Meet Josh Perez and Levi Tijerina, the creative brilliance behind the lifestyle and apparel brand Pedro and Tailor. These Denver-based best friends launched the company this past April by hosting a photography grant to give away $2,000 in prizes, an effort inspired by the COVID-19 crisis that left many creatives around the United States out of work. With nearly 700 applicants and a donor to match the prize money, the buzz around their newly debuted brand was getting louder—and for good reason.
Pedro and Tailor (PedroAndTailor.com), a moniker distilled from their last names, is informed by the founders’ own heritage, from Mexico to Puerto Rico to Miami, and their international travels that have taken them across continents, from Africa to Nepal.
“We want to help people create a life of wonder, heavily inspired by the places we come from...Latin America, the Caribbean, and cultures around the globe,” Perez says.
The brand is an extension of Perez and Tijerina's shared business. A creative agency named Sett (Sett.studio), where their photography abilities thrive under one roof, offers visually driven services to clients like Toyota and Disney.
“Pedro & Tailor came out of an expression, in many ways, of Sett,” Perez says. “Last we year we did so much creative work in the apparel space and we realized there was a lack of representation and diversity. We wanted to create a brand where diversity was truly baked into the DNA of the brand.”
Their editorial campaigns evoke both an NYC street-style sophistication with pops of Caribbean colorways all set in the vintage ambiance reminiscent of Miami in the 1960s. In this curated space, overtones of inclusivity celebrate the global citizen; individuals who resemble the colors and cultures of the world. They are currently producing contemporary items like corduroy headwear, cotton tees, and their iconic Chore Coat. The Guatemalan-made working coat ($225), is crafted from lightweight linen and takes inspiration from each of their grandfathers whose history as a migrant worker and the other a hardware store owner has lent them a hand to weave a new tale. Taking a twist on the traditional, their coat is fitted, features three convenient pockets, and can be worn with practically anything.
“We wanted it to be light enough to wear during Caribbean nights but be something you can layer up here in Colorado,” Perez says.
The brand draws from a range of styles and flavors, but they also pride themselves on working directly with their community in Denver. They employ friends as freelance designers, like Rosie Crain who styles the brand’s photoshoots and finalizes technical designs as well as hires models often in their social circles who happen to come from minority groups. To show their support of local businesses, photo ops have taken place at local destinations, such as Denver’s trendy LoHi and a recent shoot at the iconic Cherry Creek Marina.
This year, they plan to launch a line of home goods, including copitas, traditional Mexican clay cups for drinking Mezcal, leather coasters, candles, and future collaborations to craft their own domino sets and even cigars. For Pedro and Tailor, the creative grind is non-stop as they stitch together a legacy rooted in diversity—a place where wonderment and equality blend beautifully.
Find them on Instagram: @PedroAndTailor_
Sidebar: Thread Up
·Pedro & Tailor’s Chore Coat is made from 100 percent upcycled cotton comprised of cotton shreds from excess pre-consumer industrial waste.
The versatile and ultra-comfy sweatshirts are made from 100 percent organic cotton body and recycled poly ribbing and are available in colors olive and heather gray.
Crewneck logo tees are fabricated using a super-soft 100 percent American-grown Supima cotton.
Sidebar: The Give Back
When the epidemic first hit Denver, Pedro & Tailor were donating 20 percent of profits to Children’s Hospital of Colorado, where the wives of both Perez and Tijerina work as nurses.
Perez says, “Both of us, as Latin Americans, have experienced pieces of the broken system. We continue to commit to activist movements, like the Bail Project, NAACP, and Black Lives Matter, starting with financial contributions and participating in peaceful protests with our families, voting, and showcasing real stories within our brand.”