A Day In The Life: Journey Through Pitti Uomo With Creative Director Steve Gonzales

Becoming a creative these days seems like a must in this digital age. Creativity comes in all shapes and forms, but most of the time, it comes from our own experiences and interactions. Steve Gonzales has been through it all to get to where he is now. Having published his work on major sites like GQ, Vogue, esquire etc., he has kept up with this digital transformation since the early days of Instagram. With a single camera lens, he started his photography career by creating content for fun and using it as a channel to express himself and share moments with others. Recently, we followed Steve as he journeyed through Pitti Uomo covering the menswear event for Nochaser Magazine

Where are you from and what brought you to New York?

I’m originally from Los Angeles, CA – Born and Raised. However, I spent half of my childhood and teenage years growing up in Mexico City.

What brought me to New York was the Fashion industry. I attended fashion design school in California, however I wanted to continue my education in New York.

Can you tell us alittle bit about your background?

I have quite a diverse background, working various jobs through out my life. From retail sales to styling to management, I have about 12 years of experience working for high-end fashion brands like Burberry, Emporio Armani and Giorgio Armani corporation.

It was from there that I had a closet full of products to play with for my clients.

How did you get into photography and creative direction?

It all started when I tried launching my own clothing line in my early 20s. I didn’t know much about the industry then, so I wanted to learn and absorb as much as possible about designing, manufacturing, sales and everything involved in the fashion business.

My career also took a shift. One of my really close friend Lina, had a camera so she would ask me to pose wearing my pieces or outfit of the day, I started out in the early days of Instagram, creating content for fun and just trying to understand photography enough to be able to create campaigns for my own brand. That quickly transition into me creating, directing, editing and eventually taking control of the camera. I found photography as another channel to express myself, without only making it about me and sharing moments with others.

What are some of your hobbies?

I love basketball, sewing, reading and learning about different civilizations, culture and how they lived before us. Also just about anything relating to Fashion history you will have my attention

How did you get into Men’s Fashion?

Since I was a 6 years old, I loved fashion, I used to love picking my own hairstyle, choosing my own shoes or sneakers, trousers, shirts, etc

During my high school years, it is when I really would say I was into Men’s fashion, I was well dressed and fashion forward, however I was just getting started developing my own style.

What brought you to Italy for Pitti Uomo?

My first time was to try a new experience. As you all know, Pitti Uomo is the biggest and most important menswear convention in the world and I just wanted to be in the pinnacle of menswear to see what it was like.  Once I attended my first one, I was hooked and wanted to be a part of it every season.

What makes Pitti Uomo so special in your words?

The different backgrounds and appreciation of fashion, from the buyers, to the sellers, the artisans, the creative directors, fashion designers, developers, writers, etc..

They are all there for a passion, respect and appreciation of menswear and style and that’s such a unique energy, that makes Pitti Uomo more special than anything else.

Lastly what are some travel essentials if people are traveling to Italy this summer?

For me I love to look and feel great, so style without sacrificing comfort. A packable suit is a must for me, because its so versatile when you’re limited in the number of pieces of clothing you take with you, with the right packable suit you should be able to transition from flying, to running errands, meetings, work and enjoy a great dinner with friends.

Also you need great shirts and t-shirts. A good linen shirt can also be so forgiving and helpful in many situations, anything from a formal to casual setting can be accomplished with the right shirt. A basic rule of thumb for me is a crisp white linen shirt, a fun color shirt and a couple of great tees.

Accessories also play a big role in my essentials. Take a good quality pair of sunglasses, a good pair of shoes and a good nylon bag.

Be sure to follow Steve Gonzales (@stevedjla) on IG!