We had the good fortune of connecting with Ariam Guerrero and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ariam, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Before I started Solavino, I was working full time in the fashion industry & realized that there wasn’t enough latina owned brands who carry “edgier” styles. I wanted to support my community but never really found ones that resonated with my style & that’s when I started coming up with the idea of opening up my own small business! I wanted to make sure that along the way I was going to inspire others to dress they want because life is too short to care what others think & thats exactly what we stand for! Another thing I thought of before starting my own business was making sure I was doing it as ethically as possible since fashion is the top polluter in the world. I did countless research & made sure to have eco friendly packaging for all orders that are bought from reliable eco friendly businesses. We also sell vintage/preloved clothing plus we accept donations as well!

What should our readers know about your business?
We are an immigrant owned clothing business who strives to empower and influence the latino community by reminding them to embrace their outer and inner beauty wether that is through art, fashion, beauty, or other forms of self expression! Our goal is to create & carry clothing that not only makes you feel confident and powerful but also knowing who and what you are supporting when wearing our clothes. We can also proudly say that we try to be as eco friendly as possible when it comes to our packaging by making sure everything can be reused, recycled ( even compostable) , and repurposed & yes that even includes our poly mailers & shipping labels. It may cost us a little extra to be more sustainable but it is a route that I hope I can go more towards & thats another reason why we also carry vintage pieces that we get from warehouses instead of taking away from lower income families by going to thrift stores. Of course, running a business is never easy especially when you also work a 9-5 and your doing it all by yourself. Sometimes you wake up thinking you want to give it all up but then you remember how happy running your own business makes you & thats exactly what keeps me going. Being able to meet my customers in real life & having them tell me how much they love our clothing is something I will forever be grateful for.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Omg there is so many places I would take them but for food I would have them try Lupes Burritos,Tamales Lilianas, Cena Vegan, El Sapo, El Rancho Grande, and Salsa & Beer in Los Angeles for Mexican Food, Arrys Burgers in Montebello for your classic diner food, Barrio in City Terrace for Italian food, and Hot Chickz in La Puente for some chicken sandwiches!

Places to hang out would be Huntington Library, Descanso Gardens, Uptown Whittier, Whittier Blvd, Arts District, Fashion District, Boyle Heights Mariachi Plaza, La Placita (olvera street), and Vista Hermosa Park to name a few!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would love to thank my parents for all the support & love they constantly give me. Many people don’t know this but I basically grew up at the swap meet. For those that don’t know, the swap meet is a place where a lot of latinos go to buy second hand goods, snacks, jewelry, & more! My parents actually started their own small business venture by selling clothes at different swap meets on the weekdays, weekends, and even holidays. I’m not going to lie, it was pretty difficult at times because we would have to work in over 100 degree weather in Valencia,CA & having to be there at 5am from 5pm but I wouldn’t trade it for the world because this allowed me to have the drive that I do. Also, seeing all the sacrifice and hard work my parents endured to give themselves and me a better life is something I will never forget & I cant wait for the day that I make them proud! I guess you can say I was introduced to the fashion industry at a very young age and was able to see behind the scenes of how to run a small business, all thanks to my parents.

Website: https://shopsolavino.com/

Instagram: solavino_

Other: Tiktok : solavino__

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