Fashion: The Boogie Down (Interview with Amaurys Grullon co-founder of The Bronx Native)

fotorcreated — Shirt (Bronx Native); Jeans (Vintage Wrangler); Boots (Stuart Weitzman); Necklace (H&M)

I’m from the South Bronx and proud of my roots. I put together this look showing the fierceness the Bronx instills in you.

Starting off with the makeup I wanted to get a fierce ‘in your face’ look. What else is more ‘in your face’ than eyeliner so sharp that you could accidentally cut someone and bold black lipstick.

On my eyes I used the ‘Base’ shade on my lid and the ‘Highlight’ shade on my brow bone from the Kat Von D Shade + Light ‘Sage’ Quad ($26). The eyeliner I used is Tarte’s Tarteist Clay Paint Liner ($24), one of the blackest liners I have ever used. I topped off the eye look with Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara ($23).

For my lips I lined it with NYX Retractable Lip Liner in ‘Black Lips’ ($4.50). For my lipstick I used LA Splash Lip Couture in ‘Venom’ ($14).

Shirt (The Bronx Native); Jeans (Vintage Wrangler); Boots (Stuart Weitzman); Necklace (H&M)

I got the shirt at New York Comic Con from my friend Amaurys Grullon, one of the founders of the Bronx Native. It was the first year Bronx Native was at New York Comic Con, they had partnered with Creative One Comics and made an exclusive shirt. They sold out of the shirt and other shirt in one day. They began to take orders at the booth, that’s how I got mine.

“Comic con was great. We got a great reaction from everyone. People were really impressed and happy that THE BRONX was in comic con. We sold out in 1 day and got a lot of orders. We were overwhelmed from all the support and love,” Grullon says.

We talked about how the clothing brand started. “3 years ago I made a 5 year plan for my life. One of the things I wanted to do in the upcoming 5 years was create a non-profit or for-profit organization or business to help The Bronx out. A year passed and started to create some Tshirts using The Bronx as the subject. Another year passed, one random night in 2015 me and my sister [Roselyn Grullon] were talking about how there is really no one doing dope Bronx apparel and we took the challenge on. In the beginning of 2016 we got serious and pursued Bronx Native. What better way to help The Bronx than using our talents to highlight and embrace our home. 2016 has been a great journey for Bronx Native.”

I asked him if this was more than just a clothing brand and his ultimate goal for the brand, “Yes, Bronx Native is more then just a clothing brand, we like to call it a lifestyle brand. We want to be a call to action to all Bronx Natives and above. We want to make a real difference in the BX not just with our clothing but using different mediums like film / photography. We want to leave an impact and spread the good news. The ultimate goal is for the world to see how beautiful is The Bronx. We will achieve this goal. Step by step the journey could be long but in the end the journey is the reward.”

The final question I asked, what does it mean to be a ‘Bronx Native’ for him, “To me being a Bronx Native is beautiful. I didn’t pick The Bronx The Bronx picked me. Being a Bronx Native means diversity. Being a Bronx Native means accepting the struggle and making the best out of it. Being a Bronx Native empowers me to strive. Being a Bronx Native means I can do or be whatever I put my heart in. Being a Bronx Native mean I’m a boss.”.

For me being a Bronx Native means strength. As Amaurys said “accepting the struggle and making the best out of it,” thats why for me The Bronx is about strength. People have such a bad perception about the Bronx, which I think is one of the best boroughs. The Bronx is the poorest borough in New York City, but we are rich with culture and history. Its much more beautiful than what people think.

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