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

Hi Jesus, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I originally started a brand called “Homeless Street Wear” my senior year of high school out of my bedroom that caught the interest of those around me. I eventually renamed the brand “Alien Ego” a name that comes from a mentality of being great and to do great things for the betterment of others. Alien Ego to me means being there for others when they need you and an inspiration to other artists to bet on themselves and do what they love every day. I am lucky to be a full time photographer and wake up to do what I love every morning, The designs I make are usually multi medium Incorporating my photography with editing and even some hand drawings from time to time. I want to make unique items that incorporate the things I love such as Cars, Anime, and an overall enjoyment of life. I try to make the highest quality items possible that will last you a lifetime for an affordable price-point to allow for anyone to be able to purchase and not alienating anyone.

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.
The way I set myself apart from the others is difficult to describe however I pride myself on the use of my photography use in my art the mix of natural and artificial is a big reason I set myself apart and it doesn’t stop there I also use film photography to hone in my style and make everything as unique as possible presenting my vision of streetwear to the world. Nothing worth chasing in life is ever easy however I started on my journey on an old Minolta film camera taking pictures every day of anything that caught my eye from the way light reflected off of a car to my first art project “Mother Earth is dying” where my friend Casandra modeling in fields that were filled with trash to show how much litter was around where we live in hopes of inspiring others to clean up after themselves and use more sustainable methods in their daily lives. I overcame tough challenges such as discrimination of age and being hispanic or being judged for the way I look by surrounding myself with like minded individuals that push each other daily. I want the world to know that my brand Alien Ego will always stand up for the underdogs hustling every day to make their dreams a reality for the kids that grew up underprivileged me and my brand stand for creativity and the dream of leaving our mark on this world.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
There are a million fun things to do in the city from coffee shops to breakfast restaurants, and museums. The trip would start at Champis a Mexican panaderia that makes incredible pastries, for breakfast we would go to my favorite brunch restaurant Snooze and check out their pancake of the month, to help the food settle we would walk around the Phoenix Art Museum a place I would frequent often when starting my art career. For a nice getaway and fun drive we would go up north to Sedona and Flagstaff to enjoy nature and the beauty of the mountains. The night life we enjoy is the thrill of car meets and the car culture having meet ups any night of the week to admire everyones cars and the thrill of high octane. One thing that’s always a must is taking time to be creative and do anything that comes to mind from photography to painting.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
In my life I have had a couple of people that have helped me out from my mentality to my art. two of my biggest inspirations is my grandmother and my mom they have always been there for me when I needed them for life advice or a shoulder to cry on. From a artist standpoint my brother Erick an automotive designer, he has also helped me out and been by my side every step of the way inspiring me to do bigger and better things every day as well as giving me advice and always being my rock during tough times reminding me that better days are ahead and the work will be worth it in the end. My photography is thanks to one of the best teachers i’ve ever had Jimmy Fike an amazing photographer and the author of “Edible Plants” a photography book that surveys North America’s edible botanicals. Lastly a person that’s helped me on the business end of the art I make Karysma Hicks a stylist and fashion icon that really helps me think about the business side of it all while thinking about positively influencing the culture of art and helping minorities like us stand out in the world ass creatives and more.

Website: AlienEgo.Com

Instagram: EyeofZusephoto

Image Credits
All pictures taken by Jesus Leyva (me)

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