Artistic Careers in 2020 — A Series |Uni-ke
The first steps in a career are never easy, and even for those who are more established, the path to growth isn’t always straightforward. Software engineers, branding professionals, actors — we all have growing pains. In this series, we will explore the lives of creatives at different stages of their careers, how they have been developing their skills for the past few months, and what they see for their future. This series includes designers, entrepreneurs, models, and musicians.
This is part three.
New York City | Zino Haro
Oaxaca | Christian Cruz Godoy
DACA. Drug War. Deportation. Death. Homelessness.
Forbes. Columbia University. Y Combinator. New York Fashion Week.
These are the collective experiences of two people.
These two people are among the original founders of Uni-ke.
In early 2017, Christian and Zino weren’t really on each other’s radar. Zino had just started as a student at the engineering school after nearly a year of homelessness and uncertainty, and the 2016 election results had caused a strong concern in the immigrant and DACA community, leading Christian to become the leader of a movement at Columbia University. The events of the year seemed to act as a trigger for both to go back to their roots as creatives, and the summer of 2017 became a summer of growth.
For Zino, this meant creating an entire 24 piece collection from scratch with the help of the late musician Madison Park. For Christian, it meant coming up with an idea that would allow other creatives from underprivileged backgrounds to enter a field with high socio-economic barriers. Zino’s collection joined New York Fashion Week that September, and it was then that the two began collaborating on the Uni-ke project, which launched in late 2018 and went on to grab the attention of a number of accelerators including Y Combinator and Japan’s Open Network Lab.
But what exactly is Uni-ke?
Uni-ke is the brainchild of Christian Cruz Godoy, who singlehandedly coded the entire platform. It is a product of passion, drive, and necessity. It is a company for creatives but also for the supply chain. While Uni-ke’s Instagram can initially be mistaken for another grouping of brands, the project runs far deeper than that.
“I was really involved in activism for undocumented youth, and that made me realize the beauty of a collective, people coming together for one purpose and wanting to produce and carry a vision forward … I essentially took everything I learned from that, and wanted to give people an economic opportunity. This is all about low-income youth, undocumented youth that really don’t have that gateway.”
In a 2018 interview, Christian revealed some goals:
Godoy eventually wants to expand the reach of his company into Latin-American countries. He hopes to provide jobs in clothing production to disadvantaged Latin-American communities and continue to expand the diversity of his designers to an international level as well.
Less than two years in, it seems Uni-ke has made headway even outside of its goal demographic.
Uni-Ke’s LinkedIn page describes the company as “a globally distributed label transmitted through neoteric digital showcases” that has “worked with several artists in a wide variety of industries in the US, Canada, Mexico, South Korea, China, and Japan,” with the most notable of the list being the music scene of South Korea.
Designers are scouted for their backstories, creative potential, and drive with no regards to existing “clout” or financial situation.
“Since our initial launch, we’ve worked alongside 10 artists and launched their unique brands through our movement. Due to popular demand in over a dozen countries, we are currently building our 3rd session which is set to launch in early 2021.”
Uni-ke has been represented at New York and Seoul fashion weeks and has had pop-up events in the United States, often using the proceeds for charitable causes.
By May 2020, both Christian and Zino had graduated from Columbia University, and increased focus on the company has expediated its path despite the pandemic.
Although its main focus remains in the fashion industry, the team is exploring growth in other industries, considering the team’s diverse and exemplary expertise — team members have had success in areas such as music, academia, and cybersecurity and have even called the attention of Forbes and international militaries.
With unreleased plans for growth, Uni-ke may well become an international beacon for those who have experienced a creative drive and lack of opportunity.
