"Lupita began as a channel for my creative energy, a way to express and explore. As a Costa Rican fashion and design brand born in 2020, Lupita stands as a testament to resilience and innovation. Our essence is self-expression, identity, play, collaboration, the use of color, and culture. We find joy in experimenting with different mediums, including clothing, digital illustration, crochet and 2D animation."
- Juliana Quesada, Founder & Creative Director
Lupita: A platform for creativity
Our Journey
Hi! I’m Juliana Quesada, Lupita’s founder and creative director. I assume if you’re reading this you want to know more about me :)
I was born and raised in Costa Rica, and was always immersed in the art world. My mom, Marijose Terán, is a painter, which meant that growing up my house was filled with materials for new creations and creative energy. My sister and I both grew up to aspire to artistic careers. My dad, on the other hand, is an industrial engineer, and always pushed for us to be inventive and take good care of our projects.
In 2019, I moved to Madrid to study Communication, Styling, and Fashion Image, and each project got me closer to what Lupita is today. I found my personal style, and my mind was amazed by how everything in the city was covered with design. I learned specifically, and actually very much unintentionally, about the fashion world and system. Which sparked the question, is fashion something that I want to design, too?
In 2020, when the pandemic hit, I came back to Costa Rica, where I started Lupita. At the beginning it was based on small drops. Prints, posters, crochet bandanas, or totebags. As I created more, more opportunities of design came to mind. What if I did pants! What if I did belts! I felt like almost anything could be part of this caricaturesque universe I had invented. And anyone, too. I loved meeting costarican artists and collaborating on new products.
In 2021, I went back to Madrid to continue with my studies, and every project prompt I got, I managed to turn into something for my brand. I realized that I actually do want to give Lupita an actual, real shot. So this is what gets us to now, I guess… This is me giving myself and my project a real chance.
Our team
Lupita is a brand created at home. Which means, every single product you see on our webpage, every single post, undergoes many family and friend checks. I could never say I did any of these things on my own. So I want to take this section to mention some of our most important team members. Some of these positions could sound quite made up, but they are important Lupita roles!
Esteban Pérez (Co-founder): Some will say, he is Lupito. He takes part of every decision, from what color should an illustration's background be, to approving budgets. He is my other hand. We analyze together if we think products would sell, if ideas are worth doing. And most importantly, he helps me to come to my senses when I’m very frustrated.
Marijose Terán (Artistic mentor): My artistic mentor and guide, mi mamita. She always tells me when something is off with my designs. She is a genius when it comes to composition, colors, and mixed media, and always pushes me to do the best I can do. She reminds me that mistakes are always allowed and will always come.
Edgar Quesada (Advisor): With a background on fashion industry engineering, my dad is a big part of the team. He is always helping me with the business and finance part of Lupita. Edgar always gives ideas of what I could sell and how I should sell my products.
María Jesús Brenes (Communication & Styling): María Jesús has been part of Lupita since the early beginnings. She and I come up with the campaigns, photoshoots, and styling for the brand’s image. She is a fashion and communication expert, and brings her creative visions to the brand.
Aída Del Vecchio & Patricia Guardia (Crochet Queens): My abuelitas. They have been part of Lupita since the early beginnings. To start with, they are the ones who even taught me how to knit and sew. They crochet a lot of our products, and have sewed sweaters, bandanas, and totebags for Lupita.
Marielos & Yolanda (Seamstresses): Marielos and Yolanda are two sisters who have taken charge of the sewing. They do a lot of Lupita’s hard work, and finish bringing our products to life.
Mauro & Gigi (Textile Printing): Mau and Gigi are two of the persons who have to be more patient with me. I always screw up printing, and they take their time to explain everything so clearly. They are in charge of printing our fabric, our prints and colors. And they always help to make my visions come to life.
Daniel (Screen Printing): Daniel is in charge of Lupita’s screen printing. T-shirts, hoodies, and other products that undergo this technique go through his hands. He is very precise and always stays true to my vision.
Special mentions to Jimmy Cukier, Rocio Gago, Julieta López, Nicole Rodriguez, Mercedes Oller, Renata Escorriola, Aitor Baigorri, and Gonzalo Fonseca, who have helped to shape the brand to what it is today!
