JOEG, the streetwear brand from Bogotá, Colombia founded in 2020 by José Julián Guerrero, walks the line between tough urban clothing, tailoring’s technical softness and the quintessential melancholy of the city it hails from: a mix of metropolitan chaos and mountain stillness.
Right before the presentation of BALAM, JOEG’s new S/S 26 collection, on June 14th 2025, The Vanilla Issue sat down with Guerrero and had a conversation about his journey as a fashion designer and enterpreneur, and what the public can expect from this new release.
The Vanilla Issue: How would you say that Bogotá influences your work?
José Julián Guerrero: Regardless of what I’m trying to create, the context of my city is always reflected in everything I do, especially on textiles, because I try to create warm clothes as it’s cold here. Not only that, but the colors: neutral hues like black, gray, raw white. That is an accurate representation of this city.
TVI: In your opinion, what makes Bogotá’s fashion special when compared to that of other Colombian cities, or other Latin American capitals?
JJG: I’d say there are two things. First of all, the [colder] weather, obviously, but also Bogotá is incredibly multicultural, and that implies so, so many things. When you draw inspiration from the streets, you can see a punk rocker, a metal head or a techno kid. Each one of them has a different story that you can see in their outfits. I see that and create based on my interpretation of it.
TVI: You have two lines in your brand: a streetwear side, and a more elevated, tailoring-based side. What was your journey to reach this point as a fashion designer?
JJG: For me, it’s not only about the occasion, but also about the buyer’s age. A 22 year old student and a 35 year old office worker won’t dress the same, but that doesn’t mean any of them are less alternative. I try to create a formal ambiance while keeping a streetwear flavor to it by, for example, mixing a wool coat with boots or denim pants. That changes the vibe.
TVI: What is a goal for you that, once you reach it, you will be able to say “I made it”?
JJG: I have no idea where me and my team will end at, but on a short-term basis, I would say that making a comfortable, stable living with this.
TVI: What is beauty to you? How do you express your idea of beauty in your work?
JJG: I see it as two sides of the same coin: light and darkness, ying and yang. When we talk about streetwear we think of heavy textiles like denim and leather which are tough, but on the other side I can experiment with lighter materials like linen, which are simpler and allow me to tell a more romantic story. That balance between toughness and softness is part of our upcoming collection, BALAM. “Balam” is the Mayan word for “black panther”, and it’s also related to eclipses and the balance between darkness and light. This idea is reflected through faded dyes and textile details that play with what’s tough and static, and what’s soft and with movement.
TVI: Many fashion designers explore other outlets like photography, art and writing. What other creative activities would you like to try?
JJG: I work in fashion but I don’t really consider myself a fashion designer. I have no idea about what’s going on during fashion weeks, I only know in detail about two or three designers that I’m inspired by, I don’t do a lot of research about fashion. I do consider myself a creative being though, and I’m interested in architecture and the game of components it implies, which is similar to what I do with textiles. I also like photography, I think having the ability to freeze an instant and turn it into a memory is so beautiful.
TVI: What advice would you give to a younger person who comes up to you and says that they would like to do the same thing as you?
JJG: That’s something I’ve been thinking about lately. If I could meet my 20 year old self, I would tell him that it’s one thing to be a designer and a different one to be an enterpreneur. You can work at a company as a designer, but for someone like myself who created their own brand, my advice would be: don’t get in debt. Never, no matter what, just don’t do it. Work with whatever you have now, and if you only have 5 cents, then start with that. Turn those 5 cents into 10 cents and reinvest in your idea. Just make it happen with what you have and don’t rush, because if you rush your process the results will be poor.
Tune into JOEG’s fashion show to release BALAM S/S 26 on June 14th 2025, 7 PM Bogotá Time, on their Instagram profile.