Making Pride year-round: ‘Our community deserves better’ Though they’d gone their separate ways after high school - Gutierrez to Arizona State University and Aragon to the University of Arizona - they maintained their friendship, which "slowly blossomed into a beautiful relationship both as a couple and now as business partners," according to a press release. Together, they moved to New York City and worked for major retail brands. And it always stemmed from growing up in west Phoenix.” “I think my dream was always to do something greater for the community. “For me, growing up (in west Phoenix) really gave me this thirst and drive to do better and make sure that I can provide for my family,” Gutierrez said. Their similarities are uncanny: Both are first-generation Americans - their parents are from northern Mexico - with three younger siblings each. They met at Frank Borman School in sixth grade, and their friendship “really started to flourish” at Maryvale High School, Aragon said. It wasn’t until after they’d graduated from college that they realized they were in love. Gutierrez and Aragon, both 25, lived “blocks from each other” growing up in west Phoenix. Gay Pride Apparel was born from a Phoenix love story “Out of all gay brands out there, she picked (us),” Aragon said. “It was … a very reassuring moment of like, ‘OK, maybe we're on to something,’” he said. This happened just days after Gutierrez quit his full-time job creating marketing campaigns at Tiffany & Co., he said.
16, Reinhart, who’d recently come out as bisexual on Instagram, wore a Gay Pride Apparel sweatshirt with the logo “Sounds gay I’m in.” No, their crowning moment was an unexpected celebrity shout-out from “Riverdale” and “Hustlers” actress Lili Reinhart. “I'm like, go tell her it's us! We're Gay Pride Apparel!” Aragon said.īut that wasn’t “the coolest thing that’s ever happened” to the co-owners since they launched their online apparel brand in January 2019.
On June 28, the west Phoenix couple was at the Queer Liberation March in New York City when they saw “not one but three different people wearing one of our shirts.” Sergio Aragon and Jesus Gutierrez had been operating Gay Pride Apparel for a year and a half when they saw their creations out “in the wild.” View Gallery: 2020 holiday gifts: Shop local with metro Phoenix makers, artists