After years as an art director and educator, Edith Gutierrez-Hawbaker was at a crossroads. Should she continue her journey in the publishing world or hone in on her passion for the arts? A situation with her son put her dreams into perspective.
“Te Lo Juro Collective was inspired by my son, who in kindergarten, donated the money he made at his abuela's yard sale to help Puerto Rico rebuild,” says Gutierrez-Hawbaker. “It made me look inward and ask myself what I was doing to help my community.
“I am from Argentina, but I felt a responsibility to not only help Puerto Rico, but to also give back to the Latinx communities at large,” she says. “His selflessness and compassion reminded me of my upbringing. We lived in a neighborhood that didn't have much, but we had a strong sense of our cultural identity. We were proud of where we came from and we always took care of one another.”
Her son's generosity spurred her into action, focusing full-time on her dream, the Te Lo Juro Collective, a lifestyle brand celebrating Latinx culture through fashion, art and more. They are a unique group of talented artists whose mission is to raise money for organizations that strengthen the Latinx community. They do this by donating 20 percent of their sales to various organizations, which include the Hispanic Federation Unidos, Urban Arts Partnership Latinas, Momento Latino and Latinas Contra Cancer.
Gutierrez-Hawbaker draws her inspiration for the collective from a variety of distinguished figures in the Latinx community, ranging from Walter Mercado and Sonia Sotomayor to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Her greatest personal hero? Her mother. “Honestly, my mom is my hero. Her beautiful spirit and story of resilience, coming to the U.S. as a single mom,” says Gutierrez-Hawbaker. “She came to America to give us an opportunity. She taught us to always give back, celebrate our culture and dream big.”
As her mother's daughter, Gutierrez-Hawbaker is paying forward the lessons instilled in her at a young age. “Te Lo Juro means ‘I swear,'” she says. “Always promise to honor yourself, to stand up for what you believe in and to speak up and support your community.”
