By Sydney Witte
At the age of 15, Ray Prieto began creating his universal clothing brand that anyone and everyone can enjoy. Prieto, now 26, is the creator and creative director of the growing clothing brand “Turodes.”
Ever since he was young, Prieto had endless opportunities coming his way. He found himself putting his brand on the back burner as he pursued his other interests including real estate.
When Prieto was a teen he used artwork as a means of expression — whether it be tagging graffiti or digital art.
He used his abilities as an escape in his youth and found purpose through his craft. Prieto was influenced to make a mark on the world through the video game, “Marc Ecko’s Getting Up” on his PlayStation II.
Prieto then realized he wanted to share his art and print it on clothing. Today, he creates Turodes’s designs with excitement.
Prieto says the brand’s name is a unique play on words, sounding like, “Two Roads.”
Behind it is the idea that everyone has two major life paths they can choose to take — one road leading to success and happiness in what you love. with the other being the “safe route.”
Prieto wants to inspire others, through his brand, to pick the road that gives them the life they have always dreamed of.
In order to run a successful business, Prieto realized he needed to create a platform for the brand. He utilizes social media in order to spread his message and passion.
One of Prieto’s biggest struggles is completing designs and wanted to do all of the work himself.
As Turodes continues to grow, Prieto’s attitudes have changed and he is not afraid to collaborate with photographers and others, including Shot by Savoy and @barteringforchange, local photographers.
Prieto is dedicated to expanding the Turodes brand. One day, he hopes to fulfill his childhood dream of selling his clothes at Zumiez.
Among Prieto’s biggest aspirations is wanting to collaborate with J.Cole’s “Dreamville” record label. In the future, he hopes to dress artists like Kendrick Lamar and J.Cole, amongst others.
Even though Turodes is known as a “street brand,” Prieto hopes in 10 years’ time it appears on runways
For Prieto, it’s not about the fame of the brand but how it will motivate and touch others.
Check out Turodes here: https://turodes-shop.myshopify.com/collections/all .
Follow Turodes on Instagram for newest releases.
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