Boiish Clothing

This week, The Monaga blog brings you the work of Puerto Rican photographer and puppeteer, Ricardo Muñiz (www.myspace.com/coquichuloimages).

While researching Latino designers, Ricardo came across Boiish Clothing (www.boiish.com). He was delighted to discover that Boiish was a clothing line created by a legally married, gay Latino couple from Queens. Because Ricardo’s artwork is focused on the struggles and triumphs of urban Latinos in the US, he immediately wanted to bring the story of Santos and Steve Morales to the fore-front. Hence, this layout was born.

This series was shot entirely in the Hunts Point section of the Bronx. Famed for its industrial waste, graffiti, and long history of prostitution, drug dealing and chop shops, Hunts Point is now making a revival as a cultural arts center for people of color. This series highlights the beauty of it all: Latino culture, gay pride, urban art, and, of course, beautiful clothing and beautiful models.

A little About Santos and Steve Morales of Boiish:

“Steve and I have been together for 14 years. We met through mutual friends during the summer of 1992 in New York City. In 2005, Steve and I were legally married in the State of Massachusetts, where we lived at the time. Shortly after, we moved back to New York City to launch our business.

Steve and I have been designing and managing for over 10 years, so we merged our ideas and experience to start BOIISH. BOIISH is a men's beachwear apparel clothing line that sells in the mid-to-better market. Although we have a full service web site at www.boiish.com, the bulk of our business comes from retailers and specialty boutiques that cater to metrosexual men looking for distinctive apparel.

Steve came up with the company name during a pride event. At the time, we were entertaining the idea to start a business, but we really didn't know what to do. I wanted our business to be in fashion because Steve is a very talented designer. It all came together during the Orlando Gay Days in 2004. We noticed that many men, young and mature, were acting like young boys parading around in their swimsuits and beach gear. There was an unbelievable freedom and a tremendous energy in the crowd...and the men were gorgeous everywhere you looked.

Back home we talked about the event, the swimsuits and the expression "boyish" was thrown back and forth several times. It was then that we decided to put together a beachwear collection for our business venture. Then suddenly, it hit us - the expression 'boyish' would be the name of our company because we felt it's appropriate to the market. After a minor twist on the spelling, we decided on ‘boiish’.”

BOIISH: befitting of a man and playful as a young boy.

“Models featured in this spread are Deilín Sanz, DeMarco Majors, Zion Cohen, Héctor Troncoso, Nicholas Turner, and Ryan Lawrence. Special thanks to Dave Silverberg of Elektra Laboratories.”

I know, I know ...

I need to blog more often. I just feel like one of the people that can't wait to start my new job that is going to have me traveling to points across the globe. After doing the job for a year you get bored and want to do something else. That's my dilemma now. I was so gung-ho when I started this blogging thing, and now, I feel like it is a job I don't get paid for. I will keep doing it as long as I can.

I have been asked why I closed the comments to the Leon Land entry. Honestly, I just think it is overkill now. Everyone who wanted to comment has had their chance. I had a dream the other night that Leon escaped and made his way back to the DR through Haiti. He and Angie were on the Conde sitting at Paco's telling people not to go out that evening. Then I wake up! Anybody a dream interpreter? The only other thing I will write is if I can confirm his sentence, which is to take place Thursday, April 26. Or, if he escapes ...

The weather has been really up and down lately. Yesterday was beautiful, but very breezy and cool. And I don't know if there is a convention going on, but there are many tourists in town this weekend (and next!). Quite a few people are staying for a month or more, so I have been going to see many apartments for rent. It is amazing what is going on here in the Colonial Zone, and the prices are skyrocketing. The nicer areas of the city have many places for rent, too. If you just happen to be looking for that fabulous penthouse with ocean views, check this building out. The penthouse is a mere $1.2 Dollars (not pesos!).

If you are in town this week, I would suggest you go and peruse the offerings at the International Book Fair in Santo Domingo. Don't read? Well, go anyway and peruse the folk walking around, or take in the many exhibits. Highly recommended.

Beautiful Mag, this really great blog where I found the Dominican model, Deilin Sanz. Well, they have some more great photos of Deilin, along with some other Beautiful models. The photo shoot was photographed by Ricardo Muniz, for a fashion company called Boiish Clothing.

David and Byron have finally updated their blogs. Send them an email and encourage them to update more often.

Pollo Victorino, my favorite fried chicken place in DR is opening up stores in NYC.

Okay, I hope that holds your for a couple of days, while I figure out what else I can say.

Until soon,
The Monaga Blogger