Meet Sydney Aguirre | Creative Director & Fashion Designer

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

Hi Sydney, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Starting my business at this age was not my original plan but after graduating college in May of 2020, while in lockdown, I was given such a great window of opportunity. I had so much free time to let my creativity flow and I felt lead to start my own brand while in that phase of my life. I have always been in love with vintage clothing and that magical feeling when you find something that feels like it was made for you. This feeling is what inspired me to start my line with a made-to-order mini skirt, tailored to my customers measurements. I was sourcing all of this amazing vintage fabric and letting my customers choose which fabric they wanted their skirt to be made with. They would send me their measurements and then I would get to work adjusting the pattern and sewing everything myself. When I was sourcing the fabric I always made sure that the colors and prints felt true to my brand which had its own little world on instagram. I was posting inspiration that included vintage simplicity pattern illustrations and hello kitty cartoon screenshots. It all felt true to who I am and I want my brand to always be an extension of my personal interests. There are so many brands out there today and I just feel that if I’m not creating pieces that I truly love, then what is the point. I strive to make things that make my customers feel like we are connected and they are purchasing something that was made with love and intention. Since the brands beginning I have moved away from sewing the garments myself and started manufacturing in downtown LA. I do work full time in the fashion industry now so I have been trying to navigate working for someone else as well as myself without getting to the point of burnout. My brand is something I love to work on and I would never want to feel like it is a chore. When I’m feeling close to burn out I try to take a step away and give myself time to go surf or take a hike which usually gets my creative juices flowing again.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am really excited to see where my brand will be five years from now. I am taking things slowly right now because starting a brand is expensive and I’m funding everything with my paychecks from my position as a Product Development Coordinator. One of the hardest things is having so many ideas but not having the funds to put every idea into development. I’m really proud of myself for not giving up on my brand after starting to work full time. I try to view all of my work experience as training for running my own brand. I have only worked for small businesses which has taught me so much about the different skills that go into developing and producing a clothing line. I have been really fortunate to work with women who are passionate about what they do and happily shared their knowledge with me. There is so much to learn in the fashion industry and I’m only 24 so I think my brand is still in its genesis. Using most of my free time to work on my brand is definitely not easy but when I imagine my future I only see myself pursuing my creative ideas and bringing the world of Sydney Sixx that lives in my mind to fruition. My mom engrained the phrase ‘hard work pays off’ in me and my siblings heads so when I’m working on things till the late hours of the night I just keep telling myself that. In the future, I hope the story of how I started my brand will inspire someone else to follow their dreams even if it’s not always easy.

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?
Living in Long Beach is nice step away from the city but I love showing friends how drivable LA is. I would probably take them to a different city everyday.

In Long Beach, we would start the morning with a surf at Bolsa Chica then head back to my place and walk to Stereoscope for a matcha tonic. I love breakfast so we would swing by Colossus for an egg toast on their homemade bread or Ma n’ Pa Grocery for the best breakfast burrito of all time. Then we would head to the Colorado Lagoon and hangout there for awhile. I would take them to all the vintage stores on 4th Street or Urban Americana which is always fun. Some of my favorite lunch/dinner spots are @Sushi, MVP’s Grill & Patio, Manaow, and Ammatoli. We would definitely finish off the day with a sunset walk on the beach.

A few of my favorite spots in LA are Courage Bagels, Maru has the best matcha latte, Joy in Highland Park is so good and all the employees are super nice, same with Woon, and Night + Market. We would definitely stop by Shop Silver and pick up some vintage pieces. It is such a cute little shop. I love stopping by the observatory and admiring the view. Maybe we could end the night somewhere iconic like Moonlight Rollerway or Highland Park Bowl.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would not be the person I am today without my family and loving husband. They have been my biggest cheerleaders, always believing in me and pushing me to follow my heart. I also owe so much of my fashion and design knowledge to my favorite professor, Ms. Sherrill. She was such a perfectionist and always expected the best from me. She really pushed me to learn how to do things correctly and not cut corners when it comes to garment construction. We also really bonded over our love for all things Hello Kitty.

Website: https://www.sydneysixx.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/studiosydneysixx/

Image Credits
Joshua Pineda Ruben Preciado Maura Kemp