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Alumnus’ clothing brand featured in Super Bowl half-time show

Delano native Richard Resendez co-founded LA store Planeta

By California State University, Bakersfield

March 9^th, 2026

Delano native Richard Resendez may have been one of millions of people from around the world who tuned in to watch the Super Bowl half-time show last month, but he wasn’t just watching for entertainment. He was on the lookout for whether any of the performers were wearing pieces from Planeta, a Los Angeles clothing store that he co-owns.

“It felt like a game, like trying to look for easter eggs,” Resendez said. “Seeing it play out, I felt excited and nervous. You have millions of people watching the half-time show.”

And then, around midway through the show after Bad Bunny fell into a crowd of people, he spotted them. Resendez and his friends were able to identify about six pieces that had been purchased by the show’s styling team.

“I pointed it out and yelled. I was just shocked,” he said. “I was thinking it would be great if even just one of our items made it. It was already such a huge moment as a Latino to have Bad Bunny headline the half-time show, so to even be taken into consideration, we were already grateful.”

Planeta, located in downtown LA, specializes in vintage and “upcycled” clothing — old or unwanted garments that have been transformed into something new. The store carries over 25 brands from Mexican designers.

“We buy vintage clothes that people don’t want and give them new life. We’re very intentional about sustainable fashion,” Resendez said. “We have a perspective that people can appreciate. Often, it’s just one that not a lot of people are exposed to.”

It was Planeta’s focus on sustainable fashion and support of Mexican designers that drew the attention of the half-time show’s styling team. But even when they decided to purchase some of the store’s clothing, there was no guarantee that they would actually be worn by someone in the show.

“That’s how it works in the industry. They could purchase items, but you never know if they’re going to make the cut, so we didn’t really get a heads up,” Resendez said. “We just had to watch and find out.”

Resendez said he never thought prior to the show that Planeta and Bad Bunny shared a similar taste in fashion, despite there being some signs.

“We would often have customers come into the store to shop for an outfit to go to Puerto Rico for one of his concerts, but never once did I process how aligned we were with our sense of style and fashion,” he said. “It wasn’t until that moment that everything made sense. Customers have been trying to tell us for a while that there was a parallel approach to fashion, but I just never really considered it.”

The moment marked a new milestone for the company and for Resendez, who graduated from California State University, Bakersfield in 2012 with his bachelor’s in communications with an emphasis in public relations.

“To have our clothes represent something so major in a way that felt so joyful and positive, it was the best reward,” he said. “To have that many eyes on your items, even though they’re in the background — it just feels really good to be a part of that.”

Communications Lecturer Bianca Moreno grew up with Resendez in Delano and has kept in touch with him over the years.

“He was always super friendly. He’s always been very charismatic and outgoing,” she said. “He’s one of those friends where, it could be a couple of years since you’ve seen each other, but it feels like nothing’s changed.”

While watching the half-time show, Moreno felt that a few of the outfits looked familiar. Once she connected them to Resendez’s work, she immediately reached out to him.

“It was this whole celebration that was so cool to see him be a part of,” she said. “It adds to the overall symbolism of the half-time show, and to see his clothes there adds to the story of him too. This kid from Delano who majored in communications from CSUB was on the world stage — his art was on the world stage — and that’s such a beautiful thing.”

A passion for fashion

Resendez’s love for fashion began at a young age through dancing. Starting in fourth grade and lasting until college, he was always involved with some kind of dancing group or class.

“Fashion has always been a part of dance. That was my introduction to it,” he said. “I had to get creative with what I wore so I could stand out while I was performing. It’s a form of expression that has always been important to me.”

Resendez was first introduced to revamped clothing in college through Hoza Rodriguez and his personal brand, Hologram City. Resendez became an avid supporter of the brand and connected with Rodriguez over email to learn more about his work.

“It was something I’d never seen before, especially being in Delano. What I was exposed to was something different than the traditional clothing you would see at a mall,” he said. “I realized how playful clothes can be and that clothing doesn’t just have to be one note.”

Resendez purchased some of Rodriguez’s items and wore them often during his senior year.

“They made me feel like myself while I was living in a small city where I often felt misunderstood,” he said.

While Resendez enjoyed fashion, he didn’t initially see it as a possible career path. He originally majored in criminal justice when he enrolled at CSUB. He planned to become a prison counselor but realized that wasn’t the right fit for him. An academic counselor suggested to Resendez that communications would better suit his interests and skills.

“I didn’t know what I wanted to do with it, but I was committed,” he said. “Everything I learned has helped me thrive in what I’m doing now, whether it’s how to communicate with others or doing public speaking and presentations.”

While attending CSUB had its challenges — including managing work responsibilities and having to commute from Delano to attend classes — Resendez said it was a positive experience for him that helped ease the transition from childhood to adulthood.

“I love CSUB. In a lot of ways, it felt like an extension of high school because I got to still be with a lot of my friends and go into this first chapter of adulthood with them,” he said. “I may not have moved away like some of my friends, but I don’t feel like I missed out on the college experience.”

'Clothes were always an escape'

Resendez had difficulty finding the kinds of public relations jobs he was looking for after graduating from CSUB. Hoping for a fresh start, he moved to Orange County and stayed for a time with his sister, who was living there.

“I didn’t have a specific goal. I was just thinking ‘the only thing I can do is move out of Delano and figure it out,’” he said.

Resendez ended up getting a job at a bank, but that didn’t fill his need to pursue something that was creatively fulfilling. Since college, Resendez had kept in contact with Rodriguez, who lived in LA. After finding out that Resendez had moved to the area, Rodriguez offered him the opportunity to intern for him in 2013.

The internship lasted a few months until, after receiving a promotion at work, Resendez had to end it because didn’t have the time to fit it in. While the two kept in touch, it would be two years before they would work together again.

“I wanted to figure out who I was, what I wanted to do,” he said. “That’s when I learned more about fashion from him. He took me under his wing and taught me everything I needed to know about the fashion industry.”

Resendez and Rodriguez went on to become best friends and, in 2018, started collaborating on several mini-collections under the Hologram City brand. Then, after the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020, Resendez got the idea to start his own clothing brand: Thariches.

“There wasn’t anything to do. We were stuck in our homes,” he said. “Clothes were always an escape for me, so I just decided I’m going to put it out there and see if people gravitate toward it.”

It started with just a t-shirt. After that sold well, Resendez committed to doing a mini-collection that featured a t-shirt, a button-up and a pair of pants.

“I just wanted to start off with something that I felt like was tangible, and with fabrics that I liked. I was very excited about it,” he said. “When I would see people gravitate to it and style it, that’s when I fell in love even more with the items.”

After participating in a few pop-up shops, Resendez found that the items were getting traction. During one event in 2022, there was a young man who was willing to spend all the money he had on him to purchase a mechanic shirt with a crop fit that Resendez was selling.

“He said that he didn’t have much, that he would have to make ends meet for a week, but he needed that shirt so bad,” he said. “I gave him a discount. I was like, ‘Oh my God, that means a lot that you gravitated to one of my items so much that you’re willing to do without money for a shirt.’ It was really nice that I was able to help someone feel important and secure.”

When Moreno found out that Resendez was working with revamped clothes, she thought it was a great way to be both fashionable and sustainable.

“It’s a really interesting and cool take, but even more so a needed take, especially with the state of our world today. I think more people are trying to reuse and buy vintage clothing rather than trying to do fast fashion,” she said. “It adds to the uniqueness that he brings. These one-of-a-kind pieces are so interesting and cool to own. You can be anyone but also make it your own at the same time.”

Resendez said selling his own brand of clothes has been a rewarding experience, one that would put him on the path to deciding to open a shop.

“It was nice to see my items being worn in a way where people feel like themselves. They’re spending their hard-earned money on something that I helped design, that’s helping them express themselves. They’re wearing it out and styling it to what best fits them. It’s cool to be a part of people’s closets. I don’t take that for granted at all.”

'This is just the beginning'

Resendez wasn’t interested at first in running a store when Rodriguez first presented the idea to him, but his experience at an LA shop changed his mind. Toward the end of 2021, Resendez visited a store that was open by appointment only and thought that was something that would be more manageable for them than a typical store.

“I saw how small of a space it was, but how much cool stuff they had. I was able to grasp how it could work for us,” he said. “Having a store where you can just walk in anytime takes so much effort to keep up, and I didn’t have the willpower to do that.”

After a space opened up in the building that housed production for the Hologram City brand, Resendez and Rodriguez decided to take the leap and open Planeta in March 2022. The store — which carries Resendez’ and Rodriguez’ personal brands, along with others — operates largely by appointment only, although it is open for walk-ins on Saturdays.

“It allowed us to start small and test the waters to see how something does,” he said. “If something doesn’t take off, I can revamp the idea until I figure out a sweet spot.”

Running a business has been a challenge for Resendez, who has had to get used to managing budgets, figuring out what inventory to invest in and how to spread awareness about the store.

“We’re constantly looking at numbers and trends, see what was taking off. I had to figure out how to market ourselves where it feels true to our formula and it’s an aesthetic that feels like our own,” he said. “It’s been quite the experience. We have evolved as a store and as a brand.”

Moreno said she believes Resendez serves as a great role model for CSUB students and that his journey is something that they can identify with.

“He represents a lot of our population at CSUB. Him being able to be on the world stage is an indicator to our students that ‘I can be that person,’” she said. “He didn’t put limits on himself. He kept going, he got his education and decided ‘I want this and I’m going to do everything it takes to get there.’ If you have a passion in something, I feel like the universe is going to root for you to get there. Of course there are hurdles along the way, but with some good support, he’s getting far. This is just the beginning.”

As Planeta celebrates four years of operation this March, Resendez said the store has been gaining positive momentum since its representation in the Super Bowl half-time show.

“Having that exposure has been really great. We’re gaining a lot of new followers,” he said. “We want to continue to showcase our work and solidify ourselves as a brand and as a store, to show that there’s a lot of Latino talent in LA.”

Resendez hopes his journey will encourage CSUB students to pursue their dreams, even if they feel like they may be unattainable.

“It just seems so intimidating to move out of Kern County to pursue something bigger, but don’t be afraid to showcase your talent,” he said. “Align yourself with people who have similar visions to you; Find a mentor who you want to be like or you can learn from. I think the reason why I’ve gotten so far is because I’m still a student in many ways. Things are always changing and you’re always learning.”