After printing a small batch of shirts in Daniel's garage, we stuffed them in a book bag and hit the streets. Boutiques around the city instantly loved what we showed them, their customers began scooping them up, and the rest is history... we're a brand. It's pretty funny considering we didn't know anything about fashion or the industry. We just started by making shirts that we liked wearing and apparently there was a lack of that on the market.

Q2 Let's talk about your design. What do you think is the most important element in your design? And how do you get the idea for the collection?
The most important element in our design is what it is influenced by... I love Atlanta and the culture of the South. It really is the new melting pot of America. I try to keep it fun and simple and I think that shows in the art. Ideas aren't hard to come by as so many things about Atlanta inspire me: its history, its place in America, what it was, what its becoming, its cuisine, its music, its sports, everything.

We've begun to work with a couple other companies around the city, injecting a little of our style into what they do and its very exciting. Most of the projects are hush-hush right now, but I think people are gonna be surprised by where they begin to see the Esperanza name. Down the road we're looking into opening a storefront. We've got some neat ideas that I think our fans will really enjoy and I'm really looking forward to having a place where we can interact with them on a much more personal level.

Q5 Could you tell us your dream project that you would like to do?
A storefront in Atlanta, and ultimately more in other cities, is definitely our dream project right now. I don't want too give much away, but we've got just tons of absolutely genius little ideas that would make the in-store experience so unique for our customers that I think it would propel the label to a completely new level. Besides storefronts, Daniel and I have always talked about some kind of huge installation piece in Atlanta.

Even if I don't look good wearing the stuff, at least I won't be terrified of when somebody begins to pull out a picture from 8 years ago.

Q9 If you could rewrite your history a bit and take on a totally different career or lifestyle, what would it be and why?
I think Daniel would go back to the 1920's and definitely be some kind of carnival barker or gypsy medicine man selling snake oil. He's made for it. He's the king of hair-brained schemes. He's also incredibly nimble, so maybe a trapeze artist? Eric would have been a mad decent limo driver. I think he'd look good with that little hat on and he gets along well with just about anybody, so tips would be good. He's also the king of the car stereo, so clients would always be treated to a delectable mix.
As for myself, I'd be the first plus-sized male supermodel. Definitely. You gotta respect the big man and you just don’t see enough of them holding down these days.

I'll be at this little barbeque place where we like eating in the summer and I'll take a big bite out of my sandwich, swig my sweet tea and be like, "I have a great idea..." all of course while a live blues band is howling away in the background. I like taking all of that, putting it into a design, printing it on a shirt and when people see it they get a little nostalgic. You can't go anywhere wearing one of our shirts without somebody stopping you to ask you where you got it.

Q3 Who is your customer, and how do they find you?
Ideally, everyone is our customer... Initially, we were a boutique label popular with "in the know" types. Recently, however, we've been getting a lot of attention from the media, which has put us in front of a much larger audience. I just think we have this niche product that everyone can kind of relate to. We recently started a blog that attracts a lot of people because it gives them an inside look into the label, how the company works, what we’re into, etc...

When you fly into Atlanta and you're riding north on 85 into the city from the airport, there is this huge So So Def (Atlanta based hip-hop record label) billboard that has become such a fixture in the city. You just feel like your home when you're riding into town and see that. We'd love to create something like that.

Q6 If you could create a dress for anyone in the world, who would you choose?
As I know nothing about creating dresses, I don't think that would be a very good idea. If you mean, who would we create a shirt for if given the opportunity to create one for anybody, I would have to say doing some kind of Clash commemorative shirt would be a lot of fun as Joe Strummer has always been a hero of mine. I'm also an enormous fan of Shepard Fairey's work, and what he's done with Obey, and I would kill to do something with/for him. I would insist on a thicker shirt though, the Obey clothing line has such thin fabrics.