You came up as a competitive soccer player, not a designer. How did that actually lead to fashion?

An ACL injury took me off the field at Cal Poly and I suddenly had time to think about what I would do beyond soccer. I started studying art, design, and photography. Identity through design became my passion. At 20, my soccer connections led to me styling editorials for Adidas in New York. That was the door opening into fashion for me.

You've described MYUS as narrative-driven. What does that actually mean in practice?

It means every collection starts with a story that I want to tell. Ode To A Swan began with the mythology of swans and ballet. Death Of A Salesman was about the blur between ambition and collapse. The garments tell the story. If you can't feel the story in the fabric, I haven't done my job.

You styled Kanye West, worked at H. Lorenzo, ran production for brands doing $13 million a year. Why build something from scratch instead of working within an established house?

Because those experiences showed me exactly what I wanted to build and what I didn't want to compromise on. Working at that level, you learn every part of the system. Having my own brand allows me to create what I am passionate about with complete conviction.

FW23 was a self-produced runway show with two live swans and a water stage. You sewed through the nights, and Brent Faiyaz bought two coats the same evening. What was that like?

The honest answer is I didn't sleep for days leading up to it. The scale of what I was trying to do versus the resources I had was absurd. But the show was everything. Brent buying those coats that night wasn't just a sale. It was confirmation that what I was making had real value to people who didn't have to say yes. That matters more than any press placement.

MYUS has shown in Los Angeles, New York, Prague, and Paris. What does showing internationally mean to the brand?

I have always thought of MYUS as an international brand. I am drawn to the appreciation other parts of the world put on artisanal fashion. My goal is to be on calendar for Paris Fashion Week and everything we're building is moving toward that.