Meet Illy Guz | Fashion Designer and Fashion Industry Freelancer

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

Hi Illy, we’d love to hear what makes you happy.
Fashion makes me happy because it allows me to express myself in different ways. I use fashion in almost every facet of my life. I feel better when I get dressed in the morning and I know I look okay. I enjoy my job within the fashion industry because I know what I am doing and I feel confident doing it. I connect to people whenever I am creating a garment for their personal use. All of my personal fashion projects have intention and purpose behind it. I feel very fulfilled living a life where I can create art through fashion.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Fashion itself is a combination of many things. One of the biggest attributions of the fashion industry is that it is heavily influenced by consumerism, with designers of every category either leaning more towards fashion as art or fashion as business. I personally use fashion as art, but when working my full time job as a Design Assistant that would be more for business. I am most proud of my personal projects. When creating a garment I usually do a whole presentation for it. It can be a lot of work doing everything from start to finish, but it makes me happy. What makes me different from a lot of other small designers or fashion content creators is that I do custom garments (not size runs) and I have a story behind each one. For example, my Autism Acceptance project was two dresses designed and pattern drafted from scratch with influence from Autism Awareness and Acceptance Education Organizations. I collaborated with a videographer on the presentation, we had a photoshoot that reflected the design of the garments. Afterwards, I created fashion illustrations for the entire project! Every garment I make and every project I work on gets better with time, and I really use this as a way to constantly push myself to further develop my skills. Most of the challenges I face now are usually around resources, but I am very blessed to have people around me who love and support me by either donating fabric or networking and collaborating on projects. I have made so many new friends and connections just through searching for resources alone. Working with others who have the same passion and goals as you is the best way to overcome a challenge and learn from the people around you. Building a community and network of people you trust is one of the many ways you can grow as an artist. Along the way I have learned many lessons. One of the biggest lessons I learned early on was to only look at what I am doing and not to let what others are doing affect me. What I mean by this is that there are many people doing similar things as me or working towards the same goals or dreams, but what they do does not determine what I can do. The industry is big enough for all of us, and as long as I keep working on developing my skills I will get to where I want to go. Someone else’s sparkle can’t dim my shine, and I should be proud of the people around me who are also sparkling because just like I worked hard to shine, I know they worked hard to shine too. I want the world to know that I AM P.I.M.P. ILLY, its what I currently call myself since I am my work right now, I want everyone to know that P.I.M.P. stands for Positive Intentional Motivated Person, and that’s who I am and continuously strive to be. PIMP has been used as an acronym by a lot of people in many different ways. When I was very small my mom told me I was a PIMP and it stood for Positive Important Motivated Person, she also thought it was hilarious to see a little scrawny 7yo calling themselves a pimp. P.I.M.P. Illy comes from a funny loving memory that has a positive meaning, and it describes who I am/ my approach to design. I would love for people to really understand that.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
My favorite spot in the city is Little Tokyo. There’s plenty of cute little anime shops and great restaurants. My favorite is this little bakery that has the best steamed buns for only $3. I don’t eat meat so I always either get the veggie man or the red bean buns. I also love the little book store there and the Little Tokyo Grocery store. I love the different Japanese snacks and candies! In the same area is a small mall that has Karaoke with private rooms and you can have food or drink. It is super cute. Outside of Little Tokyo I also love Elysian Park. You can see the entire city from the top of the hill. Lastly, during the summer time LA has a lot of day parties and pop up markets. They are really fun to go to with friends on the weekends to dance or see local vendors and really support new small business. My favorite is Black on the Block because its a Black Owned day party with lots of Black Owned vendors and food trucks. Not only is it so much fun, but I get the chance to really support my community by spending at Black Owned business. Plus, I usually meet lots of really cool creatives!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
All of my family, friends, and even my followers all contribute to my success. Every person who I collaborate with, we mutually believe in each other. All of my models, especially my muses bring my clothes to life and constantly tell me how much they love my work. I continue to push myself so I can create a better life for my siblings. Everyone around me, who I love so deeply, inspire me to keep going and are the reason I am successful.

Website: pimpilly.com

Instagram: p.i.m.p.illy

Other: tiktok.com/@pimpilly

Image Credits
Photographers: Rene Renderos Sebastian Romero Jrama Models: Imani Baptiste Essence Yvonne (Myself depending)