Financial Times: The designers bringing craft to streetwear

UC-born clothing brand highlighted for bringing artisan sensibility to casual wear

The Financial Times highlights a new generation of fashion designers bringing an artisan sensibility to casual wear. These companies built their brands slowly, with a commitment to using recycled or natural textiles, and long-term connections with (and fair wages for) the people whose hands sew.

Among the brands featured is Graziano and Gutiérrez, a clothing company that specializes in American workwear apparel made from artisanal textiles from Mexico, embracing the idea of ​​releasing clothes in small batches. Founded in 2018 by Alejandro Gutiérrez and Samuel Graziano as part of a thesis project at the University of Cincinnati, the brand places craftsmanship at the heart of the design process by working directly with artisans based in Teotitlán del Valle, Oaxaca, and San Andrés Larráinzar, Chiapas.

The namesake designers both graduated from UC's College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning in 2019.

Read more about Graziano and Gutiérrez in the Financial Times (story exists behind a paywall) or ExBulletin.

Featured image at top/Graziano and Gutiérrez

Related Stories

1

Cincinnati records record rainfall in weekend deluge

July 21, 2026

The Cincinnati Enquirer talks to UC College of Engineering and Applied Science Associate Professor Patrick Ray for context about a July 17 rainstorm that dumped a record amount of rain on parts of Cincinnati.

2

Putting preschool into perspective

July 20, 2026

Preschool and childcare can be difficult to navigate for parents, as Spectrum News 1 Ohio recently reported. Waitlists are long, and factors like cost, location and transportation can limit options. According to a recent study published by The Annie E. Casey Foundation, only 41% of 3- to 4-year-olds in Ohio were enrolled in preschool between 2020 and 2024 — a 4% decrease from pre-pandemic numbers. For University of Cincinnati early childhood education faculty member Chad Nunamaker, that statistic has caveats.

3

Engineering magnets for a cleaner future

July 20, 2026

The United States is heavily reliant on imported rare-earth materials to make permanent magnets. Ugochukwu Philip Ochieze, materials science student at the University of Cincinnati, is studying how to use common materials to create permanent magnets, eliminating the need for expensive and scarce rare-earth materials. Pursuing his PhD, Ochieze was named Graduate Student Engineer of the Month by the College of Engineering and Applied Science.