Dennys Hernandez: La Gente-Q&A
Our first interview with a non-musical artist had to hit home. With that being said, Dennys Hernandez, founder of Chelsea based clothing brand La Gente brings an extremely creative and inclusive skillset to this area. Dennys created La Gente this year and the brand has already received positive attention before releasing its first collection. Dennys is VERY true to his home, taking inspiration from the people he meets, things he does, and the things he sees, and creating it into a brand.
Johnny Dube: What was your childhood like in Chelsea?
Dennys Hernandez: It was definitely a fun experience, teaches you a lot at a young age growing up in Chelsea. I was able to meet a lot of great people in it that are still what makes the city great.
JD: What were/are some of your favorite spots in Chelsea/Boston?
DH: For Chelsea I would definitely say the Boys & Girls club that’s basically the place that raised me, also a huge shoutout to all the great restaurants there you can find whatever you need on one street which is broadway.
In Boston, the list is endless from the views of the city at Maverick to walking around Boston and just finding low key spots that you can easily just walk past, it’s like a mind blowing feeling. I think Boston has a ton of that, people just don’t know.
JD: What does La Gente mean? and why did you choose that name?
DH: La Gente (Hen-teh) means The people in Spanish. I wanted to go with something I felt represented myself and what I stand for so I kept thinking “what would the people like” and it clicked “La gente. It’s representing myself and communities that are a part of me which isn’t just one it’s a lot of moving parts.
JD: What is the inspiration behind the La Gente brand?
DH: The inspiration comes from all the people I've seen and still see working hard to get where they are or where they are striving for. I often look to see what I can do to better myself and that’s part of the brand too.
JD: Do you have any local or nonlocal people that you look up to and you take inspiration from?
DH: Definitely local brands like HD clothing, Kliq brand, FTB, everyone on their music grind like Carlos Lobo, Franco, J Wavy. All of them are doing their thing & it’s great to see.
Also in the community itself seeing what Cesar Castro is doing with his work with the Let it Fly Classic is super inspiring seeing a lot of people come together for a great cause it’s what it’s all about
In terms of fashion inspiration I get a lot from some of these major brands you see like Kaws, The Hundreds, KITH, Concepts, and the list goes on. I was introduced to them years ago before I could even afford any of it I just loved the aesthetics the brands carried.`
JD: What do you hope to accomplish with La Gente?
DH: Truthfully, I want to keep this brand growing to a point where I can give back to the communities and hopefully partner up with some people that are involved and host some events when things get back to how they once were. Hoping that I continue to make clothes that people love and can rock wherever they want to. Excited to see what the future holds and we’ll see you all Summer 2020.
Follow La Gente on Instagram: @lagente.co to keep up with news on the Summer 2020 collection!
