Menswear Mondays: Artist Juan Nunez on his bleached DIY look

Thanks to the sun finally gracing us with its presence again this week, many Denverites are absorbing the heat. During our day in the sun, we spotted Juan Nuñez, a Denver native and fine artist, rocking a dark take on spring wear. Read on to find out where he shops,...

By Mauricio Rocha

May 13, 2013

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Thanks to the sun finally gracing us with its presence again this week, many Denverites are absorbing the heat. During our day in the sun, we spotted Juan Nuñez, a Denver native and fine artist, rocking a dark take on spring wear. Read on to find out where he shops, why his bag is his favorite accessory, and who his style icons are. See also: - Menswear Mondays: sacred clown Bradley Mccollough on his utilitarian fashion - Menswear Mondays: Artist Shane O'Connor on his punk-rock fashion - Menswear Mondays: Musician John Missy Kidd on his color-block style

Name: Juan Nuñez.

Spotted at: 19th and Broadway.

Profession: I'm an artist, and I work at H&M. When I say "artist," I mean a plethora of mediums. I never want to be confined to one type of art.

2013 jam: "Pawn Shop Blues," by Lana Del Rey.

Favorite film: Breakfast at Tiffany's. I love how Audrey Hepburn looked really classy but she was broke.

Style inspirations/icons: Flowers. There is something very simplistic and beautiful about flowers and the patterns they produce naturally. I love the nostalgia of yesteryear and the look of film noir. Andy Warhol and Alexander McQueen are my style icons as well.

Favorite accessory: My bag.

Favorite color: Orange, because it's exciting and a little obnoxious. You can always notice orange, no matter what.

Style mantra: I wanna get fucked. It's weird, but it's the way I think. It sounds vain, but I was 210 pounds in high school. Now I try to build my self-esteem and feel confident and sexy, and that's what I'd like to portray for myself.

Shops at: Goodwill and sometimes H&M. The ARC is fine. I enjoy getting a bargain on some new clothes or modifying old ones.

This is Nuñez's arm candy for the day: a gold vintage watch and beaded bracelet. Nuñez's favorite bag has been with him "through hell and high water. I will never get a new bag or throw this one out," he says. These black high-top sneakers are designed by Steve Madden and match Nuñez's all-black ensemble. "Sometimes I like to push the boundaries of fashion and challenge what people expect from menswear," says Nuñez. This scarf was custom-crafted by Nuñez, who made it by cutting two holes for arms in a black infinity scarf and splashing bleach on it to form a chaotic pattern. Here he wears it as a shirt.

Style analysis: While many embrace colors in the spring, Nuñez stands out by dressing in black tones: skinny black jeans, black leather vest, and black Madden kicks. He repurposed his scarf as a shirt and appears fashionable in a nonchalant but edgy manner. His accessories stand out in contrast to his blacked-out look; the gold watch, navy bag and bracelet all add to the refined yet unpolished final look.

Never be afraid to challenge the rules of menswear, Denver.

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Mauricio Octavio Rocha graduated from Metropolitan State University of Denver in 2014 with a bachelor's degree in English writing and a minor in cinema studies; He has been writing about fashion and style for Westword since 2012. Rocha also writes songs for his music and art project, VULGAR FEVER.

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