Jose Ibarra: Fashion Mogul
Growing up in Guatemala, Jose Ibarra was taught from a young age by his mom, as he explains, “to have my own style and my own spark.” Little did he know that years later as a fashion brand consultant and publicist in Miami, CFO of Semana de la Moda in Guatemala, and CEO of Horizon Agency, he would inspire others to find what makes them unique.
Over the last seven years, Jose has helped Latinx brands present at fashion weeks from New York to Miami. “I don’t work with brands I don’t believe in,” says Jose about how he connects with each brand and makes their project his own. Inspired by his own culture, he knows firsthand what it means to work, document, and learn from artisans of different areas in Guatemala. “I live every day in colors and am not ashamed of where I came from.”
With fashion influences like British singer, composer, and pianist Elton John, and most recently Spaniard influencer, Pelayo Diaz, Jose still makes sure to add his own touch to his trendy wardrobe. His most treasured fashion item is a pair of Alexander McQueen shoes. “These are the first shoes I bought because of a trend, and they have become so part of my life… I used them more than 365 times in two years.”
As fashion evolves, so does Jose, and one thing he’s been proud to see the most growth in is his self-love. While trends come and go, he has found that the secret ingredient to standing out is his personality, sharing how he had to learn to love himself from the outside and love fashion from the inside. “The way I look in the mirror and express myself to the world is so powerful that I decided to be a statement.”
With a busy schedule—his more recent endeavor is enrolling at Istituto Marangoni Miami: The Miami School of Fashion & Design—one thing's for sure, Jose is not stopping any time soon. “I prefer to hustle hard and take advantage of my 29 years,” he says, motivated by his passion. “God gave us 24 hours a day, so let’s spend our battery doing what we love and challenging ourselves to be better day by day.”
As a fashion business student in Miami, even finding himself surrounded by peers in their early 20s, Jose feels more inspired than ever to show that there’s no time limit when it comes to chasing your dreams. “As long as I live, I will encourage people to follow their dreams because they are here for a reason.”
As a fashionable man who seems to have it all from the outside looking in, Jose can’t yet speak about legacy because as he happily shares, “I feel like I just started living.”
@JoseIbarraSpecher
