Wearing a sweater constructed from three separate pieces sewn together, Adam Moroyoqui explained that he had made the garment himself for his brand ‘Venganza.’ By recycling the old sweaters to make a one with a new style, he was giving the clothes a new life.
“I interpret it as vengeance,” Moroyoqui said. “I did a rework collection that tied into the name really well because it’s all these old clothes that no one really wants that I reworked into something new.”
Moroyoqui, a third-year fashion student at Long Beach State, has loved fashion since childhood. He credits the fashion program at Santiago High School in his hometown of Corona with giving him an early start in pursuing fashion as a viable career choice. After obtaining his first sewing machine, he began crafting his own clothing at home.
“My 10th grade year I turned 15 and got a sewing machine for my birthday,” Moroyoqui said. “That’s when I first started sewing on a Singer, a big gray one.”
Since then, Moroyoqui has transitioned to a Juki, a higher-end Japanese sewing machine, and has further evolved the ideology behind Venganza.
Photo courtesy of Adam Moroyoqui
Venganza began as a streetwear brand focused on reconstruction. As Moroyoqui’s personal taste evolved so did the clothes he designed. He describes mainline Venganza as “garments created with the intention of sharing experimental ideas through design”.
His diffusion line Venganza 64, stylized VEN64ZA, aims to create “accessible, unisex garments for all.” He currently sells his clothes on the brand’s website.
Mainline Venganza consists of avant-garde garments inspired by high-end designers such as Martin Margiela, Rick Owens, and Jun Takahashi. Early on, Moroyoqui drew inspiration from more accessible streetwear brands such as Supreme or Palace but as he matured he began to feel more comfortable experimenting.
“My life experiences influence my design philosophy, back then I was still a kid in high school going through typical high schooler bullshit,” Moroyoqui said. “Now I am more free to do whatever I want and no one is judging me, I can truly express myself.”
Photo courtesy of Adam Moroyoqui
Moroyoqui describes his clothes as “high vibrational garments,” citing his spirituality as inspiration for wanting to produce more ethical clothing.
“I don’t want people hurting themselves to make the pieces,” said Moroyoqui, referencing the harsh working conditions in which fast fashion garments are produced. “High vibrational clothing is clothing made with care and good energy.”
Along with the ethical treatment of workers, Moroyoqui also considers the ethics of sustainability within the fashion industry. He hopes the fashion industry will begin to place more emphasis on sustainability and the reduction of waste.
“Thinking of Groundcover, I’m thinking of their cactus leather wallet and to me, that’s the sickest thing ever,” said Moroyoqui. “That’s the direction I want to go into, using textiles made from recycled materials or plants.”
Photo courtesy of Adam Moroyoqui
Moroyoqui says that this idea of ethically created “high vibration” garments will always be the number one priority no matter how big his brand gets. Currently, Venganza is a one-man show, but after graduating from CSULB, Moroyoqui plans to intern for a fashion house such as Rick Owens due to the brand’s rich history in Los Angeles. He hopes to learn skills he can bring to his own brand so he can eventually open his own store.
“I can see myself opening a store but it wouldn’t be in Los Angeles, I would rather honestly have it be somewhere in Orange County,” Moroyoqui said. “Orange County is a more untouched spot because Los Angeles has so many brands and I would want to do something new.”