A Thanksgiving Message From J.N.
A message from Jose-Noel:
Thanksgiving is celebrated in Mexico.
We call it El Día de Gracias, literally translated as the day of thanks. Traditionally you wouldn’t associate México with Thanksgiving, but it truly has become a part of our culture due to the large number of people who live here in the United States. I was born and raised in San Diego, California where I grew up drawing hand shaped turkeys in elementary school and never questioned thanksgiving as a part of my life. Now that I’m here working with my family trying to bring the Mexican craft I’m proud of to my birth country, and looking back on what we’ve done so far: I can’t help but thank you for the support you’ve shown us over the years.
This brand is my life and my family, not a business.
2014.
I was 16 when my father decided to bring J.L. Rocha to the United States, and only 19 in the picture above. Our families financial career had taken a very different path when my father came to the United States after falling in love with my mom. Their love story and their years of hard work and long nights gave me opportunities that I’m thankful for everyday, including J.L. Rocha Collections. I had grown up hearing the stories of my dad designing, the challenges he faced at my age with his dad and the creativity he always wanted to express, living through it myself felt like putting on a custom pair of shoes - a rhythm that seemed to flow naturally. But as all good things worth doing: it takes a lot of hard work. But…
Oh the places we have gone.
Our First Website Design
2012
And oh the places we are going. Based on the timeline that I’ve laid out for you, it’s no surprise that I’ve been with the J.L. Rocha USA Team for quite some time, and was actually the first original member. I grew up with J.L. Rocha Collections: from high school to college and beyond. Our humble brand and team has grown over the years, we’ve done runways, photo shoots, videos, pop up shops and more: but we’re still just a small family. Even the ones who aren’t biologically related to us. I grew up traveling to Mexico, seeing and knowing the artisans that my grandfather employed. Looking at his hands calloused from a long days work and surrounded by the smell of wood and leather. Now with these opportunities, I’ve gotten to find new ways to create amazing things with my dad. We’ve designed boxes and shoes and jackets and so many things thanks to my family and you: the people who have joined us all the way here.
So this one’s for you:
The Nomad Collection
2017
The future is always coming for us, and I’ll be here working hard. There are days when I remember our first release party in San Diego. I was 16 and wore a gray suit with our 502BL Double Monk Leather Shoe , and I sold the first pair of J.L. Rocha shoes in the United States. The next day I woke up, got into my car having just earned my license, and hand delivered that exact pair to our first customer and all the other people who ordered from me the day before. Today I write this post for you, and will be watching the social media schedule our team has been working so hard on while our Black Friday sale takes place. While we all give thanks on this day, I can’t help but give thanks to you. I’ve looked at every order over the course of the last 7 years, I’ve been humbled and encouraged by the support of so many wonderful individuals who believe in the same values I’ve wanted to infuse into our craft. I thank you all for the true gift that is your support, and promise you that we will always keep you in our hearts and thoughts. The beauty of this brand is that when you join us, you join a small group of people: a family, and if you can spot a J.L. Rocha Garment in public, you should share an unbreakable bond with that person. This is what I grew up with, and this is what I hope to pass on to you.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Jose-Noel Rocha