cenozoic Era.   Landed in New York City when i was eight.  I speak, write Spanish and English fluently, as well as some Arabic speaking.  My mother is professional hair stylists by trade and my biological father was an entrepreneur who once owned a ladies garment factory in New York City.   I’m the only child.   My mother remarried and i gained a father.   I have many cool siblings.  I’m an artist and entrepreneur with an old soul and deep appreciation for life, cultures, history and our universe.

One thing you have to know about me, I am NOT a super trendy person. I still don’t own a pair of UGGS and I still don't listen to everything that is being played on the radio. I see fashion and music differently, and my philosophy works. I don’t shop or listen to music to be trendy, I LOVE WHAT IS CONSIDERED TO BE TIMELESS. Trends change so quickly, with no time to embrace. I feel a stylish person can be someone who can style well, look great not matter how young or old they or their articles may be. As far as music... it's about the connection that unique artist has with it's message, the deliverance of a messages with purpose and depth, without selling themselves to the materialistic world. It' about quality, for me to appreciate something or someone, I must feel the long term affect with it. All human begins have a story to share, all things tell a story, however, not all can be related to and keeping that in mind I choose what I want. Same philosophy applies to me and everything i do in my life. Quality is power! LIFE IS WONDERFUL!

I follow and study fashion brand’s trend behaviors.  I am watching them as they jeopardize and deteriorate their life brands in order to compete in this saturated marketplace.  Only a few have maintained their integrity regardless of their behaviors, those fashion houses have made some very well crafted goods.

I am probably the pickiest shoe buyer in the world, I am very critical, the shoe must be well constructed, fit perfectly and serve it’s purpose in style.   My shoe collection is very specific.   I LOVE SHOES TO THE SOLE!  Shoes are very unique, they say a lot about a person, they tell a story, they compliment a fashion style and most of all they give us a sense of self responsibility and confidence.  Same philosophy applies to music, everything i create and everything i do in my life.

I worked for Nordstrom’s salon shoes department for over 3 years, worked closely with the buyer who taught me so much about the construction and maintenance of shoes.  Throughout my years in Salon Shoes, i was fortunate enough to personally assist with some notable footwear designers including Stefano Ferragamo, Andrea Pfister, Charna Garber, Donald J. Pliner and Steve Madden.   That is where my passion for shoes flourished.  Seven years later, after two years of Power selling on Ebay my partner and i had a great amount of capital to re-invest, we decided to start a fashion company, concentrating on footwear.  I contacted an old friend whom i had met in Nordstrom, Danny Lakin, whom at that time was representative of Moda Espana Shoes, I asked Danny if he could teach me about the footwear industry and if could work for him.  Danny was very cool and gave a job as his assistant for his new shoe lines of Kimmel, Nana and Sue Wong.  My responsibilities were setting up the showroom, displaying samples, modeling the samples, taking messages, dealing with buyers, selling shoes during the Boot & Shoe trade shows and helping Danny in any way I could. 

I applied and received a partial scholarship from 210 Footwear Foundation, I also applied and was accepted to Ars Tutoria in Milan, Italy.   Instead, I decided to dive into the footwear industry and in 2003 my partner and I had a clear vision of how to proceed with our own company.  We developed and managed our in-house brand of Billie-Jean, which was wholesaled and disturbed to mom and pop’s stores, boutiques and larger chain stores in the United States.  I was CEO and Creative Director of our company, managing and dealing with buyers and manufactures as well as the company’s designer.   All of our high fashion synthetic leather shoes were manufactured in China and all of our leather shoes and handbags were manufactured in Turkey, India & Brazil.  Slowly we were gaining some popularity with our shoes, great styles, great quality, great price points, excellent services and payment terms, Billie-Jean could not go wrong. 

A couple of years later and after many meetings with Brass Plum shoe department buyer of Nordstrom,  I was able to receive a purchase order from them, which would have brought Billie-Jean to another level.  However, due to discrepancies with our factory in China, we made the executive decision to cancel our order with Nordstrom.  A situation that personally devastated me.  After much loss, I decided to get out of the industry and terminate my partnership.   Even though I was no longer active in the industry, I was still collaborating on my future goals.  

In 2008, I decided to take all my experiences, talents and plans and put them to work on a small level, I opened a corporation providing several service based products as well as fashion accessories.  This time around my approach is correct, i’ve taken everything i’ve ever learned and concluded that I was not interested in mass marketed goods, that my appreciation for the industry concentrated on quality and not quantity which would also allow me to work at a comfortable pace outside the fashion industries seasonal demands and  began to handcraft fashion jewelry and leather goods from my studio. 

December 31’st 2012 I made a small goal to myself, that I should make my first pair of handmade leather sandals.   First week in January, I’ve fulfilled my goal.   The sandals are not perfect but I have proven to myself that persistence and love for what you enjoy doing is the key to success.    My inspirations come from everyday adventures, studies in history, global cultures and common sense.   I work mostly with leathers, unique fabrics, vintage materials, metals and gemstones.  I’m an artist, a self taught footwear and accessories designer of bespoke leather shoes, accessories and handbags in the United States. 

MUSIC & ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, MUSIC!!!!   I listen to a lot of Latin, Flamenco, Arabic, Dub, Indian, Dancehall, Reggae, Pop, Afrobeat, other African genres including Morna, Soul, Pop-Samba and Bossa Nova.   My mother raised me on Latin and Flamenco music, I knew of no other genres until I came to the states and watched MTV.  Freshman year in high school, I worked at the only trendy store in town, a men’s clothing store, the owner was Egyptian and that is when I first heard Arabic music, which is when my cultural interest peeked.  My Egyptian friends from school gave me tons of Egyptian music and my one Pakistani friend was the first one to introduce me to Pakistani and Indian music.  All whom taught me so much about their cultures and religion.  My Egyptian friends taught me to speak, read, and write Arabic.  One time, one of my friends went to Egypt for the summer and brought me back some more music tapes, cool trinkets and two sets of solid brass finger cymbals for belly dancing.   I was in heaven.   I still have everything my friends ever gave me.  I took belly dancing classes behind everyone’s back when i was 18, I told my parents about belly dancing, also telling them I wanted to become an actor and not go to college.    I signed with Sherly Grant Management for three years, then went to Rybin Talent Management.    I trained professionally in belly dancing for 9 years, joining a professional dance troop for a couple of years.   In 2012 I decided I was ready to achieve one of goals.  I formed and incorporate a small independent record label offering artists, development, production, engineering, writing, management and other industry related services.   I decided to disconnect from helping other artists, a year later, i decided to try the music industry again.  Currently collaborating if some the industry's finest, expect to hear great music.

MY HANDMADE GOODS

I personally design and handcraft the goods that carry my name.  I hand stamp my work with my initials.  I shop for vintage and unique materials in order to create and offer 2-10 pieces per style, sometimes just one piece per style, with the exception of my hot sellers which I make on a per order enquiry.   I appreciate imperfections and that is why I love handmade goods, not one of my pieces will be identical.   My work is created from my heart with love.  I am serious and passionate for everything I create, that is why I love what I do.  And i hope you can see and feel that, when experiencing my products.   I’m actively creating new styles, check often for new merchandise.   Shop in confidence knowing it’s handcrafted in the states and that you own a special piece that very few people or non will have.

INDEPENDENT PHILANTHROPY PROJECTS

I’ve always wanted to do something exceptionally unique when it comes to giving back.   I’ve had this great idea for about 4 years now on giving back.   Eight years ago, i was in the footwear industry and receiving boxes of samples for my productions from the factories.   In the fashion industry there is a process called “sample stages”.  This process is after the designer has submitted their designs and have chosen the materials, construction type then designer and manufacturer move forward onto a “prototype” a sample of the design in a real form, that is the beginning on “sample stage”.  The designer receives this sample the we add or deduct what we want in order to make it that perfect style, comfortable, and appealing to the end user.  Sometimes depending on the relation and great communication the designer has with the factory, those samples are usable and made as if it were the actual ready to market product.  So i used to make sure that a great percentage of my sample can be worn so myself or whomever i gave the samples to, can be worn and i can get ultimate feedback.  I would take that feedback and implements alterations to the construction of the shoes.   During sampling stages it is industry standard to receive half of a pair of shoes, meaning a right or a left foot.    I had hundreds of samples, boxes of well constructed shoes, so... what happened you may ask??  Well... I called every relating organization in the USA, called land mine organizations, I even called the United Nations, searching for organizations i can donate all my samples to.  No one wanted my donations because they said it would go to waste.   I just wanted to donate these hundreds of half paired samples on a yearly basis.  It was not easy at all.   Some organizations provided me with names of people who would love them and I called around day after day.  I found one gentleman who lost one of his legs in Vietnam.  You have no idea how thrilled i was to finally give back to someone in need.   I asked him if we can meet, he happened to be in Brooklyn as well, I also lived in Brooklyn,  i met with the gentleman and gave him tons of leather shoes we had sampled from Turkey.  Luckily, he was able to take about 3 handcrafted leather men shoes, that happen to fit his left foot.  That man was so happy that he could have just a half pair for free.   I felt great and became inspired.  I contacted the government agency that handles the process of establishing an organization.  They mailed me the application, which was about 600 pages and would have cost me almost a million dollars to become an organization.  Of course i was terribly discouraged, i did not mind reading and filling out paperwork, what i did not have was that type of money.  I tried to go around it, but there was no way.  So here I am  independently doing my thing. 

So.... late 2008, i decided to i can start an independent movement toward giving back whenever, however and whatever i want.  I can do this independently without having the government controlling my donations.   My lightbulb went off and I though, why not just give to random people who need and simply document it and post it on my website and media outlets so the synergy can take off??? And that is where I’m at. 

The LIFE IS WONDERFUL & WE ARE THE WORLD PROJECT movement is based on giving back to those people in need around the worldwide.  Of course, there is a lot more to it and i will keep you posted as i develop my projects.