Guillermo Andrade, founder of the streetwear brand 424, talks about the first fashion show in Paris

Based in Los Angeles, Guillermo Andrade, founder of the 424 brand, is today a streetwear reference. The Guatemalan-born designer, who ran his first multiple store in Fairfax, opened his first 424 store at 8441 Melrose Place in February of last year. The brand is currently distributed in more than 60 stores worldwide and is present in particular in Printemps, Harrods, Nubian, GR8 and H.Lorenzo. On January 21, he will hold his first show during Paris Fashion Week. FashionNetwork.com spoke with the designer.

FashionNetwork: On January 21 you will hold your first fashion show in Paris. How do you feel about it?
Guillermo Andrade: I am very excited. It will be a great moment for us. I'm from the Bay area. I grew up surrounded by nature, mountains and cliffs. I'm more of a granola hippie than a rock star. Therefore, the collection will be very focused on California, rather than Los Angeles. This collection sums up my experience of living in California. I have developed many new things in terms of fabrics like this corduroy suede. I will also be introducing a new collaboration with Los Angeles-based jewelry brand Hoorsenbuhs around a 10-piece capsule. And I will also reveal my collaboration with the eyewear brand Dita. The vibe is going to be sick.

FNW: As a tribute to your roots, will you present your show at the Maison de l'Amérique Latine?
GA: La Maison de l'Amérique Latine was created in 1946 to connect the French with Latin Americans. Rooms pays tribute to Guatemala, the country where I was born, but also to Honduras, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and El Salvador. It is literally home to me. I'm preparing the models as we speak now, in the Guatemala room.

FNW: How did you come to the United States?
GA: I was born in Guatemala. My parents dreamed of a better life for themselves and also for their children. They saved enough money for six or seven years and brought us to the United States. I was 10 years old and I made the whole trip. The journey you see in all the movies. It's like watching the movie “Slumdog Millionaire.” You just can't imagine that someone's life is really like that. But I did it. We first settled in a small town in Marin County, then moved to Richmond and then to Petaluma. It was like going from Little Mexico to the neighborhoods of Richmond and then to Trump City. My life is full of contrasts. I go from one extreme to the other and have lived in the middle my entire life.

FNW: How did you connect with the world of fashion?
GA: I still remember the first time I realized that being a stylist was someone's job. My heart was completely broken into thousands of pieces. I realized that cool people needed a stylist to dress them. It seemed crazy to me. I don't come from fashion. The question of a career in fashion never arose. My choice was limited to being a contractor or a criminal.

FNW: On the other hand, have you long cultivated a special relationship with clothes?
GA: Looking back, I've been cutting up all my clothes since I was a little kid. I've been doing things that are at least my own, since I can remember. People have always paid attention to that. They asked me where I got my clothes. In California, I quickly realized that the rich regularly threw away their clothes. So I ran to thrift or goodwill stores to buy Paul Smith, Ralph Lauren and Lacoste. It was like arriving in another world without really knowing why I was doing it. I guess I was wearing the clothes to protect myself from being called poor. It's funny because when I wore my clothes, I became the rich kid.

FNW: Your brand 424 was born in 2015. How did it come about?
GA: It all started in 2010, when I opened my first store in Fairfax, at a time when streetwear was booming. I bought Martine Rose and Fear of God. All the emerging streetwear brands used to end up in my store. The 424 brand came about because people pushed me to start one. I started with jewelry. I wasn't looking to make clothes on my own, but I always continued making clothes for myself. The kids wanted the pieces I made and used. In 2015 I started trying my first capsule. At the time, I had a lot of respect for Rick Owens, Ann Demeulemeester and Yohji Yamamoto. I could identify with her mood, her fashion and her sense of depth.

FNW: What was your first collection like?
GA: My first collection was very much a reflection of everything I loved at the time. I replaced my wardrobe with that one capsule: a trench coat, skirt, and regular pants. He didn't focus on doing the basics. I wanted a vibe and a look. I spent too much money and learned too many lessons. And then I set off. We started with the Magic and Project fairs in Las Vegas and continued with the Capsule fair in New York and Paris. I brought my first capsule and my friends' brands including Rhude, Second/Layer, and Midnight Studios. One day, a friend of mine who lives in Copenhagen asked me to share her booth at the CIFF fair and we brought Los Angeles to Europe. It lasted four years. Everyone told us we were great. It was pretty epic. That's how I started wholesale trade. We delivered our first collection and we haven't stopped since. I recently realized that I have already made 18 collections.

FNW: And today you have your own space on Melrose Place.
GA: Due to Covid, I had to close my store in Fairfax. From 2020 to 2022, all I did was invest the rest of my time, money and energy to focus on products. The essence of what Fairfax used to represent was no longer there. And I told my new partners, “Melrose Place is the future!” It was time to dig deeper. I wanted to create a place for all the kids who supported us in Fairfax. And you know what, they all came! The location was a storage unit in a building. I want to be surrounded by land. So we created a place with earthy scenery. The atmosphere is almost spiritual and I provide you with clothing where you can feel fresh.

FNW: How do you produce your collections?
GA: At the moment I don't buy a single fabric. I make everything from scratch. I have developed all my own textiles, all my washes. The fabrics I use are a secret weapon to make my brand unique. I believe in the essence of the product. I have heard that Bernard Arnault recognizes his Louis Vuitton bags just by smelling the fabrics. I truly believe that the product never lies. It's not about logo but about fabrics. All of this costs money, of course. My products are not expensive products. They are expensive products. Being expensive means being too expensive.

FNW: I heard you dreamed of being a soccer player?
GA: I am a football lover. For a long time I thought I was going to make a career in football. I had a long career with Adidas and I like to play between those two worlds, fashion and football. I am very happy that the FIFA Club World Cup and the FIFA World Cup will be held in Los Angeles. And I'll be happy to take my father with me. Today I want to forge real and honest partnerships. I suffered because I did not pursue a career in football. And I want to turn that into a positive project. I want to protect the integrity of the game and the love of the game. I want to create opportunities for children to change their lives and make their dreams come true.