Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
Julia Navarro
Julia Navarro has never formally studied fashion. After high school, she enrolled in the Grabber School of Hair Design. She then worked as a hairstylist and makeup artist for weddings, photo shoots, and MAC Cosmetics for 10 years before launching her clothing label, wear cOLor out loud, which she designs at her home in Affton.
In addition to creating fashion in her colorful, expressive style, Navarro also joins forces with her sister, personal injury attorney Christine Navarro, to produce a weekly podcast, titled What Did They Mean By That? The sisters explore the meanings behind song lyrics in the weekly 1-hour show. In fact, it was a sisterly brainstorm during one of their many road trips together that resulted in the name of Julia’s brand. Here, Julia shares more about her vision, her business, and how the label got its name.
You didn’t study fashion, but did you take sewing lessons or classes in patternmaking? I taught myself to sew. I wanted to learn how to do something creative. I can’t paint; I can’t draw; but I always loved doing creative things.
What did you do before launching the label. I worked for Fauxgerty, a brand that started out specializing in faux-leather jackets, for a time. They moved on to more sustainable ventures, like using vintage and deadstock fabrics. They closed in 2019, but [the store] was the inspiration for creating my own business.
How did you start the business? I put in a big order from a fabric distributor, and I bought a semi-industrial straight-stitch machine and a Baby Lock overlock machine. I found out that I didn’t have the volume to support big fabric buys, and I didn’t have the space to store the bolts. Today, I buy fabric anywhere I can find it. I go to a lot of estate sales and thrift stores. I also source from secondhand sites.
Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
Tell us about your aesthetic. I like to break fashion rules. Being in fashion and beauty for so long, I constantly heard people say, Oh, I’m too old to wear my hair like that, or At my size, I’m too big to wear that skirt. We put up roadblocks. I design to get people into clothing and say, Forget that. I’m going to wear it and wear it with confidence. Break those rules. Wear white after Labor Day, and wear it with faith in yourself. If you’re wearing something and you don’t look happy, well, yeah, that’s not going to work. The trick isn’t just wearing color out loud; it’s being your authentic self out loud.
How did you come up with the name wear cOLor out loud? My sister wrote a poem about me and how I live out loud, literally and figuratively. I wanted my brand to have something to do with color. I reverted back to her poem. As we drove, the name fell in my lap: wear cOLor out loud, with the letters O and L capitalized. Nobody had that copyright, and nobody had that website. It generates questions at shows, so it works for me.
