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.”