Originally published on Bunch.com on November 16, 2015 By Christine Longoria.
“I used to live across the street from a brothel.” That is how this story begins, but certainly not how it ends. Christine Longoria recounts the inspiration for her collection of handmade leather goods and jewelry and of course the mere mention of a brothel makes everyone’s ears perk up. While living in San Francisco, she saw women coming in and out of a storefront and immediately knew what was happening. This was no ordinary prostitution ring, there were clear signs of human trafficking. Longoria and her neighbors rallied to shut it down which took two and a half years. The time that it took to shut down just one brothel revealed the many layers of this huge issue and she felt she could not sit idly by. While Longoria’s primary skill and expertise is as a ceramic sculptor, she also knew how to sew. With an $800 tax return she forged ahead to create “Dear Survivor”, a collection where 10% of every dollar goes to a non-profit organization devoted to ending human trafficking.
Continue on to see why Christine Longoria is a Daring Creative.
Who is Christine Longoria?
I grew up in Redlands, California. My mom taught me to sew when I was 15, and I took my first sculpting class my junior year of high school. I’m honestly shocked (yet somehow not surprised) that those are the skills I’ve built my career out of. I studied Sociology and Fine Art at San Francisco State University, and then moved to Los Angeles after graduating in 2013 to work in the social enterprise/fashion/art realm.
How did you go from idea to execution?
The idea for Dear Survivor had been brewing for a good six years before I was able to start it. In high school I dreamed of being a designer. Then in college I kind of went in the other direction and focused my studies on the issue of human trafficking. I actually lived across the street from a “massage parlor” that was part of the San Francisco’s known sex trafficking ring. Watching men daily filter in and out of this parlor really lit a fire in me, and birthed the desire to use my skills (as seemingly disconnected as they were) to do something about this issue.
But it wasn’t until I moved to LA, and got the work experience that I did, that I felt confident enough to start Dear Survivor – which is funny because that was not my intention on moving there. Having not studied business or fashion, I didn’t think it was something I could ever do. But after working for two different creative small businesses, one doing PR and Marketing, the other doing production sewing – I felt like maybe I was ready to create the company I’d been dreaming up for years.
On June 12, 2015 I launched Dear Survivor – and it truly combines all my passions. I design and sew all the leather goods, and hand-sculpt the jewelry. I’m also partnered with Generate Hope, a 501(c)(3) that rehabilitates survivors of sex trafficking. They receive 10% of my proceeds, and my goal is to eventually employ the survivor as they transition out of rehabilitation. Definitely still in the start up phase, but really excited and hopeful for the direction I see it going.
How does the city you live in influence your creativity?
Los Angeles really is the city to be in for fashion. The resources LA offers in terms of materials is incredible and inspires so much creativity in me. My favorite leather supplier is Sav-Mor Leather, underneath the 10 freeway in the fabric district. Opening the door and being hit with the thick smell of leather; feeling the textures and seeing all the different colors of the hides; the hundreds of metal fixtures in the glass display table – the whole experience of this store just makes my brain go into creative hyper drive. My budget is never quite big enough to cover all the ideas that spark while I’m there, haha.
In your words, what does it mean to be a “creative”?
To have a vision in your mind, and the physical ability to bring it into existence.
What is a misconception about the work that you do?
That it’s all fun and crafty. I mean it is – but I daily fight the battle of inadequacy. When a company is resting on the shoulders of your creativity, there’s a lot of pressure and self-doubt.
What is the most rewarding part of being a creative?
Knowing that what I make would physically not exist without me. Doing ceramic sculpture is really rewarding, because that clay would literally turn back into dust without me. And seeing people interact with the work of my hands – the feeling is unreal. I’ve had strangers come up to me, tears in their eyes, and thank me for the messages behind my art. It’s a crazy thing to create an object that in turn creates an emotional response that’s entirely independent of me.
What advice would you give to someone who wanted to pursue the same career as you?
Don’t let fear of inadequacy hold you back. If you have the passion and skill to create, I encourage you to pursue it with all you’ve got. Also, live in big cities, resources and connections will fall in your path.
What has been the pit and peak of your week so far? (a low and a high moment)
Peak: I bought my first car this week! I’ve never had one and it’s been a huge struggle.
Pit: Now I have car payments.
What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given?
When I first started sculpting I made a lot of cute animals – big cartoony eyes, wearing clothes. Cute stuff. My college professor singled me out in front of my whole class, saying it’s not art and that I wasn’t allowed to make it in his class. He told me to chop the heads off, or put human genitalia on it. While I didn’t do quite that, I understood his point: to make art that made the viewer look twice, to layer with complexity. And that criticism from him became the best advice of my art career.
Finish this sentence:
In 25 years I see myself: Hopefully exactly what I’m doing now, with some level of development, and a husband, some kids, and a dog and a cat beside me.
If I knew then what I know now, I would have: Majored in Art and Design. Sociology was very interesting, but I feel like I walked away from college without any tangible skill.
I couldn’t live without my: Moleskin journal, I’m always scribbling notes and sketches.
For more on Christine Longoria, visit her site here: www.christinelongoria.com
For more on Dear Survivor, visit her site here: www.dear-survivor.com
Photo courtesy of Sergey Kolivayko, Kristen Daly, and Dear Survivor
