Student
U.S. Navy Veteran Randy Morales To Launch Clothing Brand S.I.E.X. in January
This January, U.S. Navy Veteran and Apparel Industry Management Student Randy Morales will be launching his own clothing line, S.I.E.X. Currently he is the assistant to Fashion Designer and Alumnus Octavius Terry, and plans to apply to the Menswear Program next. We caught up with him to find out more.
Tell us about your brand: S.I.E.X stands for Speak Into Existence. My goal with S.I.E.X is to encourage people to tell the world what they want and then go out and do it. I like to say “to speak is the action and to exist is to live”—take action and live the life you want to live. If you don’t tell the world what you want to be, nobody will know how to help you and direct you in the way you’re trying to go. I’m working toward a January launch date of hats, joggers, and hoodies available online at speakintoexistence.com.
Currently, I am collaborating with Jewelry Designer and FIDM Alumna Latoya Boyd on a key pendant necklace. I find the key to life is just like my company name—“speak into existence.” The key will have two rings—the outer ring being stars and planets (representing the universe), the inner ring is a simple sun and moon, and the centerpiece is a merkaba (which basically means self). In the merkaba will be a stone of the buyer’s choice, which carry specific meanings. So if the necklace has rose quartz in the center, it will mean you want to speak love into existence in your life, since rose quartz represents love.
Any advice for someone coming from the military considering going to FIDM? Get out of your shell. The reason you’re going to this school is to collaborate and make connections. Talking to people at school can make your start into your career smoother and easier rather than not knowing anybody in the field.
Tell us a little about yourself: I call myself a creative. I’m a man who is always thinking of creative ideas no matter what I do. I write and come up with movie scripts and ideas. I also write songs. I love to design clothes as well as plan out how I would run my company. I started to design clothes in middle school. The first brand I created was ACE, clothes that featured cartoon characters of musicians and their lyrics. For awhile I stopped pursuing fashion because people said it was feminine and as a straight male I shouldn’t do it. It wasn’t until I was older that I said screw it and took up fashion again with a friend who currently works at Puma as a shoe designer. For me, being a creative is a blessing and a curse. It’s having a whole lot of ideas but not always having the outlet to share those ideas. I think of it as seeing the world in a different light but not able to share it with others. I’m thankful for FIDM because it’s starting to give me the opportunities to share my world which is important for me. In the end I see myself as high influencer in every creative field as well as giving back and influencing others to make a better life for themselves and others.
Why did you choose FIDM? I started to work on S.I.E.X. before FIDM when a friend suggested I should go to school to learn more—the next day I did my research and applied to FIDM. I choose it because it is the number one fashion school in LA. It made the most sense and they have some of the best connections that you can have in the industry.
What is your biggest goal right now? Right now I’m working on a YouTube channel to help others avoid the mistakes I’ve made in creating a brand. It goes over all the aspects as well as reviewing manufacturers, giving the pros and cons of using them. I’m also developing a program for a once a year special release that benefits certain programs. My current one is to promote awareness with the rising gun violence. I have created a slogan called BARA that promotes that awareness. It stands for Be Above, Rise Against. Part of the proceeds would go to various charities and programs to hopefully help decrease this current epidemic.
Categories: Apparel Industry Management Military Veteran Student
