by Hannah Villanueva

The zoot suit. It’s bold, it’s cool, and it can still be worn today. 

It’s fair to say that every suit that is designed is a favorite of ours. There is an intentionality in designing every piece, whether one wants to keep to tradition or be loud in their style choices. Wedding suits always have the chance to bring out the best in one’s style. Here, during the design phase, even the smallest details are made significant. In designing one’s suit, references can be made to icons in film, to a time period, to a family member, or to a memory. 

Last summer, our head of sales and design, Aidan Sakakini, had the wonderful chance to design a suit for the wedding of Erlan Vazquez, a graphic designer and art director. With this combination of creativity, the resulting piece was created with inspiration and care. Woven into the fabric of Erlan’s zoot suit were history, culture, and memory. Keeping true to the style of a monochromatic suit with high waisted baggy trousers and a long draped jacket with wide lapels, it evokes more than just a suit. There’s an immense amount of history behind these exaggerated garments, from nighttime dances to the zoot suit riots that began in Los Angeles.  

I had the chance to ask Erlan about this suit and everything that went into the design process.

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Hannah: So, it’s been a year since you’ve designed and received this suit, where have you worn this piece? 

Erlan: I wore this suit to my wedding. I wanted to wear something that honored my culture and tied it to my wedding.

Hannah: During the process for designing, what was your vision for your zoot suit?

Erlan: I have a vivid memory of my older brother wearing zoot suits when I was a child. He was very much into the classic cholo and pachuco culture, especially since we grew up in a very hispanic neighborhood, and when I was young I looked up to him. When he passed, I grew a lot closer to those details and memories. I would’ve loved to have him at my wedding, so instead I wanted to honor him by wearing a suit that represented us well. I also needed the suit to fit the style of the wedding which was filled with dark forest greens and rich gold accents, dark gothic themes, and celestial symbols. Sew Generously helped me to bring these ideas together in a way that is simple, classic, and uniquely me.

Hannah: There’s an immense amount of history behind the zoot suit, how would you say it feels to wear this piece in the 21st century? 

Erlan: There’s not enough attention given to the cultures of minorities, let alone the fashion culture of minorities in the 1930-1940s. I feel proud to come from a lineage that stood proudly in the face of blatant, racist violence such as the events of the zoot suit riots. To be yourself when others hate your identity is a scary but empowered state of being. Wearing a zoot suit is one of the loudest ways to do that. Carrying that weight and memory of my brother was an emotional but very proud moment, and doing so allowed me to show up as my whole self to meet the love of my life at the altar.

Hannah: In one word, how do you feel when you wear your suit?

Erlan: Chingon –  or Badass

(Art featured in first photo is by Grego Rachko.)

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