June 1, 2020

Meet Jesus Meraz of Mad Roots Clothing in East Dallas

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jesus Meraz.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Jesus. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Since a young age I have been creative and was always drawn to art. I was raised in Mexico by my grandparents; my grandfather was an artist and would work on painting and fixing up the aesthetics of cars and in his free time he would use whatever materials he could find to make pictures and pieces of art to sell. However, it was not until later in my life that I became much more serious with my art. After high school is when I really started upping my level of art and decided to major in art, even though my parents wanted me to study medicine. I did not want to just stop my art at canvases and paintings, but I wanted to make something that everybody could enjoy my art and I could even help younger artists which is how my brand Mad Roots was born. I took my art and started making it into t-shirts, stickers, hats, swimsuits, etc. My dream for this brand is to use the profits to create a small scholarship for artists to go to college and get their education. I know first hand how hard it is to go to school especially due to finances. I want to help artists, who much like myself might not have the financial support for a higher education or might be pressured to something that is not art. I want to help the next generation of artists be able to reach their fullest potential of artistic level.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I have definitely had some bumps along the way. One of the biggest challenges I faced was with my parents and what I wanted to study. My parents wanted for me to study medicine and would support me if it was medicine. I did not have the opportunity to go to a 4-year university because we could not see eye to eye on my education. I started at the local community college and would enroll in science classes to show my parents that I was studying medicine. Once I had some of their help, I would change my classes to art and would never tell them, however after a while they figured out I was not studying medicine they stopped helping me. It took me many years to finish all that I could at the community college level because I was forced to work to pay for my classes and supplies which added up.
Once I got the university level, I was still faced with some struggles. I was rejected from University of North Texas graphic design program and was told my designs were not good enough. I had to rethink my entire plan, since I had originally went to school to learn graphic design. I then decided to study to become an art teacher and help the next generation of artists chase their dreams. The rejection from the graphic design program did hurt and I started to doubt my designs and dreams of creating a brand. One night I decided to buy photoshop and from then on I taught myself how to use design programs and create my own designs for my brand. I was determined to go to school for art and create my own brand.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Mad Roots Clothing – what should we know?
Mad Roots Clothing is a line of t-shirts, swimsuits, hats and other small accessories. We have more collections coming out based on the season of the year. A majority of the designs and prints are based on art pieces that I created and turned into a printable design. Mad Roots Clothing is different from other brands because of our goal. I want to be able to use profits from this clothing line to give back to young artists in the form of an educational scholarship. Another important aspect of Mad Roots is the meaning behind our name. I used Mad Roots because my roots are based in Mexico. I am an immigrant and came to the United States at a young age. Being able to sell my own clothing line and hopefully have a scholarship to give back makes me immensely proud. I have faced a lot of hardships being rejected from school programs and being an immigrant. This brand, Mad Roots, is a dream come true for me.

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
My patience and determination is what has helped Mad Roots become a reality. I understand that I will get rejected and not everyone is going to be supportive. I know that patience is key and I have to be patient for my brand to be successful. Determination was another key characteristic. I stayed focused on what my goals and dreams were. I knew that as long as I stayed determined to my goals and was patient, I would have my dreams come true.

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