Local designers and brothers Vincent and Saul Jimenez barely speak above a whisper, even as they talk about their beloved clothing line, MENEZ. They are extremely shy — boarding on demure — but their designs tell an entirely different story. With fearless use of materials like thick fur and cobra leather, asymmetrical tailoring and racy silhouettes, the brothers shroud their personal modesty in bold design work that is anything but low-key. 

Vincent and Saul come from a long line of designers so they naturally inherited unparalleled ability and creativity. “Fashion has always been important to us. Growing up we observed many of the women in our family make couture pieces. This encouraged us to make our own designs,” they said. Today, the duo owns a fashion house with a complete line of accessories and clothing for men and women. We recently sat down with Vincent and Saul to talk about style, the future of Denver fashion and what inspired their newest line. 

303 Magazine: When did you first start to dress yourselves? What is the first outfit you can remember putting together?

MENEZ: We started dressing ourselves at a very early age. We remember fighting with our mother about what the latest trend was.

Vincent: I remember putting [together] my first outfit at the age of five. My dad had let me pick my outfit before school and I chose some cowboy boots and shorts. It probably wasn’t my best choice.

303: What is your definition of style?

M: Style is when someone knows how to use fashion in their own way and attribute it to their own personal life.

303: What is your favorite garment or bag you’ve created so far? Why?

M: The Lucinda cobra bag has been one of our favorite pieces. We really like working with the cobra leather and decided to add the cobra head as a closure to the bag. We really love how this bag can make a statement.

303: How has your family influenced your design process?

M: Our family has had a significant impact on our design process — we are fourth generation clothes makers. Our family has always supported us and taught us the trade along the way. This has pushed us to make our designs.

303: What have been some of the biggest challenges of becoming designers?

M: Some of the biggest challenges about becoming designers have been pushing ourselves to make many different pieces from jewelry, leather handbags and clothing.

303: What advice do you have for people looking to become designers?

M: Let passion be your fuel and don’t give up on your dreams. Staying true to yourself will attract like-minded people.

303: Where do you think Denver fashion will be in five years?

M: We think Denver will have a huge fashion scene because of the vast growth we experienced. We will be seeing name brand boutiques from around the world in many of our city’s corners.

303: If you wrote a fashion bible what would be in it?

M: If we had our own fashion bible we would have fashion from all around the world and other universes if we could.

303: Describe your style in a short phrase.

M: Occult Luxury

303: If you could style one celebrity, who would it be?

M: If we could dress anyone it would Grace Jones without a doubt.

303: What was the inspiration for your latest line?

M: We were really inspired by nature including flower shapes and organic materials.

303: Who are your favorite designers and why?

M: So many. To name a few, Cristobal Balenciaga, Mugler, Alexander McQueen. They have been a huge impact on us from learning about the world of fashion design to pushing the boundaries of what the norm in fashion is.

303: What is next for you in 2019?

M: MENEZ will be releasing a new collection. Our web store will have more pieces than ever. We also will be having many events so stay tuned. You can follow us on Instagram and Facebook.

All photography by Bridget Burnett

Model: Racquel Parsons.

Model provided by Goldie Mae Productions.

Makeup by Lark Mervine