Meet Joseph Cartagena | duo divino

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

Hi Joseph, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Growing up with single Latina mothers; our worlds collided with typical latino traditions but also being influenced by American pop culture. As we grew older rappers and graffiti writers became our idols; rappers became our fashion icons and the writers painted the streets like a museums. Being underpriviledged in a suburb with no activity and no opportunity for growth;For both of us the military created a structure for our lives, and at the same gave us the courage of knowing that we can do anything we put our minds too. The combination of our love of art and fashion with the necessity to do better in life has created this business.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
This brand has given us the opportunity to take our dreams to the next level. We want to show an authentic San Diego style that also encompasses our personal style. By Danny Diego is a veteran ran and Latino owned brand. We create all original art and have a true grass roots organization; asking to Collab and support from local businesses< athletes, and artists. Its been an extraordinary ride with some adversity along the way. we’ve learn that a lot of people don’t take you serious until they feel like you’ve done enough in their eyes. Our faith in each other and our brand gives us a peace of mind to know no one or anything will stop us, By Danny Diego is a life style brand that wants people to believe in themselves and with barely any resources still find a way to build a goal into reality. We’ve done something that most San Diego Natives only dream of. we are the catalyst in our city to show regular people, anything is possible. Dope S*** we do often!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
San Diego as you all know is America’s finest city! True North is a dope bar in the neighbor hood of North park with amazing vibes! It’ll be an awesome insight in the local bar seen and great drinks to match! Say What’s up to the bartender Big U!

For Mexican food, Tacos el Gordo is an absolute must! With two locations in SD this place always has lines coming out of the building. Get their taco de adobada! you’ll thank us later!

A relatively unknown restaurant in the la mesa area is La moon Thai eatery . Beautiful décor and welcoming ambiance is just the beginning of a truly amazing experience. There Thai food is amazing and I argue the best in San Diego!

Sun Set cliffs is a beautiful destination to enjoy our divine weather and spend some time with loved ones. These cliffs look over the pacific coast line and is especially breathtaking when the sun is going down. You can also swim down below the cliffs.
for tourist vibes, head to balboa park and check out the museums and and the beautiful Japanese friendship garden.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Virgil Abloh is and has been an inspiration and really made us believe in becoming artists and fashion designers. His epic legacy has aspired us to create a product and brand that will benefit ourselves and our communities., His influence has created a platform for how young creators can use they’re resolve to make dreams come true. Our single favorite quality about Abloh is his ability to use minimalism mixed with street elements and then turn it into luxury. We only dream of being as big as he was.

Website: www.bydannydiego.com

Instagram: bydannydiego

Facebook: by danny diego

Image Credits
Eduardo Bahena Fabian Z.