Embrace Your Own Beauty

Villa

Moving to Saint Louis, Missouri after having lived in San Diego, California for most of my life had a profound effect on me. I was unprepared for the hearty Mid-western welcome and the easy self-confidence of strangers who, to a person, treated me as if I were a native son. Cozy up to any bar in the downtown area and you’ll soon have riding buddies for a Saturday bike trip or a new group of

friends to watch the game with on Monday night. I had always wanted to start my own business and I decided to create a company that combined the heartiness of the Midwest together with the laid-back California casualness that I grew up with. It was over beers with one of my newfound friends, Shanon Kocurek, that the idea for theStitch began to take shape. We didn’t know it then, but that would be the first of many, many meetings we would have together. I decided to build an online community where people here and around the world, could share their stories through photos, words and videos and wear casual clothing made right here in the U.S.A. As I did more research I noticed that most online sites and clothing companies focused almost exclusively on women who were very thin and/or guys with perfect bodies. I felt that if I could develop an online culture that celebrated the beauty within each one of us, and create clothing that inspired confidence then my company would have a meaningful vision that could potentially have a profound impact on people’s lives. Now, what to name my fledgling company? The origins of theStitch.com name

My Grandma Villa was the heart and soul of our large family. Her enduring legacy was that she loved us with all her heart and she never judged or criticized us – ever. Trips to grandma’s house always meant hugs and kisses plus homemade tortillas eaten hot off the stove and a chance to watch her stitch together the squares that would eventually become one of her many colorful quilts. When we were kids we all got quilts from grandma and we found that they made great indoor sleds to pull each other on, as well as excellent tent and bedroom fort-building material! And when you got sick there was nothing better to snuggle up in than one of grandma’s quilts. It was like being wrapped in one of her hugs. Grandma saved her most intricate work for our high school graduation quilts. As one of the youngest of her grandchildren, I watched as one after another of my cousins received the coveted quilt. I could hardly wait until it was my turn, but fate stepped in and she died of cancer before my own graduation. My Auntie Arlene, who had never quilted a day in her life, took it upon herself to work with my grandmother’s sister, Tia Febe to surprise me with a quilt when it was my turn to graduate. To this day, getting that quilt made in honor of my Grandma Villa, remains one of my most cherished memories. As I thought about what I was trying to do with my company I decided to name my company theStitch, in remembrance of the way she stitched our family together with love and total acceptance. I also pay loving tribute to her by launching on April 25, 2015, which is the anniversary of her birthday.