New York City apparel company co-owners and partners celebrate Pride

ByKemberly Richardson WABC logo
Tuesday, June 21, 2022
Apparel company co-owners celebrate Pride with unique T-shirts
Inside Jesus Gutierrez and Sergio Aragon's apartment, the pair is ironing out this and that all related to their company Gay Pride Apparel.

NEW YORK -- Inside Jesus Gutierrez and Sergio Aragon's apartment, the pair is ironing out this and that, all related to their company Gay Pride Apparel.

They have been best friends since fifth grade and moved to New York City in 2018. They were struck by how, on June 1, the start of Pride, suddenly rainbows appeared everywhere.

The NYC Pride March broadcast special, co-hosted by Angelica Ross along with WABC's Ken Rosato, Lauren Glassberg and Sam Champion, will return for its sixth consecutive year on ABC 7 from 12:00pm to 3:00pm ET on Sunday, June 26 as well on abc7NY.com, ABC News Live, and ABC7 New York's Connected TV Apps on streaming platforms Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, and Roku

"July 1, we're like, the rainbows are gone, what's going on?" Gutierrez said. "So we decided to put our retail brains together to start Gay Pride Apparel."

They launched their company in 2019 and tapped into their knowledge of e-commerce and product merchandising, having both worked for big companies.

Then they tried something new. The T-shirts each said "Pride," but one very important thing was missing.

"AZ had a cactus instead of the 'I,' New York had a Statue of Liberty instead of the 'I,' but no rainbows, and we were like, what are we doing?" Aragon said.

Customers wanted rainbows, and rainbows they eventually got.

The partners, both in business and in life, will never forget receiving their first order.

"We were in Chinatown shopping for gifts for your mom and got the notification, and we're like, our first stranger," Gutierrez said.

In June of 2020, as the city shut down, like many, they stayed home and invested time and energy in their business.

"A lot of social justice was happening at the beginning of the pandemic, and I think we spoke to our community, like, hey we are here for you, an online community, not just an apparel store," Gutierrez said.

All of their hard work paid off to date. Gutierrez and Aragon have pulled in $1.5 million in sales. While the money is terrific, they're focused on the bigger picture.

"That $1.5 million translates into about 30,000 orders, so that's 30,000 lives we've touched," Gutierrez said.

Looking ahead is their goal, and it has always been to tap into parts of the country and provide pride to places that don't have it.

"It's not about the money, it's at the end of the day, they found a community that they feel accepted in and found themselves and found represented," Aragon said.

ALSO READ | 'March of Dads' rally held in Brooklyn in support of fathers of color

The 'March of Dads' was held Father'sDay morning in Brooklyn offering fathers, particularly those of color, an opportunity to bond and build a community.

----------

* Get Eyewitness News Delivered

* More New York City news

* Send us a news tip

* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts

* Follow us on YouTube

Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News

Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply.