Mona Lucero and the Inspiring Winds of Change
By Micky
Mona Lucero’s earliest memory was asking for a pair of red patent leather shoes. Years later she is still pursuing color and vibrance through her unique fashion designs. Mona is a local Denver fashion designer who has built her own brand around a prominent guiding principle; change. Mona constantly evolves, experimenting not only with color, but texture and prints to capture the attention of her customers. “Customers are aware of what is happening in the world and they want change. You have to evolve and follow the trends,” says Mona.
Culture is among one of the ever changing aspects of the modern world , especially in fashion. As observed by the emergence of fashion trends, one day something is in the next day it is out pushing fashion designers, like Mona, to always be aware of fashion trends. When asked what she pulls inspiration from for her designs Mona remarked, “Cultural trends are very important to pull inspiration from.” Mona observes cultural trends in order to morph her brand, “ I pull inspiration by thinking about the world culturally and what my customers are looking for, then I tailor to them,” stated Mona. In a culturally cut throat business it is absolutely essential for Mona Lucero’s brand to follow culture trends and to change along with them.
Mona’s fashion evolution doesn’t just follow trends, however. She is keenly aware of world events, pulling inspiration from current events. These last few months, in the wake of the COVID pandemic, Mona decided to put her design skills to work by making fashionable masks. Mona shares that “ Inspiration comes from new events in the world and what is happening. Everyone has a different story, but in general it is important to know what is happening in the world. ” Mona recognizes that the events of the ever changing world affect her customers, so tailoring to their labile lives is a must for her brand.
The principle of change not only drives her sales, it also follows her to the work room. Mona’s process of creating a piece revolves around changing and reworking her piece until she is satisfied with it, “I will start off creating something new, then once I notice an aspect of my creation I like I begin to evolve my design, until ultimately I like my creation,” says Mona. This quote elicits that Mona rarely sticks with her original idea, but rather constantly jumps between different ideas until she arrives at a piece to her liking. “Remember to explore, just stop and explore. Then you can step back and assess. I say go for it,” Mona remarks about her design process. To Mona, “Fashion means things changing constantly. Some people prefer to stay with their own look, but fashion is dependent on change to keep it going,” explaining why change is a guiding principle within her design process. The changes Mona makes in her pieces during the design process can be observed in her works as each line is beautifully different from next.
The world is a cycle of change; change within culture, trends, art, etcetera, and by following the principle of change, Mona Lucero’s fashion brand is never far behind.