ALMA LAGUNA
Started as a
Gift Of Love
It started with a gift—a one-off pair of shoes designed by me for my daughter meant to capture a moment in time. That moment?
A graduation present for a valedictorian, a way to celebrate both her hard work and her future. But what was supposed to be a couple pairs of shoes ordered, quickly snowballed into something bigger.
Wasn’t marketed. Was discovered
Word of Mouth Became a Brand
I never set out to start a shoe company. Hell, I barely set out to make a second pair. But the first ones hit different. Friends saw them. Then strangers. Then some guy stopped me mid-step—“Can I get a pair?” Then another. And another.
It wasn’t about fashion. It wasn’t about hype. It was about them. Their stories. Their style. Their lives on canvas and rubber
Can’t Look Away?
The Art of the Double Take
I’ve gotten good at spotting the look—that not-so-sly double take, the lingering glance, the hesitant curiosity. It’s the same way people eye my shoes.
About half just stare and move on. The other half? They step up. Where did you get those?
eyes Up Here… Oh Wait, My Shoes
Half Stare and Move On
I know what it’s like to be a woman with a big chest at the club or gym—not firsthand, but I’ve seen the look. The not-so-subtle glance, the quick double take, the trying to be slick but failing miserably stare.
I know what it’s like to be a woman with a big chest at the club or gym—not firsthand, but I’ve seen the look. The not-so-subtle glance, the quick double take, the trying to be slick but failing miserably stare.
Making Waves
Alma in the Press
Before we knew it, Alma Laguna was making headlines. First, the Laguna Independent picked up the story—our shoes turning heads, sparking conversations, and rewriting the rules of personal style.
A month after the Laguna article I received a call from the reporter in Laguna informing me that "Jay you need to listen to your voice mails" When I inquired "whyt?" "Beacuase the LA Time has left you three voice mails and finally contacted me to help. Then came the unexpected rise this thing called Alma (soul in Spanish) built on pure creativity, individuality, and a whole lot of soul.
Pelicans on a hill
What's a designer showcase?
A month after the LA Times article dropped, my inbox lit up with an email that stopped me cold. They wanted to put on a designer showcase. Around me and Alma.
Had no clue what that even meant. I read it twice, then a third time, half-expecting the words to rearrange themselves into something more reasonable.
You down for a rave? We’ll build it around Alma
Crossed paths with a couple of painfully hip guys in Laguna—tattoos, thrifted jackets, the whole look. They clocked the shoes, the conversation sparked, and within minute